Türkiye and Qatar have brokered a pledge by Afghanistan and Pakistan to respect an immediate ceasefire after weeks of cross-border clashes that have killed dozens and wounded hundreds.
The truce took effect on Oct. 19 immediately after the talks in the Qatari capital Doha, joined by Türkiye's intelligence chief İbrahim Kalın. Violence has escalated between the neighbors since earlier this month, with each country saying they were responding to aggression from the other. Afghanistan denies harboring militants who carry out attacks in border areas.
Pakistan is grappling with militancy that has surged since 2021, when the Taliban seized control of Afghanistan and returned to power.
The Taliban government’s chief spokesman, Zabihullah Mujahid, gave a positive response to the outcome of the talks that took place in Doha, a day earlier.
He said both countries had signed a bilateral agreement.
“It has been decided that neither country will undertake any hostile actions against the other, nor will they support groups carrying out attacks against Pakistan. Both sides will refrain from targeting each other’s security forces, civilians or critical infrastructure.”
A mechanism would be established in the future, “under the mediation of intermediary countries,” to review bilateral claims and ensure the effective implementation of this agreement.
Pakistan’s Defense Minister Khawaja Asif posted confirmation of the deal on X.
“Cross-border terrorism from Afghan territory will cease immediately,” Asif wrote. “Both countries will respect each other’s sovereignty and territorial integrity."
He said a follow-up meeting between the delegations is scheduled to take place in Istanbul on Oct. 25 to "discuss the matters in detail."
Mujahid and Asif both thanked Türkiye and Qatar for their role in facilitating the talks that led to the ceasefire.
The agreement follows 14 hours of closed-door negotiations and builds on a trilateral intelligence-level meeting held in Istanbul on Oct. 11 involving Türkiye, Pakistan and Qatar, with Afghanistan linked remotely.
Meanwhile, Türkiye welcomed the deal and commended the efforts of Qatar.
“Türkiye will continue to support the efforts for achieving lasting peace and stability between the two brotherly countries and in the region,” read a statement issued by the Foreign Ministry on Oct. 19.
As fighting between Pakistan and Afghanistan escalated into rare, bloody combat this month, Islamabad pointed fingers at another adversary, accusing India of fuelling the conflict.
Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said New Delhi had "incited" the Afghan Taliban, while Asif described Kabul as acting like a "proxy of India."
Existential archrivals, Pakistan and India, have fought repeated wars since partition cleaved the subcontinent at the end of British rule in 1947. They have also long swapped claims of stoking militancy in each other's territory as part of alleged destabilization campaigns.
