Pakistan, Afghanistan agree to uphold ceasefire

After five days of talks in Turkey, South Asian neighbours Pakistan and Afghanistan have agreed to maintain their ceasefire.

Turkey’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs confirmed the development in a statement on Thursday, October 30.

According to the statement, representatives from both countries will meet again in Istanbul on November 6 to discuss various ceasefire terms. Until that meeting, both governments have agreed to remain alert to prevent any further conflict. Qatar and Turkey acted as mediators in the negotiations.

Pakistan and Afghanistan share a 2,600-kilometre border known as the Durand Line. Relations between the two nations have deteriorated sharply since the Taliban assumed power in Afghanistan in 2021.

On October 9, Pakistan launched an airstrike in Kabul, killing several senior leaders of Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), including its chief Noor Wali Mehsud and deputy Qari Saifullah Mehsud. In response, the Afghan army attacked Pakistani border posts on October 11, accusing Islamabad of violating Afghanistan’s sovereignty. The Pakistani military then retaliated, leading to a series of cross-border clashes.

After days of fighting, both sides announced a 48-hour ceasefire on October 15. By that point, more than 200 Afghan soldiers and 23 Pakistani troops had been killed.

Talks between official delegations began in Doha on October 18 and were later shifted to Istanbul, where discussions resumed on October 25. Although the talks nearly collapsed on October 28, mediator intervention helped salvage the process. Negotiations resumed the next day, and on October 30 both nations reached a ceasefire agreement.