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

Faisal Sheikh

ISLAMABAD: Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar on Sunday welcomed the ceasefire agreement inked between Pakistan and Afghanistan, effectively bringing an end to the days of hostility triggered by border clashes.

“Welcome the agreement finalised late last night in Doha. It is the first step in the right direction,” DPM Dar said in a post on X while reacting to the truce agreed between Pakistan and Kabul during talks in Doha, Qatar.

“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,” Dar added while appreciating the constructive role played by brotherly Qatar and Turkiye.

Pakistan and Afghanistan had been recently engaged in cross-border strikes triggered by an unprovoked attack by Afghan Taliban forces and Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) terrorists, prompting Islamabad to launch airstrikes as well as a response on the ground, resulting in the elimination of more than 200 Afghan Taliban and affiliated terrorists.

A temporary truce between the neighbours — which Pakistan agreed to at the request of Afghanistan — on Wednesday paused days of fierce fighting that killed dozens and wounded hundreds.