Pakistan and Afghanistan have agreed to extend their ceasefire for at least another week following talks facilitated by Turkey. The agreement was announced by the Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs, with the two sides planning to meet again on November 6 to finalize how the ceasefire will be implemented.
The decision comes after a week-long border conflict between the two neighbors in early October, sparked by explosions in Afghanistan that Kabul blamed on Pakistan. Since then, both countries have engaged in cross-border strikes, with Pakistan's military claiming it killed over 200 Afghan fighters and Afghanistan accusing Pakistani soldiers of being killed. The conflict marked the most serious fighting between the two countries since the Taliban took control of Kabul in 2021.
The ceasefire was brokered by Qatar and Turkey through a series of talks, which culminated in a signing ceremony on October 19 in Doha. However, negotiations have stalled over Islamabad's demand that Kabul crack down on Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), an armed group long accused of carrying out deadly attacks inside Pakistani territory.
Following the breakdown of talks, Turkey and Qatar mediated another round of discussions, which concluded with an agreement to maintain the ceasefire until a new round of talks on November 6. Both sides have agreed to establish a monitoring and verification mechanism to ensure peace is maintained, with penalties for violating parties.
While the ceasefire remains in place, trade between Pakistan and Afghanistan has been severely impacted due to the border closure that has lasted over two weeks. Local traders, including Nazir Ahmed from Kandahar, and Abdul Jabbar from Chaman, expressed concerns about the losses suffered by both countries, noting that "both nations are Islamic" and "tired."
The decision comes after a week-long border conflict between the two neighbors in early October, sparked by explosions in Afghanistan that Kabul blamed on Pakistan. Since then, both countries have engaged in cross-border strikes, with Pakistan's military claiming it killed over 200 Afghan fighters and Afghanistan accusing Pakistani soldiers of being killed. The conflict marked the most serious fighting between the two countries since the Taliban took control of Kabul in 2021.
The ceasefire was brokered by Qatar and Turkey through a series of talks, which culminated in a signing ceremony on October 19 in Doha. However, negotiations have stalled over Islamabad's demand that Kabul crack down on Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), an armed group long accused of carrying out deadly attacks inside Pakistani territory.
Following the breakdown of talks, Turkey and Qatar mediated another round of discussions, which concluded with an agreement to maintain the ceasefire until a new round of talks on November 6. Both sides have agreed to establish a monitoring and verification mechanism to ensure peace is maintained, with penalties for violating parties.
While the ceasefire remains in place, trade between Pakistan and Afghanistan has been severely impacted due to the border closure that has lasted over two weeks. Local traders, including Nazir Ahmed from Kandahar, and Abdul Jabbar from Chaman, expressed concerns about the losses suffered by both countries, noting that "both nations are Islamic" and "tired."
I don't get why they can't just talk to each other without guns blazing. They've been fighting for weeks now, and it's like they're taking turns getting hurt 
. I mean, Pakistan says one thing, but Afghanistan says another... it's all so confusing 
. And now they're saying they'll agree to stop the violence for a bit longer, but what about the people who got hurt? Don't they deserve some answers? 
It's like they're just trying to keep everyone quiet and pretending everything is fine when it's not 
. Trade has been stopped too, which means ordinary people like these local traders are losing money... that can't be fair 
.
think pakistan & afghanistan should focus on economic stability over territorial disputes... border closures cost ppl jobs & livelihoods 
trade agreements are key to bridging gaps between nations 
instead of fighting, they should be working together to boost their economies 
and make amends with each other 
I'm super stoked to hear that Pakistan and Afghanistan have agreed to extend their ceasefire! It's like, a huge deal, right? 
The fact that they can work together to maintain peace is just amazing. And let's not forget about the Turkey-Qatar mediation thingy - it's like, a power couple in international diplomacy 
. And hey, even though trade has been impacted, local traders are still holding on to hope - that's what I love about this story 
!
Can't we just get along for once?
. Afghanistan needs help rebuilding their economy, and Pakistan could use some investment too! It's time for both countries to work together, not against each other.
but you know what? There are always glimmers of hope 
like this agreement to extend the ceasefire - it shows that some countries are willing to talk things out and find common ground 
let's keep our fingers crossed that these talks lead to real change 
. Think about the lives lost on both sides, over 200 Afghan fighters dead from Pakistani strikes... 
And what about the civilians caught in the crossfire? 
This agreement has already caused so much damage to trade between the two countries, who's going to benefit from this fragile peace? 
they're agreeing to talk again? 
and work on a monitoring system? 
gotta give credit where credit is due, at least they're trying to find a way forward. And who knows, maybe this could be the start of something beautiful? 
