Pakistan and Afghanistan agreed to extend the ceasefire after back-and-forth peace negotiations in Istanbul, said Turkish Intelligence sources on Friday.
The two sides fought in one of the worst border clashes reported in recent times at the north-western border.cTurkiye’s Foreign Ministry said the next round of follow-up talks will be held in Istanbul next week.
As per the ministry statement, both sides would likely meet again on November 6 to finalise a monitoring mechanism to “ensure maintenance of peace and impose a penalty on the violating party.”
These peace talks mediated by Qatar and Turkey had collapsed earlier this week, which the Afghan state media blamed on "unreasonable demands of the Pakistani side". Taliban official spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid confirmed the talks had concluded and said Afghanistan sought "good relations with Pakistan based on mutual respect and non-interference."
However, the Pakistani side has yet to comment on the updated developments. Islamabad has accused the Taliban regime of sheltering militant groups, including their own offshoot, Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan, the Baloch liberation army, Majeed Brigades, and Fitna al-Khawarij inside Afghanistan.
The ceasefire was first announced on October 19 and followed violence that killed dozens after Pakistan launched airstrikes on Afghan territory targeting TTP militants. Pakistan’s defence ministry has also accused the Afghan Taliban of providing safe access to these militant groups while they infiltrate into Pakistan.
Its defence minister, Khawaja Asif, on Wednesday warned the Taliban that, "Any terrorist attack or any suicide bombing inside Pakistan shall give you the bitter taste of such misadventures." Kabul has denied claims and condemned the attacks as violations of its sovereignty.
Taliban Interior Minister Sirajuddin Haqqani said on Thursday that "some (in Pakistan), consciously or unconsciously, are playing with fire and war." While the ceasefire has largely held, the border between the two countries remains closed, stranding hundreds of trucks and disrupting trade along the 2,600-kilometre frontier.
The Taliban regime has deteriorated its relations with Islamabad and also with Tehran; both of these countries have driven millions of Afghan refugees back to Kabul.
Also Read: Haqqani warns Pakistan against any act of aggression
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