Pakistan and the Afghan Taliban are set to hold talks on Friday in the Qatari capital, Doha, as the 48-hour ceasefire along their shared border is set to expire later today. According to sources, the Taliban have reconstituted their negotiation team after the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) declined to grant travel permission to their original members. The new delegation will now be led by Afghanistan’s Defence Minister, Mullah Yaqoob. Officials say the Taliban requested the dialogue following the short-term truce agreed between the two sides earlier this week. On Thursday, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said Islamabad was prepared to engage with Kabul to peacefully resolve the ongoing conflict, noting that the temporary ceasefire had largely held after several days of intense border clashes. The neighbouring countries had recently exchanged heavy fire, with Pakistan launching targeted airstrikes across the frontier, reportedly killing dozens of militants and injuring many others. Both sides later agreed to a 48-hour ceasefire beginning Wednesday afternoon. “We retaliated after running out of patience following a series of attacks,” Prime Minister Sharif told his cabinet in Islamabad. “If they are willing to talk on legitimate terms and seek a peaceful solution through dialogue, we are ready for that,” he added. “Now the ball is in their court.” “If this ceasefire is done just to buy time, we will not accept it,” he made it crystal clear.
Pakistan, Afghan Taliban to Hold Crucial Talks in Doha Today
