The two sides will meet again in Istanbul on October 25, where “detailed issues will be discussed”
Saudi Arabia on Sunday welcomed the announcement of an immediate ceasefire between Pakistan and Afghanistan. Source: x.com/arabnews
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia on Sunday welcomed the ceasefire agreement signed between Pakistan and Afghanistan. The truce was concluded during negotiations held in Doha, mediated by Qatar and Turkey.
In an article on X, the Saudi Foreign Ministry described the truce as a “vital step” towards lasting peace between the “brotherly peoples of Pakistan and Afghanistan.” He reaffirmed Riyadh’s support for regional and international efforts aimed at promoting stability.
#Statement | The Ministry of Foreign Affairs expresses the satisfaction of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia over the signing by the Islamic Republic of Pakistan and Afghanistan of an immediate ceasefire and the establishment of mechanisms aimed at consolidating lasting peace and stability between the two countries,… pic.twitter.com/Om4pxSCS55
— Ministry of Foreign Affairs 🇸🇦 (@KSAmofaEN) October 19, 2025
“The Kingdom hopes that this positive step will put an end to tensions at the border between the two countries,” the ministry said.
The agreement was confirmed by Pakistani Defense Minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif and an Afghan government spokesperson, who said both sides would refrain from hostility and work to establish mechanisms for lasting peace.
Read: Over 200 Afghan soldiers killed, 23 soldiers martyred in retaliatory strikes on Afghanistan: ISPR
Pakistani Defense Minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif said on X that the two sides would meet again in Istanbul on October 25, where “detailed issues will be discussed.”
پاکستان اور افغانستان کے مابین سیز فائر کا معاہدہ طے پاگیا۔ پاکستان کی سرزمین پہ افغانستان سے دھشت گردی کا سلسلہ فی الفور بند ھوگا۔ دونوں ھمسایہ ملک ایک دوسرے کی سرزمین کا احترام کریں گے الحمدوللہ
25اکتوبر کو استنبول ھو گیہ وفود میں ملاقات ھو گی۔ اور تفصیلی معاملات بات ھوگی۔… pic.twitter.com/OKNbRuXEPU– Khawaja M. Asif (@KhawajaMAsif) October 18, 2025
On Wednesday, Pakistan and Afghanistan agreed to a 48-hour ceasefire. The ceasefire was extended on Friday, leading to the signing of an agreement earlier in the day.
Escalation and damage
The agreement comes after a week of intense fighting on the border between Pakistan and Afghanistan, the worst violence recorded since the Taliban seized power in Kabul in 2021.
Cross-border strikes and exchanges of fire have left dozens dead and many injured, disrupting communities, border trade and refugee flows. The UN reported civilian casualties, and the closure and destruction of key border crossings increased humanitarian concerns.
Ground fighting between the former allies and Pakistani airstrikes across their disputed 2,600 km (1,600 mile) border were sparked after Islamabad demanded that Kabul rein in militants who had stepped up attacks in Pakistan, saying they were operating from safe havens in Afghanistan.
Learn more: Explained: Pakistan-Afghanistan border conflict
The Taliban refuses to grant sanctuary to militants to attack Pakistan and accuses the Pakistani military of spreading false information about Afghanistan and harboring militants linked to the Islamic State to undermine its stability and sovereignty. Islamabad denies these accusations.
