Afghan, Pakistani Negotiators Begin Talks In Doha After Deadly Clashes

Afghanistan and Pakistan began peace talks on October 18 in the Qatari capital of Doha after border clashes and attacks raised fears of an all-out war between the two countries.

Zabihullah Mujahid, the Taliban-led government's spokesman, quoted Afghan Prime Minister Hassan Akhund as saying the discussions were under way. Akhund held talks with Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, Mujahid said on X.

Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has also spoken with the Malaysian prime minister, who appears to be acting as a mediator. He "emphasized the need to resolve the issue through diplomatic means," according to Mujahid.

The Pakistani Foreign Ministry said the talks aimed to "end cross-border terrorism against Pakistan emanating from Afghanistan and restore peace and stability along the Pak-Afghan border."

Pakistan urges the Afghan Taliban authorities to honor their commitments to the international community and address Pakistan’s "legitimate security concerns by taking verifiable action against terrorist entities."

Pakistan and Afghanistan agreed to extend their 48-hour truce late on October 17 for the duration of the Doha talks as they aim to resolve the worst violence between the two countries since the Taliban seized power in Kabul in 2021.

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Kabul had earlier accused Islamabad of violating the cease-fire, which briefly put a stop to nearly a week of cross-border clashes that killed dozens of troops and civilians on both sides.

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Seven Pakistani soldiers were also killed that day in a suicide attack near the Afghan border. A militant outfit previously affiliated with the Tehrik-e Taliban Pakistan (TTP) extremist group claimed responsibility.

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The air strikes and clashes between the one-time allies came after Pakistan demanded that the de-facto Taliban government rein in militants who have carried out attacks from what they said were staging grounds inside Afghanistan.

The Taliban denied giving haven to militants to attack Pakistan and in turn accused the Pakistani military of spreading misinformation about Afghanistan, provoking border tensions, and sheltering militants linked to the Islamic State.

Islamabad has denied the claims.