Pakistan and Afghanistan conform to quick ceasefire after peace talks in Doha

[ad_1] Ceasefire prolonged for period of peace talks Kabul says Pakistan conducts airstrikes after truce prolonged Pakistan says strikes killed dozens of militants ISLAMABAD/KABUL, Oct 18 (Reuters) - Afghanistan and Pakistan have agreed to a right away ceasefire throughout talks hosted by Doha, Qatar's overseas ministry introduced early on Sunday, after the South Asia neighbours extended a ceasefire following per week of fierce border clashes. Qatar's overseas ministry stated Afghanistan and Pakistan have agreed to the ceasefire throughout a spherical of negotiations mediated by Qatar and Turkey on Saturday.

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It stated in addition they agreed to carry follow-up conferences within the coming days "to make sure the sustainability of the ceasefire and confirm its implementation in a dependable and sustainable method".

Earlier, each side stated they had been holding peace talks in Doha on Saturday as they search a means ahead after the clashes killed dozens and wounded a whole bunch within the worst violence between the 2 international locations for the reason that Taliban seized energy in Kabul in 2021. "As promised, negotiations with the Pakistani facet will happen at this time in Doha," Afghan authorities spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid stated, including that the Kabul staff led by Defence Minister Mullah Muhammad Yaqoob had arrived in Doha.

Pakistan's overseas workplace stated earlier that Defence Minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif would lead discussions with representatives of the Afghan Taliban.

"The talks will deal with quick measures to finish cross-border terrorism towards Pakistan emanating from Afghanistan and restore peace and stability alongside the Pak-Afghan border," it stated.

The bottom preventing between the one-time allies and Pakistani airstrikes throughout their contested 2,600-km (1,600-mile) frontier had been triggered after Islamabad demanded that Kabul rein in militants who had stepped up assaults in Pakistan, saying they operated from havens in Afghanistan.

The Taliban denies giving haven to militants to assault Pakistan and accuses the Pakistani army of spreading misinformation about Afghanistan and sheltering Islamic State-linked militants to undermine its stability and sovereignty. Islamabad denies the accusations.

Militants have been waging a battle for years towards the Pakistani state in a bid to overthrow the federal government and exchange it with their strict model of Islamic governance system.

On Friday, a suicide assault close to the border killed seven Pakistani troopers and wounded 13, safety officers stated.

"The Afghan regime should rein within the proxies who've sanctuaries in Afghanistan and are utilizing Afghan soil to perpetrate heinous assaults inside Pakistan," the Pakistan Military chief, Area Marshal Asim Munir, stated on Saturday, addressing a commencement ceremony of cadets.

AFGHANISTAN WITHDRAWS FROM CRICKET SERIES OVER STRIKES The Afghan authorities spokesperson stated Pakistan had performed airstrikes in Afghanistan hours after the ceasefire, which started on Wednesday, was prolonged on Friday for so long as the talks continued.

He stated the assaults focused civilians, including that Kabul reserved the suitable to reply however that Afghan fighters had been directed to chorus from retaliating to respect the negotiating staff.

Afghanistan withdrew from the Twenty20 international tri-series in Pakistan subsequent month following the loss of life of three native cricketers that the Afghanistan Cricket Board stated had been as a consequence of army strikes in Paktika province. Pakistan's Data Minister Attaullah Tarar stated in a put up on X on Saturday that Pakistan had struck "verified" camps of Islamist militants alongside the border areas and rejected that the strikes had focused civilians.

He stated militants had tried to launch a number of assaults inside Pakistan in the course of the ceasefire interval.

He stated greater than 100 militants had been killed by Pakistani safety forces, the vast majority of them in strikes towards a militant group that he stated had carried out Friday's suicide assault on the army camp.

Reuters couldn't independently confirm the militant loss of life toll given or any targets.

Reporting by Mohammad Yunus Yawar in Kabul and Asif Shahzad in Islamabad; Menna Alaa El-Din in Cairo; Writing by Asif Shahzad; Modifying by William Mallard, Sharon Singleton and Alison Williams

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Purchase Licensing Rights Shahzad is an completed media skilled, with over twenty years of expertise. He primarily reviews out of Pakistan, Afghanistan areas, with an awesome curiosity and an intensive information of Asia. He additionally reviews on politics, economic system, finance, enterprise, commodities, Islamist militancy, human rights