DOHA, Qatar , 19 October (H.S.): Pakistan and Afghanistan reached an agreement for an immediate ceasefire on Sunday, following more than a week of deadly border clashes that have killed dozens and injured hundreds. The accord was announced by Qatar's Foreign Ministry after negotiations in Doha, which were mediated by both Qatar and Turkey.
The talks, attended by the defense ministers of both nations, aim to establish mechanisms for a lasting peace. This diplomatic effort follows a period of intense conflict, which threatened to further destabilize the region.The violence escalated after a 48-hour ceasefire expired on Friday, with Pakistan launching airstrikes in Afghanistan's Paktika province.
Pakistani officials claimed the strikes targeted hideouts of the Hafiz Gul Bahadur militant group in response to a suicide bombing in Pakistan. However, Afghan officials reported that the airstrikes killed at least 10 civilians, including women, children, and local cricketers.
The Taliban government's chief spokesman, Zabihullah Mujahid, condemned the strikes as a violation of Afghanistan's sovereignty.The civilian casualties prompted the Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB) to withdraw from a scheduled tri-nation T20 series in Pakistan.
The ACB confirmed that three local cricketers—Kabeer, Sibghatullah, and Haroon—were among those killed in the Paktika airstrike.Both countries have traded accusations, with each side claiming to be responding to aggression from the other.
Pakistan accuses Afghanistan of harboring terrorists who carry out attacks across the shared 2,611-kilometer (1,622-mile) border, a charge Afghanistan denies. Regional powers, including Saudi Arabia and Qatar, had called for de-escalation.Follow-up talks are expected in the coming days to ensure the sustainability of the ceasefire.
---------------
Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar