Pakistan and Afghanistan agreed to an immediate ceasefire on Sunday, Qatar’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced in a statement during the second round of negotiations mediated by Qatar and Turkiye. The talks aim to ease tensions following recent airstrikes and cross-border attacks.

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“The two sides agreed to an immediate ceasefire and the establishment of mechanisms to consolidate lasting peace and stability between the two countries,” the statement said.

Qatar’s Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Sultan bin Saad bin Sultan Al Muraikhi, confirmed the deal, writing on X that both nations must now demonstrate “a shared commitment to upholding border integrity and halting cross-border acts of terror.”

The negotiations marked the first formal contact between Islamabad and Kabul since last Friday’s deadly incidents in Paktika province, where Afghan officials reported that several civilians—including eight local cricket players—were killed in airstrikes.

Islamabad defended its actions, insisting the strikes were not attacks on civilians but “precision operations” aimed at militants from the Hafiz Gul Bahadur faction, a group aligned with the Pakistani Taliban (TTP).

In a statement after the ceasefire was reached, Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif signaled cautious openness to dialogue, saying his government is prepared to negotiate with Afghanistan’s Taliban authorities “under reasonable terms.”

Doha, which brokered the meeting alongside Ankara, expressed optimism in a closing statement, calling the ceasefire an essential step toward reducing border tensions and fostering long-term regional stability.

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