- Pakistani delegation arrives in Doha for talks.
- Afghan delegation to arrive on Saturday.
- Foreign Office confirms Pak-Afghan negotiations.
In a major development, Pakistan and Afghanistan on Friday mutually agreed to extend their 48-hour ceasefire until the conclusion of planned talks in Doha, Reuters reported, citing sources.
A Pakistani delegation had already arrived in Doha while an Afghan delegation was expected to reach the Qatari capital on Saturday, the sources said, who did not want to be named as they were not authorised to speak to the media.
However, security sources have refuted a report of Pakistani delegation present in Doha for talks, terming it “baseless”. Security sources noted that the delegation is scheduled to leave tomorrow morning.
A temporary truce between the neighbours — which Pakistan agreed to at the request of Afghanistan — on Wednesday paused days of fierce fighting that killed dozens and wounded hundreds.
The development comes hours after Foreign Office spokesperson Shafqat Ali Khan said that Pakistan and Afghanistan are engaged in constructive dialogue aimed at achieving a peaceful resolution to ongoing border tensions.
Addressing a weekly press briefing, Khan noted that during the 48-hour ceasefire, both sides were making “sincere efforts to find a positive resolution to this complex but solvable issue through constructive dialogue”.
Islamabad and Kabul are witnessing heightened tensions amid the Afghan Taliban regime’s reluctance to act against terrorist groups, operating from Afghan soil, in the backdrop of rising terror attacks in Pakistan.
The Taliban forces and India-backed Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), alias Fitna al-Khawarij, resorted to an unprovoked attack on Pakistan on Oct 12.
The Pakistan Armed Forces gave a befitting response to the aggression, killing over 200 Afghan Taliban and affiliated militants in a self-defence action. The military’s media wing said that 23 soldiers embraced martyrdom in the clashes with the Taliban forces and the terrorists.
Furthermore, the security forces also conducted “precision strikes” in Afghanistan’s Kandahar province and the capital Kabul, successfully destroying multiple strongholds in response to recent aggression.
After the ceasefire, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said that Pakistan was ready to hold talks with the Taliban regime in Afghanistan on reasonable terms. He noted that now the ball is in the Taliban regime’s court for a permanent ceasefire.
‘Time to end enforced hospitality’
Separately, Defence Minister Khawaja Asif castigated the Afghan regime for not responding positively despite “five years of Pakistan’s efforts and sacrifices”, noting that Afghanistan has become “a proxy of India”.
In a post on X, the defence czar noted that India, Afghanistan and the Fitna Al-Khawarij, Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) were jointly imposing terrorism on Pakistan. He regretted that those who had formerly taken refuge in Pakistan were now involved in conspiracies against it.
“Pakistan could no longer tolerate relations with Kabul as in the past,” he said, adding that all Afghans residing in Pakistan must return to their homeland and that only those with valid Pakistani visas would be allowed to remain.
He stressed the end of what he described as “decades of enforced hospitality”, saying Pakistan’s land and resources belong to its 250 million citizens.
Speaking of the Pakistan’s diplomatic efforts, he listed official engagements and steps, which includes four visits by the foreign minister to Kabul; two visits by the defence minister and ISI; five visits by the special representative; five visits by the foreign secretary; one visit by the national security adviser; eight Joint Coordination Committee meetings; 225 border flag meetings; 836 protest notes; and 13 demarches.
Concluding his post, the defence minister noted that any source of terrorism would be made to pay a heavy price, reiterating Pakistan’s demand for peaceful neighbourly relations.
