Kabul, Islamabad, Oct 19, 2025: Pakistan and Afghanistan have agreed to an immediate ceasefire following high-level talks in Doha mediated by Qatar and Turkiye, Qatar’s foreign ministry announced early Sunday. The announcement comes after a week of intense border clashes that killed dozens and injured hundreds in the worst violence between the neighbours since the Taliban took power in Kabul in 2021.
Qatar’s statement said both countries had agreed to halt hostilities and continue discussions in the coming days “to ensure the sustainability of the ceasefire and verify its implementation in a reliable and sustainable manner.”
Negotiations were held on Saturday, with Afghanistan’s delegation led by Defence Minister Mullah Muhammad Yaqoob and Pakistan’s team headed by Defence Minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif. “As promised, negotiations with the Pakistani side will take place today in Doha,” Afghan government spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid said earlier on Saturday.
Pakistan’s foreign office confirmed that the talks focused on “immediate measures to end cross-border terrorism against Pakistan emanating from Afghanistan and restore peace and stability along the Pak-Afghan border.”
The latest hostilities erupted after Islamabad accused Kabul of harbouring militant groups responsible for a surge in attacks inside Pakistan. The Pakistani military launched airstrikes along the 2,600-kilometre frontier, claiming to target “verified militant camps.” The Taliban government denied the allegations, accusing Pakistan of spreading misinformation and sheltering Islamic State-linked militants to undermine Afghanistan’s sovereignty — a charge Islamabad strongly rejected.
On Friday, a suicide bombing near the border killed seven Pakistani soldiers and wounded 13, further inflaming tensions. Addressing military cadets the following day, Pakistan’s Army Chief, Field Marshal Asim Munir, said: “The Afghan regime must rein in the proxies who have sanctuaries in Afghanistan and are using Afghan soil to perpetrate heinous attacks inside Pakistan.”
Despite the Doha agreement, tensions remained high as Kabul accused Pakistan of conducting airstrikes inside Afghanistan hours after the ceasefire’s extension on Friday. Mujahid said the strikes targeted civilians, adding that Afghan forces had been instructed not to retaliate in order to respect the ongoing talks. “Afghanistan reserves the right to respond,” he said.
The airstrikes prompted Afghanistan to withdraw from a T20 international cricket tri-series scheduled in Pakistan next month. The Afghanistan Cricket Board said three local players were killed in the recent strikes in Paktika province.
Pakistan’s Information Minister Attaullah Tarar, however, dismissed Kabul’s claims, saying the strikes targeted verified militant hideouts, not civilians. He added that militants had attempted multiple attacks inside Pakistan even during the ceasefire period and claimed that more than 100 insurgents were killed in recent operations.
The ongoing conflict marks one of the most serious escalations since the Taliban’s return to power. Militants aligned with the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) have waged a deadly insurgency for years, seeking to overthrow the Pakistani government and establish their version of Islamic rule.
Diplomatic observers said the Doha truce, though fragile, signals cautious optimism for de-escalation if both sides uphold the agreement. “This ceasefire offers a narrow window for diplomacy,” one regional analyst noted. “But without concrete security guarantees and restraint on both sides, it risks collapsing as quickly as it was announced.”
Both countries are expected to hold follow-up meetings later this week under Qatari and Turkish mediation to reinforce the ceasefire and discuss long-term border security mechanisms.
