Islamabad [Pakistan], October 19 (ANI): Pakistan’s Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister, Ishaq Dar, on Sunday praised the peace agreement signed with Afghanistan while reiterating Islamabad’s accusations that recent cross-border attacks originated from Afghan soil. Dar emphasized the importance of preventing further loss of life and called for a strong verification mechanism to ensure lasting peace.
In a post on X, Dar said, “Welcome the Agreement finalized late last night in Doha. It is the first step in the right direction. Deeply appreciate the constructive role played by brotherly Qatar and Turkiye. We look forward to the establishment of a concrete and verifiable monitoring mechanism, in the next meeting to be hosted by Turkiye, to address the menace of terrorism emanating from Afghan soil towards Pakistan. It is important to put all efforts in place to prevent any further loss of lives.”
Earlier in the day, Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, during a phone call with his Malaysian counterpart Anwar Ibrahim, also blamed Afghanistan for the recent border escalations. According to Pakistan’s Prime Minister’s Office, Sharif said Pakistan had agreed to a ceasefire at Afghanistan’s request and urged Kabul to take tangible action against terrorist groups operating within its borders.
In a post on X, the Prime Minister’s Office stated, “The Prime Minister also apprised his Malaysian counterpart of the security situation along the Pakistan-Afghanistan border. He underscored that Pakistan seeks peace and stability in Afghanistan but continues to face cross-border terrorism emanating from Afghan soil. The Prime Minister emphasized that the Afghan authorities must take immediate and effective steps to dismantle terrorist networks operating from Afghan soil that continue to orchestrate attacks inside Pakistan.”
The statement added, “He reaffirmed that Pakistan had agreed to a temporary ceasefire at the request of the Afghan authorities to facilitate dialogue in Doha, and stressed the importance of tangible action against all terrorist entities, including Fitna-al-Khwarij, Fitna-al-Hindustan, TTP, and BLA, to restore peace and stability along the border.”
However, Afghanistan’s Prime Minister, Mullah Mohammad Hassan Akhund, accused Pakistan of initiating the border clashes by violating Afghan territory. Speaking with his Malaysian counterpart, Dato’ Mohammad Anwar Ibrahim, Akhund said Afghanistan did not seek conflict but was compelled to respond to what it viewed as Pakistani aggression, according to government spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid.
Earlier, Qatar’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced that a ceasefire had been reached between Pakistan and Afghanistan. (ANI)
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