After weeks of escalating border clashes that left dozens dead, Pakistan and Afghanistan have reached a breakthrough ceasefire agreement, halting hostilities and easing tensions along their volatile frontier.
The accord, mediated by Qatar and Turkiye late Sunday, is being described as a “turning point” in regional security. Doha officials hailed it as a foundation for sustainable peace between the two uneasy neighbors. Both Islamabad and Kabul have agreed to an immediate ceasefire and to form a permanent peace and security mechanism along their 2,500-kilometer border — a region long affected by terrorism, smuggling, and militant incursions.
The truce follows intense fighting earlier this month, when Taliban and India-backed TTP militants launched deadly assaults on Pakistani posts, prompting Pakistan to respond with precision airstrikes in Afghanistan’s Kandahar and Kabul provinces. The clashes left 23 Pakistani soldiers martyred and over 200 militants killed.
Pakistan’s Defence Minister Khawaja Asif termed the ceasefire a “new dawn of peace,” confirming the next round of talks will take place in Istanbul on October 25. Both sides have vowed to respect each other’s territorial integrity and prevent cross-border terrorism.
Analysts say the deal could either mark a fresh start or a brief pause in decades of Pakistan-Afghanistan hostility.
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