Ceasefire extended between Pakistan, Afghanistan amid continued tensions

Pakistan and Afghanistan have agreed to extend the ongoing ceasefire despite heightened tensions along the border and a recent exchange of accusations between the two sides.

The agreement followed the collapse of negotiations in Istanbul on Tuesday, but intervention by mediators reportedly helped both parties reach common ground.

According to officials, the truce will remain in place until the next round of high-level talks between Islamabad and Kabul, scheduled for November 6. In a joint statement released on Thursday, Türkiye confirmed that “further modalities of the implementation will be discussed and decided.”

A key element of the renewed truce is the establishment of a “monitoring and verification mechanism” to ensure compliance. Any violation by either party will be subject to punitive measures, the statement added.

Turkiye and Qatar both praised Pakistan and Afghanistan for choosing dialogue over confrontation and contributing toward what they described as “lasting peace” through active participation in the negotiation process.

However, tensions remain high. According to Pakistan’s Defence Minister Khawaja Asif, the Afghan Taliban delegation continued to issue contradictory remarks, describing armed infiltrators crossing the border as “Pakistani refugees returning to their homes.”

Asif strongly condemned the statement, saying, “How could these so-called refugees be returning armed with highly destructive weapons? They are not traveling openly in buses or trucks but sneaking into Pakistan through rugged mountain routes like thieves.” He added that “this very argument exposes Afghanistan’s insincerity and ill intent.”

Earlier, Asif had expressed cautious optimism that both sides would agree on a draft during the Istanbul talks, noting that several proposals were exchanged and that Turkiye “clearly supported” Pakistan’s stance.

Meanwhile, Taliban spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid reiterated that Afghanistan seeks “brotherly relations” with all neighboring countries, including Pakistan, while calling for non-interference in internal affairs.