Pakistan and Afghanistan have agreed to maintain their fragile ceasefire for at least another week following high-stakes talks in Turkiye. The two neighbours had been engaged in a week-long border conflict earlier this month, sparked by explosions in Afghanistan that Kabul blamed on Pakistan.
The latest round of negotiations in Istanbul broke down several times before both sides finally agreed to extend the truce, with the Afghan government confirming that discussions will continue until November 6. However, the fragile ceasefire remains under threat as Islamabad pushes for Kabul to take action against Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), a group accused by Pakistan of carrying out deadly attacks inside its territory.
The Afghan government has consistently denied providing safe haven for the TTP, but the issue remains a major point of contention. A monitoring and verification mechanism will be put in place to ensure the truce is maintained, with penalties imposed on any party that violates it.
As the border between the two countries remains closed, traders are bearing the brunt of the losses. In Kandahar, cloth trader Nazir Ahmed told AFP: "Both countries are tired... Our nation is tired and their nation is also tired." Meanwhile, in Pakistan's Chaman border town, vehicle spare parts trader Abdul Jabbar said trade suffers greatly.
The fragile truce has the potential to ease tensions between the two neighbours, but the underlying issues remain unresolved. As discussions continue in future meetings, it remains to be seen whether the ceasefire will hold or if violence erupts once again.
				
			The latest round of negotiations in Istanbul broke down several times before both sides finally agreed to extend the truce, with the Afghan government confirming that discussions will continue until November 6. However, the fragile ceasefire remains under threat as Islamabad pushes for Kabul to take action against Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), a group accused by Pakistan of carrying out deadly attacks inside its territory.
The Afghan government has consistently denied providing safe haven for the TTP, but the issue remains a major point of contention. A monitoring and verification mechanism will be put in place to ensure the truce is maintained, with penalties imposed on any party that violates it.
As the border between the two countries remains closed, traders are bearing the brunt of the losses. In Kandahar, cloth trader Nazir Ahmed told AFP: "Both countries are tired... Our nation is tired and their nation is also tired." Meanwhile, in Pakistan's Chaman border town, vehicle spare parts trader Abdul Jabbar said trade suffers greatly.
The fragile truce has the potential to ease tensions between the two neighbours, but the underlying issues remain unresolved. As discussions continue in future meetings, it remains to be seen whether the ceasefire will hold or if violence erupts once again.