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.
China’s growing use of electric and hydrogen-powered vehicles took centre stage at the Beijing Auto Show 2026, which opened on 2...
More than 1,000 firefighters are battling to contain two major wildfires in northern Japan for a fourth consecu...
Residents in central Gaza are preparing to vote in municipal elections on Saturday (25 April), marking the first ballot in the Strip since 2006. Th...
Militants have staged coordinated attacks in Mali’s capital, Bamako, and several locations across the country, the army said on Saturday (...
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is in Azerbaijan for talks with President Ilham Aliyev, holding meetings in G...
China’s growing use of electric and hydrogen-powered vehicles took centre stage at the Beijing Auto Show 2026, which opened on 24 April, highlighting the country’s expanding clean transport ambitions.
More than 1,000 firefighters are battling to contain two major wildfires in northern Japan for a fourth consecutive day, as flames advance towards residential areas and force thousands to flee.
Residents in central Gaza are preparing to vote in municipal elections on Saturday (25 April), marking the first ballot in the Strip since 2006. The vote in Deir al-Balah is being watched closely as a rare indication of public sentiment, including towards Hamas.
Militants have staged coordinated attacks in Mali’s capital, Bamako, and several locations across the country, the army said on Saturday (25 April), in an assault apparently involving jihadist and Tuareg-led groups.
Argentina has reiterated its interest in resuming talks with the United Kingdom over the Falkland Islands, a disputed archipelago in the South Atlantic, after reports that an internal Pentagon email suggested reviewing Washington’s support for the UK’s claim amid tensions over the Iran war.
Diplomatic efforts to end the Iran war are intensifying, with the White House confirming that U.S. President Donald Trump will send special envoy Steve Witkoff and adviser Jared Kushner to Islamabad for talks with Iran under Pakistani mediation.
Russian emergency services have contained a major fire at the Tuapse oil refinery on the Black Sea coast, local officials said on Thursday, ending a four-day effort after a Ukrainian drone strike.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is in Azerbaijan for talks with President Ilham Aliyev, holding meetings in Gabala on Saturday (25 April) during a working visit to the country.
Slovenia’s national broadcaster RTV Slovenia has confirmed it will not air the Eurovision Song Contest 2026, joining a widening boycott over Israel’s participation.
More than 1,000 firefighters are battling to contain two major wildfires in northern Japan for a fourth consecutive day, as flames advance towards residential areas and force thousands to flee.
Militants have staged coordinated attacks in Mali’s capital, Bamako, and several locations across the country, the army said on Saturday (25 April), in an assault apparently involving jihadist and Tuareg-led groups.
Two men were killed after the United States carried out a missile strike on a suspected drug-trafficking boat in the eastern Pacific Ocean on Friday (24 April), the military said.
Argentina has reiterated its interest in resuming talks with the United Kingdom over the Falkland Islands, a disputed archipelago in the South Atlantic, after reports that an internal Pentagon email suggested reviewing Washington’s support for the UK’s claim amid tensions over the Iran war.
China has urged the European Union to take its concerns seriously over new cybersecurity and digital regulations, warning they could create difficulties for Chinese companies operating in Europe.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment