Pakistan-Afghanistan ceasefire depends on Taliban ending attacks, says Khawaja Asif

Pakistan’s Defence Minister Khawaja Asif has emphasised that the newly agreed ceasefire with Afghanistan is conditional on the Taliban’s commitment to prevent terrorist attacks originating from Afghan soil.

The ceasefire, announced on Sunday, follows talks held in Doha and facilitated by Qatar and Turkiye. Asif stressed that any incursion or cross-border attack would constitute a violation of the agreement. “Anything coming from Afghanistan will be a violation of this agreement. Everything hinges on this one clause,” he told Dawn.

Under the agreement signed by Pakistan, Afghanistan, Turkiye and Qatar, both sides have pledged to respect the ceasefire and refrain from incursions. Asif noted that the primary goal of the pact is to eliminate terrorism that has long affected border areas between the two countries.

In an interview with Al-Jazeera Arabic, Asif said both nations recognised the urgent need to curb terrorism, warning that failure to do so could threaten regional peace. He confirmed that a follow-up meeting will be held next week in Istanbul to finalise implementation details.

Afghan Defence Minister Mullah Yaqoob acknowledged that terrorism has been the main source of tension in bilateral relations, which the agreement aims to address. Asif expressed hope that the ceasefire would pave the way for improved relations, the resumption of trade and transit, and allow Afghanistan access to Pakistani ports.

Relations between Islamabad and Kabul have been strained since 2023, with Pakistan repeatedly citing the use of Afghan territory by militants to carry out cross-border attacks. Tensions escalated further after a recent TTP attack in Orakzai district, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, which killed 11 military personnel, including a lieutenant colonel and a major.

The success of the ceasefire will now depend on strict adherence to the agreement and collaborative efforts to eliminate terrorism along the shared border.

With Agency Inputs