Afghanistan and Pakistan will hold peace talks in Doha on Saturday, both sides said, after the South Asia neighbours extended a ceasefire following a week of fierce border clashes.
Pakistan and Afghanistan on Friday extended the 48-hour truce for the duration of the Doha talks, sources said, as they seek to resolve the clashes that killed dozens and wounded hundreds in the worst violence between the two countries since the Taliban seized power in Kabul in 2021.
"As promised, negotiations with the Pakistani side will take place today in Doha," Afghan government spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid said in a statement, adding that the Kabul team led by Defence Minister Mullah Muhammad Yaqoob had arrived in Doha.
In a statement, Pakistan's foreign office said Defence Minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif will lead discussions with representatives of the Afghan Taliban.
"The talks will focus on immediate measures to end cross-border terrorism against Pakistan emanating from Afghanistan and restore peace and stability along the Pak-Afghan border," it said.
PAUSE IN WORST FIGHTING SINCE TALIBAN TOOK KABUL
The fierce ground fighting between the one-time allies and Pakistani airstrikes across their contested 2,600-km (1,600-mile) frontier were triggered after Islamabad demanded that Kabul rein in militants who had stepped up attacks in Pakistan, saying they operated from havens in Afghanistan.
The Taliban denies giving haven to militants to attack Pakistan and accuses the Pakistani military of spreading misinformation about Afghanistan, provoking border tensions and sheltering ISIS-linked militants to undermine its stability and sovereignty. Islamabad denies the accusations.
Militant violence in Pakistan has been a major irritant in its relationship with the Afghan Taliban.
On Friday, a suicide attack near the Afghan border killed seven Pakistani soldiers and wounded 13, security officials said.
KABUL CONDEMNS PAKISTAN AIRSTRIKES
Islamabad does not seek escalation, Pakistan's foreign office said, urging the Afghan Taliban authorities to address Pakistan's "legitimate security concerns by taking verifiable action against terrorist entities".
"The Afghan regime must rein in the proxies who have sanctuaries in Afghanistan and are using Afghan soil to perpetrate heinous attacks inside Pakistan," the Pakistan Army chief, Field Marshal Asim Munir, said on Saturday, addressing a graduation ceremony of cadets.
The Afghan government's spokesperson said Pakistan had conducted airstrikes in Afghanistan hours after the ceasefire was extended.
He condemned the strikes, saying Kabul reserved the right to respond but that Afghan fighters had been directed to refrain from retaliating to maintain the status of and respect for its negotiating team.
The Pakistani military did not respond to a request for a comment on the airstrikes.
The airstrikes killed some local Afghan cricketers, prompting Kabul to announce that its national team will not play a cricket tournament in Pakistan scheduled for November, the Afghanistan Cricket Board said in a statement.
The Nobel Peace Prize 2026 will be announced on Friday, 9 October, bringing one of the world's most closely watched awards back into focus....
Iran is reviewing a U.S. response to Tehran's proposal to reopen the Strait of Hormuz within seven days, with Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi s...
AnewZ has premiered its new documentary film Kontrapunkt in Berlin, exploring more than two centuries of shared German-Azerbaijani hist...
Russia's health watchdog said on Tuesday that no cases of plague had been detected among anyone who had come into contact with a Siberian plague institute laboratory worker who died last week, and locals said their lives had barely been disrupted.
Russia struck Ukraine overnight in one of the biggest attacks of the conflict, killing at least 19 people, Kyiv's Foreign Ministry said on Wednesday. Around 70 missiles were fired at Ukraine during the attack, as well as drones, the Ministry said.
Azerbaijan and the five Central Asian states have signed two key documents at the 8th Consultative Meeting of Heads of State in Turkmenbashi, formalising a broader framework for regional cooperation in transport, trade, energy, digitalisation and security.
The Saudi-led coalition says it has carried out a series of military operations against Houthi targets in Yemen after attacks on two Saudi airports left three people dead and dozens injured.
An investigation into August Hanning, the former head of Germany’s Federal Intelligence Service (BND), has no connection to Azerbaijan, informed sources have told AnewZ.
The Nobel Peace Prize 2026 will be announced on Friday, 9 October, bringing one of the world's most closely watched awards back into focus.
Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan said on Thursday 8 October, that Yerevan will discuss the possible construction of railway connections with the Turkish city of Kars and the Azerbaijani city of Nakhchivan with Russian officials next week, according to local media.
It started with classrooms. Too many students, not enough teachers, deteriorating buildings and growing anxiety over what comes after high school. But within weeks, a movement that began outside French lycées had spread across the country.
Iran says it will deliver its response to recent U.S. proposals through intermediaries, underscoring that communication between the two countries continues indirectly alongside ongoing diplomatic efforts to reduce tensions.
International cooperation, lunar exploration and the growing role of artificial intelligence dominated the third day of a major astronautical conference now underway in Antalya.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment