Khaberni - The Qatari Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated that Pakistan and Afghanistan agreed during the negotiation round held in the Qatari capital Doha on an immediate ceasefire.
The Qatari Ministry of Foreign Affairs added that Pakistan and Afghanistan also agreed to hold follow-up meetings to ensure the sustainability of the ceasefire that was reached.
The Qatari Ministry of Foreign Affairs expressed Doha's hope that this step would put an end to the tensions at the borders between the two brotherly countries and that this step would form a solid basis for sustainable peace in the region.
Earlier, the Afghan Ministry of Defense stated that the Minister of Defense, Mullah Mohammad Yaqoob Mujahid, arrived at the Qatari capital Doha at the head of a high-level delegation to conduct talks with the Pakistani side concerning the border tensions between the two countries.
In turn, the Pakistani Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated that a Pakistani delegation headed by the Minister of Defense will conduct talks in Doha with the Afghan side, in order "to take immediate measures to end terrorism coming from Afghanistan to Pakistan", according to its statement.
The ministry added that "Pakistan does not seek escalation, but urges the Afghan side to fulfill its commitments towards the international community, address Pakistan’s security concerns, and take measures against the Khyber Liberation Front, Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan, and the Balochistan Liberation Army."
Mutual accusations
In recent days, mutual accusations between Afghanistan and Pakistan have continued amid the ongoing military confrontations across the border. The Deputy Afghan Minister of Interior, Mohammad Nabi Omari, accused the Pakistani army -which launched air strikes last Friday on Paktika province, eastern Afghanistan- of "not acting on its own but executing orders from U.S. President Donald Trump."
He added that the recent developments are an opportunity for Afghanistan to reclaim lands that have been taken from it, as he expressed, noting that the "Durand Line" dividing the two countries "was imposed by force".
The Afghan official affirmed that the Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan -which Islamabad accuses of launching "terrorist" attacks- did not originate in Afghanistan, was not formed during the current government, and does not receive its support.
In contrast, the Pakistani Army Chief, Asim Munir, on Saturday, accused India of continuing what he described as "a terrorism approach," and "using terrorists in Afghanistan as mercenaries against Pakistan," after the failure of its aggression against Pakistan, according to his statement.
In his speech during a graduation ceremony for a batch of military personnel, he added that "the Afghan regime should restrain its agents who take refuge in Afghanistan and use Afghan territory to launch horrific attacks inside Pakistan,” according to his statement.
