ISTANBUL — Pakistan and Afghanistan, with Türkiye and Qatar as mediators, agreed late Thursday to maintain the ceasefire established earlier this month, pledging to avoid new hostilities and to meet on November 6 to formalize implementation arrangements.
The joint declaration issued in Istanbul underscored mutual commitment to “continuation of ceasefire” and to establishing a monitoring and verification mechanism that would penalize any party that violates the truce. The parties also agreed that “further modalities of the implementation will be discussed and decided in a principal level meeting in Istanbul on November 6.”
Turkey’s Foreign Ministry, speaking on behalf of the mediators, said both Islamabad and Kabul welcomed the resumption of the Istanbul talks and expressed appreciation for the proactive contributions of each side. Afghan government spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid confirmed the outcome, saying both sides had agreed to continue dialogue and maintain the truce.
The ceasefire, originally brokered in Doha on October 18–19 with Turkey and Qatar’s facilitation, came after a week of deadly border clashes and reciprocal strikes that left dozens dead and wounded on both sides. During the recent Istanbul talks, Pakistan had demanded that Kabul provide verifiable measures to curb militant groups launching attacks into Pakistani territory, especially Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP).
Both sides say they will uphold the ceasefire but caution remains. In a separate development, officials from Afghanistan and Pakistan also agreed to extend and deepen their talks following the Istanbul meetings, signaling that diplomacy is the chosen path forward—for now.
