Pakistan and Afghanistan Agree to Immediate Ceasefire After Doha Talks

Pakistan and Afghanistan have reached an immediate ceasefire agreement following peace talks held in Doha, Qatar, marking the first significant breakthrough after a week of deadly border clashes the most intense fighting since the Taliban seized power in Kabul in 2021.

The announcement came on October 19, 2025, when Pakistan’s Defense Minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif confirmed the truce on X, writing: “The ceasefire agreement has been implemented.”

His statement was echoed by Taliban spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid, who said both sides had fully agreed to halt hostilities. Qatar’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, which co-hosted the mediation alongside Turkey, announced that the next round of follow-up talks would be held in Istanbul on October 25, aimed at reinforcing and formalizing the ceasefire for long-term stability.

The truce follows a week of escalating ground battles and airstrikes along the shared border. Pakistan claimed its air raids targeted militant camps inside Afghanistan in retaliation for cross-border attacks launched by fighters based there. Islamabad has long accused Kabul of harboring armed groups destabilizing Pakistan, an allegation the Taliban denies, calling it a “false narrative.”

Tensions soared after a suicide bombing near the border on Friday, which killed seven Pakistani soldiers. Following the attack, Pakistan’s Army Chief Asim Munir warned that Afghanistan must prevent militants from using its territory to launch attacks against Pakistan.

In response, Afghanistan canceled a scheduled cricket series in Pakistan after three of its athletes were killed in recent military strikes in Paktika Province.

Pakistan defended its actions, saying the attacks were precise operations against confirmed militant targets, not civilians.

The upcoming Istanbul talks are expected to determine whether this fragile truce can evolve into a sustainable peace agreement or collapse under renewed military confrontation.