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48-hour ceasefire between Pakistan and Afghanistan, announced October 15 following cross-border clashes, has been extended through the conclusion of negotiations expected to start Friday in the Qatari capital, according to diplomatic sources.
A senior diplomatic source, speaking on condition of anonymity to Pakistani newspaper Dawn, confirmed the ceasefire extension but provided no timeline for when the Doha discussions might end.
The source said Afghanistan requested the extension, though conflicting accounts emerged about which side sought more time. Tolo News, citing unnamed sources in Qatar, reported that Pakistan had requested the extension, highlighting the confusion surrounding the diplomatic process.
Even as the ceasefire was extended, Tolo News reported new allegations of violence along the contested border. Citing unnamed sources, the Afghan outlet claimed Pakistan conducted airstrikes on the Argun and Barmal areas of Paktika province.
According to those reports, six people were killed, including two children, and seven others wounded, including six women and one child. A separate Tolo News report, attributed to sources within Afghanistan's Cricket Board, stated that eight cricket players died and four were injured in the Paktika strikes.
Tolo News also reported, citing unnamed sources, that Afghan forces launched retaliatory strikes against Pakistan. Neither government has issued official statements confirming these allegations.
The current crisis erupted Oct. 9 when Pakistan launched airstrikes on Kabul, saying the operations targeted the Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP). Afghan security forces responded October 11 with extensive attacks on Pakistani border posts, triggering sustained clashes.
Afghanistan's government announced that fighting had stopped following mediation by Qatar and Saudi Arabia. However, tensions flared again October 14 along the frontier. Pakistan declared a temporary 48-hour ceasefire October 15, which it said came at Afghanistan's request.
The underlying friction centers on Islamabad's demands that Taliban authorities take action against the TTP, which Pakistan designates as a terrorist organization. Pakistani officials say the TTP operates from Afghan territory and has carried out numerous attacks inside Pakistan since the Taliban returned to power in 2021.
Afghanistan's government rejects claims that TTP operates from its soil. The TTP maintains an active presence in the tribal belt along the Durand Line, the British colonial-era boundary that functions as the de facto border between the two countries. The line runs through Pashtun tribal areas spanning both nations, providing the armed group with strategic depth across the porous frontier.
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