A ceasefire agreement between Pakistan and Afghanistan depends on the Afghan Taliban being able to control militants who attack Pakistan, according to Pakistan’s Defence Minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif. This agreement was reached in Doha after days of deadly border clashes, marking the worst violence since the Taliban took power in Afghanistan in 2021. The fighting and subsequent airstrikes were prompted by Pakistan’s call for Afghanistan to manage militants operating from its territory.
Asif emphasized that the agreement’s success relies on preventing any incursions from Afghanistan. The minister insisted the ceasefire holds as long as there are no violations. He accused the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), an umbrella of militant groups, of collaborating with the Taliban to launch attacks against Pakistan. In contrast, Kabul denies it harbors militants and blames the Pakistani military for spreading false information.
Taliban spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid stated that both countries agreed not to take hostile actions against each other during the talks and affirmed that Afghanistan’s ground would not be used against any other nation. However, he clarified that the statements regarding the agreement were not a joint declaration.
Recently, the Pakistani Taliban have intensified their attacks against the Pakistani state, prompting Pakistan to conduct airstrikes, including one targeting their leader in Kabul. Asif affirmed that Pakistan would respond to attacks on its territory without hesitation. Follow-up talks are scheduled for October 25 in Istanbul to develop enforcement mechanisms for the ceasefire. Qatar’s foreign ministry indicated these meetings are aimed at ensuring the agreement’s longevity and verifying its implementation.
With information from Reuters
