Pakistan and Afghanistan have agreed to extend their 48-hour ceasefire until the conclusion of peace talks expected to begin on Saturday in Doha, Qatar, following days of border clashes.
The truce was first declared on 15 October after mediation by Qatar and Saudi Arabia helped both sides pause hostilities. According to Pakistani media citing a senior diplomatic source, the extension was made at Afghanistan’s request. However, Afghan broadcaster Tolo News, quoting unnamed sources in Qatar, reported that it was Pakistan that sought the continuation of the ceasefire. Neither government has issued an official confirmation, and the length of the Doha talks remains unclear.
The latest escalation began on 9 October, when Pakistan launched air operations near Kabul, which officials said targeted members of Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP). Islamabad accuses the group of using Afghan territory to coordinate attacks in Pakistan’s Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan provinces.
Afghan forces reportedly responded with cross-border fire on 11 October, leading to several days of fierce fighting along the frontier, especially in the Spin Boldak–Chaman corridor. Islamabad maintains that its actions were defensive and aimed at neutralising militants staging attacks from across the border.
Pakistan continues to press the Taliban-led administration to take concrete and verifiable action against TTP fighters operating from Afghan soil. The group, designated as a terrorist organisation by Islamabad, is blamed for hundreds of deadly attacks inside Pakistan. Officials say their operations are meant to prevent further infiltration and protect border communities.
Islamabad also stresses that it has exercised restraint and remains committed to dialogue, arguing that long-term stability in Afghanistan directly supports Pakistan’s own security and regional trade goals.
Kabul, however, denies providing safe haven to the TTP or any other militant group, saying it is taking steps to maintain calm along the border. Still, the TTP continues to exploit the porous Pashtun tribal belt straddling the Durand Line — the colonial-era boundary between the two countries — using the mountainous terrain to evade detection.
Analysts view the extended ceasefire as a fragile but significant opportunity for both governments to rebuild trust and pursue lasting security arrangements through the upcoming Doha talks.
China’s ruling Communist Party is stepping up oversight of technology firms, internet platforms and digital finance in a sweeping drive to ta...
A wave of bomb threats targeting passenger flights has disrupted air travel across Europe, forcing diversions, airport closures and fighter jet esc...
U.S. President Donald Trump says Washington will end its annual financial and military aid to Israel by the end of 2026, under an agreement he clai...
Iranian parliament speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf says the U.S. must act to prevent war after Tehran sent a “strong and rational response” to Washington. Meanwhile, U.S. forces have reportedly carried out limited strikes against Iranian targets, including Qeshm Island,
Hundreds of millions of U.S. citizens head to the polls on 3 November to elect the House of Representatives and Senate. How they vote could influence the direction of Donald Trump’s remaining 26 months in office and the outcomes of the Ukraine and Iran conflicts.
A six-day humanitarian ceasefire in the Russian-held Ukrainian town of Oleshky ended on Sunday, 1 November, after facilitating aid deliveries and civilian evacuations.
Kyrgyzstan has emerged as Central Asia’s fastest-growing economy, fuelled by a construction boom, public investment and trade linked to Russia. But with Western sanctions tightening, can the country sustain its rapid growth?
Russia airstrikes on a school used as a humanitarian aid distribution point in southeastern Ukraine's Zaporizhzhia region killed at least 26 people, including rescue workers and police officers, Ukrainian officials said. Another 27 people were reported missing.
China’s ruling Communist Party is stepping up oversight of technology firms, internet platforms and digital finance in a sweeping drive to tackle corruption and tighten control over the country’s rapidly evolving digital economy.
A wave of bomb threats targeting passenger flights has disrupted air travel across Europe, forcing diversions, airport closures and fighter jet escorts. No explosives have been found, raising questions about who is behind the alerts and whether the disruption itself is the goal.
U.S. President Donald Trump says Washington will end its annual financial and military aid to Israel by the end of 2026, under an agreement he claims to have reached with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
Volodymyr Zelenskyy has confirmed that Ukraine's negotiators will meet with Russian and U.S. delegations in Abu Dhabi next week for the first peace talks mediated by Washington since February.
Spanish police are investigating the death of Tenerife striker Jesús de Miguel, who died after a collision with an opposing goalkeeper during a second-division football match. The case raises questions about when an on-field challenge can become a criminal offence.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment