Key points
- Doha talks establish permanent peace mechanism
- Pakistan urges verifiable Afghan action against terrorists
- Follow-up meetings planned to ensure stability
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan and Afghanistan have reached an agreement on an immediate ceasefire following high-level negotiations in Doha, during which both sides also decided to create a permanent framework to ensure enduring peace and stability, according to a report by PTV News on Sunday.
Amid escalating tensions along the Pak-Afghan border, a senior Pakistani delegation led by Defence Minister Khawaja Asif travelled to Doha on Saturday for discussions with Afghan Taliban officials. The talks, facilitated by Qatar, were aimed at ending cross-border hostilities and addressing Pakistan’s security concerns.
They came after several days of clashes and Pakistani airstrikes on Gul Bahadur group camps in Afghanistan, following the extension of a 48-hour ceasefire to allow time for negotiations.
Immediate ceasefire
A post on PTV News’ official X account, quoting the Qatar Ministry of Foreign Affairs, stated, “During the negotiations held in Doha between Pakistan and Afghanistan, both countries agreed on an immediate ceasefire.”
پاکستان اور افغانستان کے درمیان فوری جنگ بندی پر اتفاق — مذاکرات دوحہ میں مکمل
اسلامی جمہوریہ پاکستان اور افغانستان کے درمیان دوحہ میں ہونے والے مذاکرات کے دوران دونوں ممالک نے فوری جنگ بندی پر اتفاق کر لیا۔
مذاکرات کی میزبانی ریاستِ قطر نے کی، جبکہ جمہوریہ ترکیہ نے ثالثی کا… pic.twitter.com/XedvDiSFAp
— PTV News (@PTVNewsOfficial) October 18, 2025
“During the talks, both countries not only agreed on an immediate ceasefire but also decided to establish a permanent mechanism for bilateral peace and stability,” the post added.
The post further mentioned that both sides would hold follow-up meetings in the coming days to ensure the implementation and continued maintenance of the ceasefire.
“These measures will prove beneficial in promoting security and stability in both Pakistan and Afghanistan,” it said.
According to the post, the negotiations, hosted by the State of Qatar and mediated by Turkey, lasted for 13 hours.
Cross-border escalation
On Saturday, while the talks were ongoing, Pakistan reiterated that it did not seek escalation but urged the Afghan Taliban authorities to fulfil their commitments to the international community and to address Pakistan’s legitimate security concerns by taking verifiable action against terrorist groups, according to a statement from the Foreign Office (FO).
“Pakistan appreciates the mediation efforts of Qatar and hopes these discussions contribute to peace and stability in the region,” the FO had added.
On the night of 11 October, Afghan forces launched an unprovoked assault on Pakistani border posts, triggering a series of clashes that resulted in the martyrdom of 23 Pakistani soldiers and the deaths of over 200 Taliban and affiliated militants, according to the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR).
In response, the Pakistan military carried out precision strikes inside Afghanistan’s Kandahar province and Kabul, targeting militant camps and border positions, while urging Kabul to take action against terrorist organisations operating from its territory.
Precision strikes
Afghanistan claimed that its border attack was a “retaliatory” act, accusing Islamabad of conducting airstrikes within Afghan territory the previous Thursday — an allegation Islamabad has neither confirmed nor denied.
Clashes resumed on Tuesday (14 October), when the Afghan Taliban and Fitna al Khawarij exchanged fire with Pakistani troops at the Kurram border. Pakistan subsequently launched further “precision strikes” in Afghanistan’s Kandahar province and Kabul on Wednesday.
Fitna al Khawarij is a term used by the state to describe terrorists associated with the proscribed Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP).
The FO announced on Wednesday that a temporary ceasefire had been agreed with Afghanistan for the following 48 hours amid the recent border hostilities. The ceasefire was later extended on Friday.
That same day, Pakistan again targeted terrorist hideouts inside Afghanistan. Strikes were reported in the Angoor Adda region and across the Urgun and Barmal districts of Afghanistan’s Paktika province, aimed at the hideouts of the outlawed Hafiz Gul Bahadur group.
Deteriorating ties
The attacks followed an audacious gun-and-bomb assault on a military installation in North Waziristan and came just hours after Islamabad and Kabul had extended the two-day ceasefire.
Relations between Islamabad and Kabul have remained tense since 2023, with Pakistan repeatedly expressing concern over the use of Afghan soil by militants to carry out cross-border attacks.
Although both sides have made intermittent attempts at dialogue, tensions have persisted. Kabul maintains that it does not allow its territory to be used against any other country, yet it continues to face criticism from Islamabad as TTP-led assaults in Pakistan persist.
