ISLAMABAD: Pakistan and Afghanistan have agreed to extend their 48-hour ceasefire until the conclusion of upcoming peace talks in Doha, Reuters reported Friday, citing sources within the Pakistani government and the Afghan Taliban.
The temporary truce, initially brokered on Wednesday following intense border clashes, halted hostilities that had claimed dozens of lives and left hundreds injured. The extension reportedly came at Kabul’s request, with high-level negotiations scheduled to begin Saturday.
A Pakistani delegation has already arrived in Qatar’s capital, while Afghan representatives are expected to join shortly. According to Reuters sources, the Doha talks will focus on preventing future border escalations and addressing Pakistan’s longstanding concerns over militant safe havens in Afghanistan.
The recent clashes erupted after Afghan forces launched an unprovoked attack on Pakistani border posts on the night of August 11, resulting in the deaths of 23 Pakistani soldiers. In retaliation, Pakistan’s military carried out what officials described as “precision strikes” targeting militant hideouts in Kandahar and Kabul. Intelligence reports later confirmed the deaths of over 200 Taliban fighters and affiliated militants.
On Friday, Pakistan’s Foreign Office (FO) confirmed that both sides are making sincere efforts to reach a peaceful resolution. “Pakistan and Afghanistan are working towards resolving this complex but solvable issue through constructive dialogue,” FO spokesperson Shafqat Ali Khan told reporters in Islamabad.
Khan reiterated Pakistan’s commitment to diplomacy and its desire for a stable, inclusive, and prosperous Afghanistan. However, he emphasized that Kabul must take decisive action against terrorist groups operating from its soil. “Pakistan expects concrete and verifiable actions against terrorist elements by the Taliban regime,” he said, referring to groups Islamabad labels as Fitna al-Khawarij and Fitna al-Hindustan—terms used for the banned Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and India-backed Baloch insurgents.
He added that Pakistan will continue to take “all possible measures” to protect its sovereignty and citizens.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif echoed this stance during a cabinet meeting on Thursday, stating that Pakistan is open to dialogue if Kabul meets Islamabad’s “justified conditions.” “The message has been sent: if they want to meet our justified conditions through talks, then we are ready. The ball is in their court,” he said.
The recent escalation marks one of the most serious flare-ups since the Taliban’s return to power in 2021. Afghan authorities, meanwhile, accused Pakistan of violating airspace and conducting bombings near the border in Paktika province and parts of Kabul. Islamabad has not directly acknowledged these strikes but maintains that its actions were legitimate acts of self-defence.
In Peshawar, military spokesperson Lt-Gen Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry stopped short of confirming the strikes but asserted Pakistan’s right to defend itself. “Afghanistan is being used as a base of operations for terrorism in Pakistan. There is also evidence of this,” he stated.
Tensions between the two neighbours have remained high for months, with Pakistan facing a surge in cross-border attacks. Islamabad accuses the Afghan Taliban regime of sheltering militants responsible for assaults on its security forces and civilians. Kabul, however, insists it does not allow any group to operate against Pakistan from its territory.
