The fragile ceasefire is still holding .Afghanistan and Pakistan have agreed to extend the ongoing ceasefire agreement for at least another week, Turkey’s foreign ministry said on Thursday (30 October).
A joint statement said that, in the presence of representatives from Pakistan, Afghanistan, Turkey, and Qatar, it was decided that an observation and verification mechanism would be established to maintain peace, and punitive measures would be taken against any party violating the ceasefire.
Another high-level meeting is expected to be held on 6 November in Istanbul.
Taliban government spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid said on Friday that discussions had continued in Istanbul for several days, and all parties agreed to keep exchanging views in the coming days.
Earlier this month, the Taliban government blamed Pakistan for an explosion in Afghanistan, which sparked clashes along their shared 2,600-kilometer border. This is the worst conflict between the two neighbors since the Taliban took power in 2021.
Pakistan’s military claims to have killed more than 200 Taliban fighters in the clashes, while the Taliban government claims it killed 58 Pakistani soldiers.
Following the cross-border fighting, the defense ministers of the two countries agreed to a ceasefire on 19 October. The meeting was arranged in Doha, mediated by Qatar and Turkey.
Kabul and Islamabad held a second round of talks on Saturday in Istanbul. However, disagreements caused Wednesday’s discussions to collapse. The main source of conflict remains Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), a militant group based in Afghanistan.
Islamabad accuses the TTP of launching attacks inside Pakistan from Afghan soil. Pakistan has repeatedly urged the Taliban government to control and dismantle the group. The Taliban authorities deny these accusations, saying they have no control over the TTP.
Amid rising tensions, Thursday’s talks saw progress, and both sides agreed to extend the ceasefire for one more week.
Although the Taliban government confirmed that discussions would continue, Pakistan has not yet made any comment.
Despite the ceasefire, the border between the two countries has remained closed for more than two weeks. This has severely impacted traders in the border regions. Nazir Ahmad, a textile trader in Kandahar, said both countries are suffering losses and are exhausted.
Abdul Jabbar, an auto-parts trader from Pakistan’s Chaman border town, said business is being severely affected. “Both countries are Muslim-majority, yet both are facing harm,” he added.
