Negotiations between Pakistan and Afghanistan begin in Qatar

(Patria) - Pakistani and Afghan officials began talks in Qatar on Saturday to ease tensions, a senior Taliban official said, after at least ten people were killed in Pakistani airstrikes following a brief ceasefire, AFP reported.

Kabul accused Islamabad of violating the 48-hour truce, which briefly halted nearly a week of cross-border clashes that killed dozens of soldiers and civilians on both sides.

Security sources in Islamabad said the latest strikes in Afghan border areas targeted a militant group linked to the Pakistani Taliban, as retaliation for an attack on Pakistani paramilitary troops.

Afghan Prime Minister Hassan Akhund said that "talks are indeed underway," Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid stated on social media platform X, in a report on Akhund's discussions with Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim.

Both Akhund and Pakistani Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif spoke with Anwar, who appears to be acting as a mediator in the crisis and "emphasized the need to resolve the issue through diplomatic means," according to the Taliban report.

Pakistan's Foreign Ministry said the talks in Doha aimed to "end cross-border terrorism against Pakistan emanating from Afghanistan and restore peace and stability along the Pakistan-Afghanistan border."

Islamabad's delegation includes Defense Minister Khawaja Asif and intelligence chief General Asim Malik, state television reported. The Afghan delegation is led by Defense Chief Mohammad Yaqoob, the Taliban Defense Ministry announced on X.

Qatar did not comment on its role as host, although Pakistan's Foreign Ministry thanked Doha for its "mediation efforts."

Still in fear

Security issues are at the heart of tensions, with Pakistan accusing Afghanistan of providing sanctuary to militant groups led by Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) - a claim Kabul denies.

Cross-border violence erupted on October 11, days after explosions rocked Kabul during an unprecedented visit by Taliban Foreign Minister Amir Muttaqi to India, Pakistan's rival.

The Taliban then launched a deadly offensive along parts of their southern border with Pakistan, prompting Islamabad to promise a strong response.
On the eve of the talks, a senior Taliban official told AFP that Pakistan bombed three locations in Paktika province late Friday and warned that Kabul would retaliate.

A hospital official in Paktika told AFP that ten civilians, including two children, were killed and twelve wounded. Among the dead were three cricket players.
Zabihullah, the Taliban spokesman, wrote on X that their forces were ordered to cease fire "to maintain the dignity and integrity of their negotiating team."

Saadullah Torjan, a minister in Spin Boldak in southern Afghanistan, said: "For now, the situation is returning to normal. But it is still a state of war and people are afraid."
Iran, a neighbor to both countries, offered to help ease tensions.

In a phone call between the Iranian and Afghan foreign ministers, Tehran warned that tensions "threaten to undermine the stability of the entire region," according to the IRNA news agency.