Afghanistan and Pakistan agreed to hold new peace talks in Qatar to define terms for lasting peace. These talks aim to end a week of intense border violence that killed dozens. Both nations accepted an immediate ceasefire after discussions with Qatari mediators in Doha, Qatar’s Foreign Ministry confirmed. The agreement concluded the deadliest confrontation between the two countries in recent years, which left many dead and hundreds wounded.
Qatar announced that both parties will create mechanisms to maintain long-term stability and meet again soon to preserve the truce. Turkish diplomats also helped mediate the deal. Violence between the neighbours has grown since early this month, with each side blaming the other for provoking attacks. Kabul denied harbouring militants accused of striking border posts, a major issue for Islamabad.
Regional Tensions and Military Strikes
Pakistan has faced rising militancy near its western frontier since the Taliban regained control of Afghanistan in 2021. The renewed fighting risks deepening instability in a region where groups such as Islamic State and al-Qaeda are regaining ground.
On Friday, just hours after a temporary 48-hour truce ended, Pakistan launched airstrikes across the border. The strikes targeted Hafiz Gul Bahadur militants in Afghanistan’s Paktika province. Islamabad reported that the operation eliminated dozens of fighters without harming civilians. Officials said the attack responded to a suicide bombing at a security compound in Mir Ali, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, one day earlier.
Taliban representatives, however, reported that Pakistani raids killed at least ten civilians, including women, children, and local cricket players. The Afghan cricket board reacted by boycotting an upcoming competition in Pakistan. The International Cricket Council expressed grief and outrage over the loss of three young Afghan players.
Leadership Statements and Border Dispute
Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid condemned what he called Pakistan’s repeated crimes and violations of Afghan sovereignty. He described the attacks as deliberate efforts to extend the conflict. Pakistan’s army chief, Asim Munir, urged Afghanistan to prioritise shared security over endless violence. He demanded that the Taliban restrain proxy groups operating from Afghan territory.
Munir delivered his remarks at the Pakistan Military Academy in Kakul, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, while delegations from both sides gathered in Doha for talks. The two nations share the 2,600-kilometre Durand Line, which Afghanistan refuses to recognise, calling it a colonial-era imposition. Kabul maintains that the border, drawn in 1893, unfairly divides Pashtun tribes living across both countries.
Afghanistan instead acknowledges the 1947 boundaries, which challenge Pakistan’s current territorial claims. This dispute has caused repeated border clashes and militant-led skirmishes over control and territory for decades.
