Pakistan and Afghanistan agree to immediate ceasefire during talks, mediator Qatar says

Afghanistan and Pakistan reached a deal for an immediate ceasefire during negotiations held in Doha, Qatar, the Qatari foreign ministry said early Sunday. This agreement follows a week of escalating border clashes between the two South Asian states, who have now decided to prolong their ceasefire in an effort to de-escalate tensions.

Qatar’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced this early Sunday morning through an official post on its X (formerly Twitter) account. However, it is still unclear how long the ceasefire will last. This uncertainty follows an airstrike conducted by Pakistan late Friday night in Afghanistan’s Paktika province, even after the ceasefire. The Afghan Taliban condemned the airstrike, stating that the strike was a violation of the ceasefire.

The announcement came in a statement from Qatar’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Saturday (local time), marking a significant diplomatic breakthrough mediated by Qatar and Turkiye in Doha. As per a statement by the Qatari Foreign Ministry, both sides also committed to holding follow-up meetings in the coming days to ensure the durability and implementation of the ceasefire and to foster long-term peace and stability between the two neighbouring nations.