Pakistan and Afghanistan Begin Peace Talks in Qatar, Says Taliban

Officials from Pakistan and Afghanistan have begun diplomatic talks in Qatar aimed at easing growing border tensions, according to a senior Taliban official. The discussions follow a series of Pakistani airstrikes that killed at least 10 Afghan civilians, ending a brief 48-hour ceasefire.

The clashes mark one of the most serious escalations in recent months, with both sides accusing the other of aggression. Kabul claims Islamabad violated the truce, which temporarily halted nearly a week of cross-border fighting that left dozens of soldiers and civilians dead on both sides.

The meeting, hosted in Doha, seeks to “end cross-border terrorism against Pakistan emanating from Afghanistan and restore peace and stability along the Pak-Afghan border,” according to a statement from Pakistan’s Foreign Ministry.

Pakistan’s delegation includes:

The Afghan delegation is led by Mohammad Yaqoob, the Taliban’s defence chief.

Qatar has not officially commented on its role as host, though Islamabad expressed gratitude for Doha’s “mediation efforts”.

Taliban spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid confirmed on X (formerly Twitter) that Afghanistan’s Prime Minister Hassan Akhund had acknowledged the talks were “indeed underway”. Mujahid added that Akhund had held discussions with Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, who appears to be playing a mediating role.

Both Akhund and Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif have reportedly spoken with Anwar Ibrahim in recent days in a bid to de-escalate the crisis.

Security sources in Islamabad said the latest Pakistani strikes targeted a militant group linked to the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) in Afghan border regions, carried out in retaliation for an attack on Pakistani paramilitary troops.

A Taliban official told AFP that Pakistan had bombed three locations in Paktika province late Friday. A hospital official in the area confirmed 10 civilian deaths, including two children, and 12 others wounded, among them three local cricket players.

Zabihullah Mujahid later stated on X that Taliban forces had been ordered to “hold fire to maintain the dignity and integrity of its negotiating team.”

At the heart of the conflict lies Pakistan’s accusation that Afghanistan continues to harbour militants linked to the TTP, a claim that Kabul strongly denies.

The renewed violence began on 11 October, just days after explosions in Kabul during a landmark visit by the Taliban’s foreign minister Amir Khan Muttaqi to India, Pakistan’s long-standing rival. Following this, Taliban forces reportedly launched a major offensive along parts of the southern border, prompting Islamabad to promise a “strong response.”

Afghan minister Saadullah Torjan, based in Spin Boldak, said: “For now, the situation is returning to normal. But there is still a state of war and people are afraid.”

Meanwhile, Iran — a neighbour to both countries — has offered to help mediate the crisis. In a phone call between the Iranian and Afghan foreign ministers, Tehran warned that the tensions “threaten to undermine the stability of the entire region,” according to Iran’s state news agency IRNA.