- By Shivangi Sharma
- Sun, 19 Oct 2025 07:54 AM (IST)
- Source:JND
In a significant diplomatic breakthrough, Pakistan and Afghanistan have agreed to an “immediate ceasefire” following a new round of hostilities along their shared border. The deal was brokered during intensive negotiations mediated by Qatar and Turkey in Doha, which lasted more than 13 hours.
The Qatari Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced the agreement late Saturday, confirming that both nations had pledged to halt all military operations and establish mechanisms to ensure a lasting and verifiable peace. “Both countries agreed to an immediate ceasefire and will continue to meet in the coming days to make sure it is properly implemented,” the ministry said, adding that these steps aim to “help promote stability and security in both Pakistan and Afghanistan.”
Ceasefire After A Bloody Week
The ceasefire came just hours after Pakistan’s Air Force launched strikes inside Afghanistan’s eastern Paktika province, killing ten people, including three Afghan cricketers, according to Afghan officials. Islamabad claimed the air raids targeted militant hideouts belonging to the Hafiz Gul Bahadur group, linked to the Pakistani Taliban (TTP). Pakistani officials said the strikes were in retaliation for a suicide bombing at a paramilitary compound in Mir Ali, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, that killed several security personnel.
The Taliban government in Kabul, however, accused Pakistan of violating a fragile 48-hour truce that had briefly halted nearly a week of intense clashes, which claimed dozens of lives on both sides. Afghan officials insisted that their country does not harbour militants responsible for attacks inside Pakistan, accusing Islamabad of using cross-border terrorism as a pretext for air raids.
Mediation Efforts By Qatar And Turkey
The Doha talks, attended by Pakistan’s Defence Minister Khawaja Asif and intelligence chief General Asim Malik, as well as Afghanistan’s Defence Minister Mohammad Yaqoob, were described as “constructive and detailed” by Qatari diplomats. The discussions focused on establishing a joint mechanism to monitor the ceasefire’s implementation and prevent future escalations.
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Qatar’s foreign ministry said follow-up meetings will take place “in the coming days to ensure sustainability of the ceasefire and verify its implementation in a reliable and sustainable manner.”
Regional powers, including Saudi Arabia and Qatar, have urged both nations to maintain calm, warning that renewed conflict could destabilise the region further.