Sources say the extension was granted following a formal request from the Afghan Taliban regime.
Pakistani soldiers keep vigil next to the newly fenced border fence along the border of the Afghan Paktika province in Angoor Adda, South Waziristan. Photo: AFP)
Pakistan and Afghanistan mutually agreed on Friday to extend their 48-hour ceasefire until the conclusion of talks planned in Doha, according to three Pakistani security officials and an Afghan Taliban source.
A Pakistani delegation has already arrived in Doha, while an Afghan delegation is expected to arrive in the Qatari capital on Saturday, sources said, Reuters reported on Friday.
Diplomatic sources have confirmed that the temporary ceasefire between Pakistan and the Afghan Taliban has been extended at the request of Kabul, after the initial 48-hour truce expired at 6:00 p.m. on Friday.
Read more: Pakistan accepts Afghan Taliban regime’s request for a 48-hour ceasefire
According to sources, the extension was granted following a formal request from the Afghan Taliban government, which had earlier requested a short-term pause to ease tensions along the border.
They added that high-level negotiations between the two sides are expected to begin on Saturday to discuss mechanisms for de-escalation and future cooperation.
As the deadline for the ceasefire approached, the Foreign Office described the situation as “delicate”. “We are on a temporary ceasefire, we are trying to work through a diplomatic channel to make it sustainable and for the long-term stability of the relationship; that is a broader goal for us,” spokesman Shafqat Ali Khan said at a weekly news briefing.
Read also: The Taliban regime is not a “true representative” of the Afghan people: Ministry of Foreign Affairs
“But beyond that, I am not in a position to share any information with you,” he added.
A temporary truce between neighbors on Wednesday ended days of fierce fighting that killed dozens and wounded hundreds.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said on Thursday: “For the truce to continue, the ball is in the court of the Taliban government, adding that New Delhi was involved in the confrontation.” He said, “If in 48 hours they want to resolve the issues and address our genuine demands, then we are ready for it.”
WITH ADDITIONAL CONTRIBUTIONS FROM REUTERS.
