Pak-Afghan Border Expected to Reopen Within 48 Hours

News Desk

Islambad:The Pakistan had closed the key border points on October 12 after Afghan Taliban fighters, alongside affiliated militants, launched coordinated attacks on multiple Pakistan Army posts along the frontier. The ensuing clashes resulted in the martyrdom of 23 Pakistani soldiers, while over 200 Taliban fighters were reportedly killed, according to the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR).

Following the attacks, Pakistan carried out “precision strikes” inside Afghanistan, targeting terrorist hideouts in Kandahar province and Kabul. A temporary 48-hour ceasefire was announced on October 15 at Afghanistan’s request and later extended for another two days as both sides engaged in negotiations in Doha, Qatar.

The talks, mediated by Qatar, concluded on Sunday with an agreement on an immediate and “meaningful” ceasefire. Pakistan’s Defence Minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif and Taliban spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid both confirmed the development. Delegations from the two sides are scheduled to meet again in Istanbul, Turkiye, on October 25 to discuss further details.

‘Terrorism main cause of tensions’

In an interview with Al Jazeera Arabic, Defence Minister Asif said that the Afghan defence minister acknowledged terrorism as the root cause of tensions between the two nations. He stressed that both sides agreed on the urgent need to eradicate terrorism, which has long destabilised border areas and threatened regional peace.

Read More: https://thepenpk.com/pakistan-afghanistan-reach-ceasefire-deal-in-doha-talks/

“The primary objective of the ceasefire is to eliminate terrorism,” Asif said, expressing hope that peace and normalcy would soon return, paving the way for the resumption of trade and transit through Pakistani ports.

Border communities breathe a sigh of relief

For residents along the frontier, the ceasefire brings much-needed calm after days of cross-border firing. “People can breathe and feel relieved,” said Sadiq Shah, a 56-year-old shopkeeper from Baizai, near the Torkham crossing. “Both sides are Muslim, both are Pashtuns—why fight each other?”

Commercial activity is expected to resume once the border reopens, offering relief to traders and transporters. More than 1,500 trucks loaded with cement, medicines, rice, and other goods remain stranded at Torkham, a senior customs official in Peshawar confirmed.

Afghanistan’s economy ministry spokesman, Abdul Rahman Habib, said perishable goods such as fruits and vegetables were rotting at the border, causing heavy financial losses to exporters. He warned that prolonged closure could “increase prices, unemployment, and destabilise markets,” urging both governments to keep trade relations separate from political disputes.