The Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan and Pakistan have agreed to maintain the existing ceasefire and continue direct talks to ease border tensions, following a confidential meeting hosted by Saudi Arabia, five sources told Reuters.
Kabul 24: Three senior officials from the Islamic Emirate and two Pakistani officials – one based in Istanbul – confirmed that both sides pledged to uphold the current ceasefire along the Durand Line, avoid provocative actions, and set up joint technical committees to oversee implementation.“We have achieved a practical result.
The ceasefire will remain in place, and we are prepared to hold additional meetings in the coming weeks and months to build complete trust and put an end to tensions once and for all,” a senior Islamic Emirate official said on condition of anonymity.
Pakistan sent a high-level delegation that included senior military officers, representatives from the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI), and diplomats from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
A Pakistani official familiar with the talks stated: “Islamabad seeks lasting peace, not short-term crisis management. This is the first time negotiations have reached this level of seniority and seriousness.”Earlier efforts in Qatar and Turkey had failed due to unresolved disputes over the status of the Durand Line, the forced return of hundreds of thousands of Afghan refugees from Pakistan, and mutual allegations of supporting armed groups, particularly the Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP).Sources close to the Riyadh discussions said Saudi Arabia assumed a more proactive mediation role than previous hosts and offered concrete assurances to ensure the agreement is honored.
Specifics of the monitoring mechanism and the date of the next meeting have not been disclosed, but both parties described the outcome as a “historic step.”If sustained, the ceasefire could sharply reduce cross-border incidents, fully reopen key trade routes, and restore security cooperation – developments vital for Afghanistan’s struggling economy and Pakistan’s domestic security.
