Afghanistan and Pakistan agreed to meet again in Qatar to set terms for enduring peace. The agreement follows a week of deadly border clashes that killed dozens. Qatari mediators confirmed that both sides will hold follow-up talks to build a framework for long-term stability.
Qatar’s Foreign Ministry announced that Afghanistan and Pakistan accepted an immediate ceasefire after discussions in Doha. Turkish negotiators also helped finalize the agreement. Both nations pledged to form mechanisms that will preserve peace and maintain the ceasefire in the coming days.
Escalation Along the Border
Clashes intensified earlier this month as each nation accused the other of initiating aggression. Afghanistan rejected Pakistan’s claims that it shelters militants responsible for cross-border attacks. Pakistan continues to face a growing wave of militancy along its western border since the Taliban regained power in 2021.
The renewed fighting has risked destabilising the region, where groups such as the Islamic State and al-Qaeda seek to re-establish influence. Hours after a 48-hour truce expired on Friday, Pakistan launched airstrikes in Afghanistan’s Paktika province, targeting Hafiz Gul Bahadur militants. Islamabad stated the raids eliminated dozens of fighters without harming civilians.
Officials said the airstrikes answered a suicide bombing the day before at a security compound in Mir Ali, in Pakistan’s Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province. Taliban officials, however, reported that the strikes killed at least ten civilians, including women, children, and local cricket players competing nearby.
Fallout and Longstanding Disputes
The civilian deaths led Afghanistan’s cricket board to boycott an upcoming event in Pakistan. The International Cricket Council expressed sorrow over the deaths of three young Afghan players. Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid condemned Pakistan’s “repeated crimes” and accused Islamabad of violating Afghanistan’s sovereignty. He called the attacks deliberate acts designed to prolong conflict.
Pakistan’s army chief, Asim Munir, urged Afghans to pursue “mutual security over perpetual violence” and asked the Taliban to control proxy groups operating from Afghan territory. He spoke at the Pakistan Military Academy as delegates from both sides met in Doha.
The two countries share the 2,600-kilometre Durand Line, which Afghanistan has never recognised, viewing it as a colonial-era imposition. Kabul argues that the border, drawn in 1893, unjustly divides Pashtun tribes between the two nations. Afghanistan instead recognises the 1947 boundary, which includes areas now under Pakistani control. This dispute has fueled decades of cross-border clashes and territorial conflicts driven by local militant groups.
