Pakistan and Afghanistan Extend Ceasefire... Follow-up Talks to Resume Next Month

Agreement Reached on Establishing a Monitoring System
for Sanctions in Case of Peace Violations

Recently, Pakistan and Afghanistan, which had engaged in armed clashes at the border, agreed to extend their ceasefire and hold follow-up talks early next month through mediation by T?rkiye and Qatar.

On the 13th (local time), Afghan Taliban soldiers were standing guard on a military vehicle. Photo by AFP

According to reports from the Associated Press and others on the 30th (local time), the Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced that Pakistan and Afghanistan held talks in Istanbul from the 25th to the 30th and agreed to maintain the ceasefire. The ministry added that both countries plan to hold another high-level peace meeting in Istanbul on the 6th of next month to finalize measures for implementing the ceasefire.

In a statement, the Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs said, "All parties have agreed to maintain peace and to establish a monitoring and verification system that will impose sanctions in the event of violations."

Zabihullah Mujahid, spokesperson for the Afghan Taliban regime, also emphasized that his country is committed to resolving disputes through diplomatic means. He stated, "We seek friendly relations with Pakistan," and added, "We will maintain relations that pose no threat to either side, based on the principles of mutual respect and non-interference in internal affairs."

Previously, on the 9th, the Pakistani military launched an airstrike on Kabul, the capital of Afghanistan, targeting the leadership of Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), claiming that the armed group was hiding in Afghanistan while carrying out terrorist attacks in Pakistan. In retaliation, on the 11th, Afghan Taliban forces attacked a Pakistani military base near the border, resulting in armed clashes between the two sides and dozens of soldiers killed. This was the worst armed conflict between the two countries since the Taliban regained power in Afghanistan in August 2021.

The two countries held a 48-hour temporary ceasefire starting from the 15th, and then, on the night of the 18th in Doha, Qatar, signed a ceasefire agreement through mediation by T?rkiye and Qatar. Since the 25th, both sides have been discussing the extension of the ceasefire and follow-up measures in Istanbul.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.