Afghanistan and Pakistan plan follow-up talks in Qatar to build terms for lasting peace. Their move aims to end a week of deadly cross-border clashes that killed dozens. Both countries accepted an immediate ceasefire during discussions with Qatari mediators in Doha, Qatar’s Foreign Ministry confirmed.
The new understanding concludes one of the most violent weeks between the neighbours in years. The clashes left dozens dead and hundreds injured. Both sides agreed to form systems to secure peace and stability. They also plan further meetings soon to reinforce the ceasefire. Turkish negotiators helped reach this agreement, the Qatari statement noted.
Rising Tensions and Border Strikes
Violence between Afghanistan and Pakistan has surged since early this month. Each government accused the other of provoking hostilities. Afghanistan denied sheltering militants behind border attacks, a point of deep concern for Islamabad. Pakistan continues to face rising militancy in its western frontier since 2021, after the Taliban regained power in Kabul.
The renewed conflict risks destabilising a region already under threat from groups like Islamic State and al-Qaeda. On Friday, hours after a short truce expired, Pakistan launched cross-border airstrikes in Afghanistan’s Paktika province. Islamabad said the operation targeted Hafiz Gul Bahadur group militants, neutralising dozens of fighters without civilian deaths.
Pakistani officials linked the strikes to a suicide bombing at a security compound in Mir Ali, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, the previous day. Taliban representatives, however, reported at least ten civilian deaths, including women, children, and young cricket players near the strike zone.
Fallout and Historical Disputes
The attacks led Afghanistan’s cricket board to boycott an upcoming event in Pakistan. The International Cricket Council expressed sorrow over the deaths of the three young Afghan athletes. Taliban spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid condemned Pakistan’s “repeated crimes” and “violations of Afghanistan’s sovereignty,” calling them deliberate provocations.
Pakistan’s army chief, Asim Munir, urged Afghans to favour “mutual security over perpetual violence.” Speaking at the Pakistan Military Academy in Kakul, he pressed the Taliban to restrain militant proxies based in Afghanistan. Delegations from both nations met again in Doha as part of ongoing peace efforts.
The countries share the 2,600-kilometre Durand Line, which Afghanistan refuses to recognise. Kabul claims the border was forced upon it in 1893 under British rule and divides Pashtun tribes across both territories. Afghanistan instead accepts the 1947 borders, which dispute large areas of Pakistan’s territory. These unresolved claims have long fuelled border clashes and militant-led conflicts over control and sovereignty.
