KARACHI: Pakistan’s Defense Minister Khawaja Asif is leading the delegation of his country to Doha to hold talks with Afghan officials today, Saturday, demanding an end to “cross-border terrorism,” said the foreign office in a statement.
The development comes after days of fierce battles between the two neighbors along their long and porous border, which led to the deaths of dozens of people on both sides, with Pakistan carrying out airstrikes in Kandahar and Kabul before the two sides reached an uneasy truce that opened the window for bilateral talks arranged by Qatar.
Pakistan has long accused Afghanistan of sheltering militant groups like the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and the separatist Baloch Liberation Army (BLA) and facilitating their attacks against its civilians and security forces. Kabul denies the allegation, though it has become a key sticking point between the two countries and has led more serious skirmishes than ever before.
“A high-level delegation from Pakistan, led by our Minister of Defense, will hold discussions with representatives of the Afghan Taliban in Doha today,” the foreign office said in a social media post. “The talks will focus on immediate measures to end cross-border terrorism against Pakistan emanating from Afghanistan and restore peace and stability along the Pak-Afghan border.”
