Islamabad, Nov 1: Pakistan and Afghanistan have agreed to maintain a ceasefire along their shared border and resume talks aimed at reviving a fragile peace process that stalled earlier in the week.The understanding came after a new round of discussions hosted by TĂŒrkiye, with Qatar acting as co-mediator, according to reports.
A joint statement released by TĂŒrkiyeâs Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Friday said the two sides agreed to continue dialogue and finalize âmodalities of implementationâ during a principal-level meeting scheduled in Istanbul on November 6.
Though the statement did not name participants, diplomatic sources said the defence ministers of both countriesâwho led their delegations in the first round of talks in Dohaâare expected to attend.
The joint communiqué also announced the establishment of a monitoring and verification mechanism to uphold the ceasefire and impose penalties on any party that violates it.
TĂŒrkiye and Qatar, both with close ties to Pakistan and previous involvement in Afghan peace efforts, expressed satisfaction with the progress and pledged continued support for âlasting peace and stabilityâ in the region.
The latest development followed a breakdown of earlier talks after Pakistan accused the Afghan Taliban of refusing to provide firm guarantees to stop cross-border attacks by the Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and other militant groups.
Pakistan has long alleged that the TTP operates from Afghan territory with tacit support or inaction from Kabul.
Defence Minister Khawaja Asif, speaking after the renewed discussions, said there was now âa ray of lightâ in the Istanbul negotiations, noting that draft proposals were being exchanged for a possible agreement.