Alwaght- After a bloody week on the borders of Pakistan and Afghanistan, the two countries finally struck a peace agreement hundreds of kilometers away in the Persian Gulf.
Earlier on Sunday, Qatar’s foreign ministry announced that Islamabad and Kabul agreed about an immediate ceasefire in Doha.
According to the statement, the two countries during the Qatar-mediated talks agreed to stop the war and work for "sustainable peace and stability."
Afghanistan’s Taliban government accused Pakistan of carrying out further airstrikes on its territory, sparking the most serious flare-up between the two neighbors since the Taliban returned to power in Kabul in 2021.
Islamabad claims its army have killed more than 200 Taliban fighters, while the latter reported 58 Pakistani military casualties. The death tolls from both sides underscore the fragility of a reconciliation process that began earlier this year under Chinese mediation.
Although the two sides agreed to a 48-hour ceasefire last Wednesday, sporadic cross-border violence continued uninterrupted.
Talks began on Saturday in Doha, with both countries sending delegations led by their defense and security officials. Representing Afghanistan were Defense Minister Mohammad Yaqoob Mujahid and intelligence chief Abdul Haq Wasiq, while Pakistan’s delegation was headed by Defense Minister Khawaja Asif and Information Minister Attaullah Tarar.
Ahead of the Doha meeting, Pakistan’s foreign ministry stated that the negotiations would focus on “immediate measures to halt cross-border terrorism against Pakistan originating from Afghan soil, and to restore peace and stability along the Pakistan–Afghanistan border.”
The border violence first erupted on October 10 along the contentious 2,600-kilometer frontier, when Afghanistan accused Pakistan of launching airstrikes on its territory and launched retaliatory strikes.
In a speech at a military academy graduation on Saturday, Pakistan’s Army Chief General Asim Munir said: "The Afghan regime must rein in proxy forces sheltering in Afghanistan and using its soil to carry out brutal attacks inside Pakistan.”
Pakistan, which is grappling with a sharp rise in militant attacks, especially in its northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, has long accused Kabul of harboring the Tahreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP). Kabul denies the allegations and in turn accuses the Pakistani military of spreading misinformation about Afghanistan while providing sanctuary to ISIS-linked militants that undermine its stability and sovereignty.
According to to a statement released by the Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahed, as part of the ceasefire deal Kabul has vowed not to support groups acting against Pakistan. Also, the two side of agreed to avoid targeting security forces, civilians, and vital infrastructure of each other.
Muhammad Ishaq Dar, the deputy prime minister and foreign minister of Pakistan, welcomed the agreement, saying that it was a "step in the right direction."
"We deeply appreciate the constructive role of the brotherly countries of Qatar and Turkey," he said in an X post.
He added: "We are looking forward to setting up a specific and verifiable monitoring mechanism in the next meeting in to be hosted by Turkey to deal with terrorism threats to Pakistan originating from Afghanistan soil... It is important for the efforts to be mobilized to prevent further casualties."
The factor driving clashes
The recent clashes mark the deadliest escalation between Pakistan and Afghanistan since the US withdrawal in 2021, signaling a potential new phase of instability for the two neighbors.
Despite being one of the Taliban's primary patrons after their 2001 overthrow, Pakistan has seen its relationship with Kabul deteriorate. Initial optimism has given way to a tense and often adversarial dynamic, driven primarily by Islamabad's accusations that the Taliban harbor terrorist groups operating against Pakistan.
Among the various militant groups reportedly based in Afghanistan, Pakistani officials view the TTP as the most significant threat. The TTP emerged in 2007 during the US occupation of Afghanistan and has waged a years-long insurgency against the Pakistani state.
The group, inspired by a hardline Wahhabi ideology, seeks to impose a strict interpretation of Islamic law. Its demands include the release of imprisoned members and the reversal of Pakistan's integration of its former tribal areas into the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province.
Although the TTP operates independently from the Afghan Taliban, the two groups are ideologically aligned.
Data indicates that TTP attacks have surged since the Taliban's return to power in Kabul. A recent report from the US-based Armed Conflict Location & Event Data Project (ACLED) states, "Our data shows that the TTP was involved in at least 600 attacks against or clashes with security forces in the past year alone. The group's activity in 2025 has already surpassed all of 2024."
Meanwhile, the Islamabad-based Center for Research and Security Studies (CRSS) reported that Pakistani security forces suffered over 2,400 fatalities in the first three quarters of this year, putting 2025 on track to be the deadliest year in a decade.
While the Taliban consistently denies Pakistani allegations of support for the TTP, Islamabad has recently escalated its response by targeting senior TTP leaders on Afghan soil.
The dispute has so profoundly overshadowed bilateral relations that Islamabad has taken the rare step of publicly questioning the Taliban government's legitimacy, a clear sign that their longstanding alliance is crumbling.
Pakistan demanded "specific and verifiable actions against these terrorist elements by the Taliban regime" and emphasized the need for a more inclusive government. The foreign ministry's statement added, "We also hope that the day will come when the people of Afghanistan are governed by a truly representative government."
Pakistan is not alone in its pressure. Other regional powers, including China, Iran, and Russia, have repeatedly urged the Taliban to crack down on the TTP and other militant groups operating from Afghan soil. This demand was reiterated during the recent "Moscow Format" talks in early October, which were attended by the Taliban's acting foreign minister, Amir Khan Muttaqi.
Dim outlook for peace
Though Kabul and Islamabad have sounded contented about the deal in Doha, it seems that hold of the peace is contingent on Taliban's measures to ease Pakistan's security concerns.
Now, some analysts suggest that by explicitly stating that future attacks on its soil could lead to retaliatory strikes inside Afghanistan, Pakistan is attempting to establish a "new equation" with the Taliban. Experts note that this approach resembles the strategy adopted by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi's government against Pakistan back in April.
This development comes after India blamed Islamabad for the deaths of 26 civilians in Indian-controlled Kashmir in April, launching retaliatory airstrikes in May that escalated into a brief war between the two nations.
Therefore, while the Taliban does not appear to have full control over the TTP's actions and decisions, the threat of retaliatory measures by the Pakistani military against Afghan territory persists should TTP attacks continue.
Another critical Pakistani concern involves signs of the Taliban's willingness to expand relations with India, which has provoked anger among Pakistani officials. Pakistan's recent strikes on Kabul coincided with Amir Khan Muttaqi, the Taliban's acting foreign minister, visiting New Delhi, where the Indian delegation warmly welcomed the Taliban representatives. For Pakistani leaders, Kabul's outreach to New Delhi signals increased Indian influence in Afghanistan and the potential for future security cooperation between India and the Taliban against Pakistan.
Analysts suggest that this shift of landscape between Pakistan and Afghanistan indicates that although the clashes may ease by the weekend, the tensions are poised to escalate in the coming weeks and so a sustainable agreement still looks beyond reach.
