TL;DR : After a week of deadly border fighting, Afghanistan and Pakistan agreed to stop all attacks. The peace deal was made during talks in Qatar on October 18, 2025, with help from Qatar and Turkey. Both sides also agreed to meet again to make sure the ceasefire holds.
🔹 What Happened
- Afghanistan and Pakistan reached an immediate ceasefire on October 18, 2025, during talks in Doha mediated by Qatar and Turkiye, according to Qatar’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
- The agreement followed a week of intense border clashes that left 80-100 people dead and over 300 injured, marking the worst fighting since the Taliban took control of Afghanistan in 2021.
- Follow-up meetings are planned, including one in Istanbul on October 25, to create a monitoring system, prevent further violence, and discuss long-term peace mechanisms.
🔹 Who Was Involved
- Afghanistan’s delegation was led by Defence Minister Mullah Muhammad Yaqoob.
- Pakistan’s delegation was led by Defence Minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif.
- Mediation was led by Qatar and Turkish officials, including Turkish intelligence services.
🔹 Official Statements
- Qatar’s Foreign Ministry said the countries agreed to a ceasefire and to create “mechanisms to consolidate lasting peace and stability.”
- Pakistan’s Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar said:
- Taliban spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid called the outcome a "complete and meaningful ceasefire."
“We look forward to the establishment of a concrete and verifiable monitoring mechanism.”“It is important to put all efforts in place to prevent any further loss of lives.”
🔹 Background to the Conflict
- Clashes began around October 10, 2025, near the disputed Durand Line, following Pakistani airstrikes in Afghanistan, and retaliatory attacks by Afghan forces.
- Pakistan accuses Afghanistan of harboring the Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), a militant group attacking Pakistani forces.
- Afghanistan denies this, and accuses Pakistan of targeting civilians and supporting ISIS-linked fighters.
- On October 17, a suicide bombing near the border killed seven Pakistani soldiers.
🔹 Humanitarian Impact
- Afghan civilian casualties included at least eight people, among them three national cricketers, killed in airstrikes in Paktika province.
- Thousands displaced, schools and trade routes shut down, and Afghanistan withdrew from an upcoming cricket tournament in Pakistan in protest.
🔹 Implications and Next Steps
- The ceasefire could ease tensions in South Asia and reduce cross-border violence, though past truces have failed.
- The deal includes:
- Ending military operations
- No support for militant groups
- Joint border patrols and intelligence sharing
- International reactions were largely positive, with UN and China welcoming the agreement due to regional stability concerns.