Pakistan and Afghanistan have agreed to extend their temporary ceasefire following a week of deadly border clashes, a senior diplomatic source confirmed on Friday. The truce, initially set for 48 hours, was renewed to allow further talks between the two sides.
A Pakistani delegation has already arrived in Doha, while an Afghan delegation is expected in the Qatari capital on Saturday to discuss conditions for de-escalation, according to officials familiar with the matter. The sources, who requested anonymity, said both governments had shown interest in maintaining calm while pursuing dialogue through diplomatic channels.
The ceasefire comes after a series of violent exchanges that began on 11 October, when Afghan forces allegedly launched attacks on Pakistani border posts. The confrontation killed 23 Pakistani troops and left more than 200 Taliban fighters dead, according to Islamabad’s military officials.
In response, Pakistan conducted “precision strikes” in Kandahar province and the outskirts of Kabul, actions that Afghan authorities condemned as violations of sovereignty.
The Pakistani government has accused militant groups operating from Afghan territory of orchestrating attacks inside Pakistan. Speaking earlier this week, Foreign Office Spokesperson Mumtaz Zahra Baloch said Pakistan expected “concrete and verifiable action” from the Taliban regime against terrorist factions using Afghan soil.
“Afghanistan is being used as a base for operations against Pakistan, and there is evidence of this,” a senior military spokesperson told reporters in Peshawar.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif also said Islamabad remained open to dialogue, provided Kabul met Pakistan’s “justified” conditions. “If they want to fulfil our justified conditions through talks, we are ready,” Sharif said during a cabinet meeting. “The ball is in their court.”
The latest clashes follow months of rising tension along the Durand Line, the mountainous border separating the two nations. Afghanistan’s government accused Pakistan of bombing a civilian market in Paktika province and airspace violations near Kabul — claims Islamabad has not directly confirmed.
During a press briefing last week, Pakistan’s Foreign Office refrained from acknowledging specific strikes but described recent operations as legitimate self-defence against cross-border militancy.
Afghanistan’s acting Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi, meanwhile, rejected Islamabad’s accusations, stating there were “no terrorist organisations” operating within Afghan territory. During a visit to India, Muttaqi urged Pakistan to “solve its own internal problems” rather than shifting blame.
In response, Pakistan’s Foreign Office reiterated that terrorism “is not an internal problem” and cited the presence of Fitna al-Khawarij (a term for Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan militants) and Fitna al-Hindustan, used to refer to alleged India-backed insurgents in Balochistan.
The truce, though temporary, marks a critical pause in hostilities that have cost dozens of lives in recent weeks. Both sides are expected to continue indirect negotiations in Doha, facilitated by regional mediators. For now, calm has largely held along the border, though both militaries remain on high alert.
Africa Digital News, New York
