“Pakistan Defence Minister Khawaja Asif and intelligence chief General Asim Malik will be heading to Doha today for talks with the Afghan Taliban,” the state TV statement read.
| Photo Credit: Reuters
Pakistan state television announced talks in Qatar with Kabul on Saturday (October 18, 2025) after Pakistan launched air strikes inside Afghanistan, killing at least 10 people and breaking a ceasefire that had brought two days of calm to the border.
“Defence Minister Khawaja Asif and intelligence chief General Asim Malik will be heading to Doha today for talks with the Afghan Taliban,” the state TV statement read.
Ten civilians were killed and 12 others wounded in the Pakistani strikes, a provincial hospital official told AFP on condition of anonymity, adding that two children were among the dead.
The cross-border violence had escalated dramatically from Saturday (October 18, 2025), days after explosions rocked the Afghan capital, Kabul, just as the Taliban’s Foreign Minister began an unprecedented visit to India.
The Taliban then launched an offensive along parts of its southern border with Pakistan, prompting Islamabad to vow a strong response of its own.
When the truce began on Wednesday (October 15, 2025), Islamabad said that it was to last 48 hours, but Kabul said the ceasefire would remain in effect until Pakistan violated it.
Published – October 18, 2025 11:50 am IST
