ISLAMABAD: Saudi Arabia on Monday welcomed the ceasefire agreement between Pakistan and Afghanistan following more than a week of deadly cross-border clashes, describing it as a “positive step” toward lasting peace and stability in the region.
The truce, mediated by Qatar and Turkiye, was finalised early Sunday after intense talks between high-level delegations from both countries in Doha. The two sides agreed to halt hostilities, establish a joint monitoring mechanism, and continue discussions on long-term border management. The next round of negotiations is scheduled to take place in Istanbul on October 25, where confidence-building measures are expected to be reviewed.
In a statement posted on its official X account, the Saudi Ministry of Foreign Affairs said it “expresses the kingdom of Saudi Arabia’s welcome of the signing by the Islamic Republic of Pakistan and Afghanistan of an immediate ceasefire and the establishment of mechanisms to consolidate lasting peace and stability between the two countries, during the round of negotiations held in Doha.”
The statement reaffirmed Riyadh’s “support for all regional and international efforts aimed at promoting peace and stability,” while expressing hope that this agreement would “lead to an end to tensions on the border between the two countries.” The ministry added that the kingdom remains committed to ensuring security that achieves “stability and prosperity for the brotherly peoples of Pakistan and Afghanistan.”
Saudi Arabia also commended the mediation efforts of Turkiye and Qatar, praising their “constructive diplomatic role” in bringing both sides to the negotiating table. Riyadh’s engagement carries symbolic weight, as the kingdom signed a major defence cooperation pact with Pakistan last month.
Under that agreement, an attack on one country would be considered an attack on both; a sign of deepening security cooperation between the two longstanding allies.
The ceasefire announcement has also been welcomed by Turkiye, Oman, and Qatar, all of which issued statements urging both countries to resolve their disputes through dialogue rather than confrontation.
The border tensions began on the night of October 11, when Afghan forces reportedly launched coordinated attacks on several Pakistani border posts in the Kurram and Chaman sectors.
According to the Pakistani military’s media wing, the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), at least 23 Pakistani soldiers were martyred in the fighting that continued into the next day. The ISPR claimed that more than 200 Afghan Taliban fighters and allied militants were killed in retaliatory action.
Afghan authorities said the assault was a “retaliatory operation” in response to alleged Pakistani airstrikes inside Afghan territory. Islamabad has neither confirmed nor denied those claims.
Fresh clashes erupted again on October 14, when Pakistani security forces repelled what the ISPR described as attacks by the “Afghan Taliban and Fitna-al-Khawarij,” a term used by Pakistan to denote the banned Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP).
The following day, security forces said they had foiled another Taliban assault along the Balochistan border, killing 15 to 20 Afghan fighters. Afghan Taliban spokesperson Zabiullah Mujahid accused Pakistan of carrying out airstrikes in Afghanistan’s Spin Boldak district, forcing Afghan forces to retaliate.
State media later reported that Pakistan had conducted “precision strikes” targeting militant hideouts in Kabul and Kandahar, killing several senior figures of militant factions. The airstrikes were carried out shortly before the announcement of a 48-hour ceasefire — the second since fighting began on October 11.
Diplomatic insiders said the first truce, brokered discreetly through Saudi and Qatari channels, had also helped reduce tensions temporarily.
The ceasefire was extended on October 17 as preparations began for formal negotiations in Doha. However, reports later emerged that Pakistan had targeted hideouts of the Hafiz Gul Bahadur group in Afghanistan’s Paktika province after a deadly attack on a Pakistani military installation in North Waziristan.
Pakistan’s border hostilities with Afghanistan come amid a sharp rise in militant violence at home, particularly in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan provinces. Islamabad blames the Afghan Taliban for harbouring the TTP, which has stepped up attacks on security forces since ending its ceasefire with Pakistan in late 2022.
Despite Pakistan’s repeated calls for Kabul to prevent its territory from being used for cross-border attacks, the Taliban government has consistently denied the allegations and accused Islamabad of carrying out unprovoked strikes inside Afghanistan.
