Islamabad: Saudi Arabia on Monday welcomed an agreement between Pakistan and Afghanistan to an immediate ceasefire after a week of fierce border clashes, the worst violence between the South Asian neighbors since the Taliban seized power in Kabul in 2021.
The ground fighting between the two nations and Pakistani airstrikes across their contested 2,600-km (1,600-mile) frontier were triggered after Islamabad demanded that Kabul rein in militants who had stepped up attacks in Pakistan, saying they operated from havens in Afghanistan. Kabul denies this.
Both sides agreed to a ceasefire after talks in Doha on Sunday and will meet again on Oct. 25 in Istanbul for detailed discussions. The clashes had already killed dozens and wounded hundreds before the truce deal.
“The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia welcomes the agreement between the Islamic Republic of Pakistan and Afghanistan on an immediate ceasefire and the establishment of mechanisms to entrench peace and lasting stability between the two countries during the round of negotiations held in Doha,” the ministry said in an X post on Monday.
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