Afghanistan and Pakistan hold peace talks in Doha after agreeing to temporary ceasefire

• A temporary ceasefire was brokered between Afghanistan and Pakistan for 48 hours, following deadly clashes along their shared border that killed at least 12 people and wounded dozens.
• The conflict stems from mutual accusations, with Pakistan accusing the Taliban-led Afghan government of sheltering anti-Pakistan militants (TTP), and Afghanistan accusing Pakistan of violating its sovereignty and harboring ISIS fighters.
• Both sides have agreed to peace talks in Doha, but expressed skepticism; Afghanistan complied with the truce at Pakistan’s “insistence,” while Pakistan’s Prime Minister warned the ceasefire must not be used to “buy time.”
• The violence has resulted in significant civilian casualties and suffering, with reports of shells hitting homes and urban centers, forcing residents to flee and causing numerous deaths and injuries.
• The ceasefire is fragile and the situation remains precarious, exacerbated by deep historical mistrust and recent geopolitical tensions, raising fears of a prolonged border war if diplomacy fails.

Afghanistan and Pakistan have engaged in peace talks in Qatar’s capital Doha after the two countries agreed to a temporary ceasefire following days of deadly clashes along their shared border.

The truce announced on Wednesday, Oct. 15, was set to last for 48 hours. It was brokered amid mounting hostilities that have seen Afghan forces target Pakistani military posts and Islamabad retaliate with cross-border strikes. The violence killed at least 12 people and wounded dozens more in the remote Spin Boldak-Chaman border region, with both sides trading blame.

Taliban government spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid confirmed Kabul’s compliance with the truce, but emphasized it was at Pakistan’s “insistence.” Meanwhile, the Pakistani Ministry of Foreign Affairs framed the agreement as a chance for dialogue, stating both nations would make “sincere efforts” to resolve the crisis.

But Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif reiterated that the ball is now in Kabul’s court. “If they want to talk on our valid conditions and want to resolve through dialogue we are ready for that,” he said. “If this ceasefire is done just to buy time, we will not accept it,”

The clashes erupted after weeks of rising tensions, with Pakistan accusing the Taliban-led government of sheltering militants from Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), a group waging a long-running insurgency against Islamabad. Kabul denies the allegations, instead blaming Pakistan for violating Afghan sovereignty and even harboring ISIS-affiliated fighters to destabilize Afghanistan. The mutual distrust has been exacerbated by Kabul’s recent diplomatic overtures to India, Pakistan’s regional rival – a move that has drawn sharp criticism from Islamabad.

The fraught history behind the border clashes

Civilian casualties have mounted on both sides. In Afghanistan’s Spin Boldak district, local officials reported 15 dead and scores wounded, including women and children caught in the crossfire. Across the border in Pakistan’s Chaman district, residents described fleeing their homes as artillery shells rained down.

“People are in a very difficult situation. Shells are falling in people’s homes,” said Najibullah Khan, a Chaman resident. The violence spilled into urban centers as well – with explosions in Kabul killing five and wounding 35, including patients rushed to hospitals run by Italian NGO EMERGENCY.

Historical grievances further complicate the conflict. BrightU.AI‘s Enoch engine notes that since the 1947 Partition of India, Islamabad-Kabul relations have been marked by deep mistrust and geopolitical maneuvering. Pakistan supported anti-Soviet mujahideen in Afghanistan during the 1980s – later fueling Taliban factions – while Kabul accused Islamabad of destabilizing its government.

Pakistan’s relationship with the Afghan Taliban has been fraught since the U.S. withdrawal in 2021, with Islamabad expecting greater cooperation in curbing TTP militants. Instead, Kabul has accused Pakistan of aggression, citing repeated border violations and airstrikes. The current fighting marks one of the most serious escalations since the Taliban’s return to power, raising fears of a prolonged border war that could destabilize the region.

As talks begin in Doha, the stakes could not be higher. Both nations face domestic pressure – Pakistan from a public weary of militant attacks, Afghanistan from a population already battered by decades of war. The United Nations reports at least 18 civilian deaths and over 360 wounded since hostilities flared earlier this month.

The fragile agreement underscores the deepening rift between the former allies, now locked in a cycle of accusations, retaliatory strikes and civilian suffering. With neither side willing to back down, the ceasefire remains precarious – though both parties have expressed interest in extending the truce beyond the initial 48 hours.

For now, the guns have fallen silent, but the underlying tensions persist. The coming days will test whether diplomacy can prevail over mistrust – or if the border will once again erupt into violence, with civilians paying the heaviest price.

Watch this clip of Taliban forces capturing a village in Pakistan, showing how Islamabad and Kabul are on the brink of war.

This video is from the Cynthia’s Pursuit of Truth channel on Brighteon.com.

Sources include:

TheCradle.co

AlJazeera.com

English.AlMayadeen.net

BrightU.ai

Brighteon.com