ISLAMABAD: Defence Minister Khawaja Asif on Monday said that the recently brokered ceasefire between Pakistan and Afghanistan hinged entirely on the Afghan Taliban’s ability to curb terrorist groups operating from their soil against Pakistan. Speaking in his Parliament office, Asif cautioned that anything coming from Afghanistan will be [a] violation of this agreement, emphasizing that everything hinges on this one clause.
The two sides reached the truce in Doha over the weekend after several days of deadly border clashes that killed dozens the worst fighting since the Taliban took control of Kabul in 2021. Pakistan’s airstrikes and ground skirmishes along the 2,600-kilometre border followed Islamabad’s repeated demands that Kabul rein in the banned Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), which Asif accused of acting in connivance with the Afghan Taliban. Kabul, however, has consistently denied harboring the group.
The ceasefire deal, mediated by Qatar and Turkiye, was also signed by both countries as guarantors. Asif praised Qatari Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan for their “constructive and sincere role” in facilitating the breakthrough. He added that a follow-up meeting will be held in Istanbul next week to finalize an implementation mechanism and address lingering issues.
In interviews with Al-Jazeera Arabic and Arab News, Asif said the agreement’s main objective was to “eliminate the menace of terrorism,” which has long plagued border regions and strained bilateral ties. He warned that without a sustained effort to root out terrorism, “regional peace could face grave threats.
The minister expressed optimism that the deal could pave the way for the resumption of Pakistan-Afghanistan trade and transit activities, allowing Afghan goods to once again pass through Pakistani ports. He reiterated that Afghan refugees with valid visas would be allowed to stay in Pakistan, but those without documentation would continue to be repatriated.
Asif rejected claims that Pakistan’s recent airstrikes in Afghanistan were conducted at Washington’s behest, calling the suggestion total nonsense. He stressed that Islamabad seeks peaceful coexistence and has no business interfering in Afghan domestic or foreign affairs. We want to live like decent neighbors, he said, while noting it was too early to declare full satisfaction with the truce. We will have to see in the coming weeks and months how effectively the agreement is implemented.