After weeks of deadly clashes, artillery fire, and closed borders that pushed Pakistan and Afghanistan to the brink of war, the two neighbours have finally stepped back. On Thursday, both sides agreed to a ceasefire after intense peace talks in Istanbul, a diplomatic breakthrough many thought was impossible.
Turkey announced the deal after days of negotiations, where Afghan and Pakistani representatives finally committed to stopping hostilities. The fighting in October had been among the worst since the Taliban took control of Kabul in 2021, with Pakistani airstrikes hitting Afghan territory, Afghan forces firing back, and key border crossings for trade shut down, crippling both economies.
According to Turkey’s Foreign Ministry, delegations from Afghanistan, Pakistan, Turkey, and Qatar met in Istanbul between October 25 and 30 to strengthen the fragile truce first discussed in Doha earlier this month. “All parties have agreed on continuation of ceasefire,” the ministry said, a statement carrying huge weight after how close both countries came to open war.
Joint Statement on the Talks Between Afghanistan and Pakistan Through the Mediation of Türkiye and Qatar https://t.co/y1SH30i88Q pic.twitter.com/wH4GW3SC9k — Turkish MFA (@MFATurkiye) October 30, 2025
The next step comes on November 6, when officials will meet again in Istanbul to discuss how the ceasefire will be enforced. Turkey and Qatar have promised to keep working with both sides to ensure peace holds, signaling that the world will be watching closely.
Afghan government spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid confirmed the end of the negotiations, stating that both sides had agreed to hold further talks in the future.
This crisis began earlier in October after deadly explosions in Kabul. The Taliban blamed Pakistan for airstrikes that killed civilians, an accusation Islamabad denied. Pakistan instead warned Afghanistan to stop cross-border attacks, a long-standing source of tension between the two countries.
In the following cross-border attacks, Pakistan’s military reported eliminating over 200 Afghan combatants, while Afghan officials claimed to have killed 58 Pakistani troops.
Disclaimer : This story is auto aggregated by a computer programme and has not been created or edited by DOWNTHENEWS. Publisher: ZEE News
