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Iran welcomes cease-fire between Afghanistan, Pakistan, calls for talks
Iran on Thursday welcomed the cease-fire between its eastern neighbors Pakistan and Afghanistan, urging dialogue and diplomacy after days of deadly clashes.
In a statement, foreign ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei expressed concern over civilian casualties and called for stronger regional cooperation to combat terrorism, while reaffirming Tehran's readiness "to assist in any effort to maintain calm and reduce tensions between the two neighboring Muslim countries".
Last week, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi had urged both sides to exercise restraint during the clashes, stressing that regional security was closely tied to stability between Pakistan and Afghanistan, as well as to Iran's own interests.
Pakistan and Afghanistan agreed on Friday to extend their 48-hour cease-fire until the conclusion of talks in Doha, according to three Pakistani security officials and one Afghan Taliban source.
A Pakistani delegation had already arrived in Doha while an Afghan delegation was expected to reach the Qatari capital on Saturday, said the sources, who did not want to be named as they were not authorized to speak to the media.
Kabul has instructed its forces to maintain a cease-fire as long as Pakistan refrained from any attack, Afghan Taliban spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid told Ariana News, a Pashto language local television news channel.
A temporary truce between the South Asian neighbors on Wednesday paused days of fierce fighting that killed dozens and wounded hundreds.
The violence escalated dramatically from Saturday, days after explosions rocked the Afghan capital, Kabul, just as the Taliban's foreign minister began an unprecedented visit to India, Pakistan's longtime rival.
The Taliban then launched an offensive along parts of its southern border with Pakistan, prompting Islamabad to vow a strong response of its own.
The United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan said 37 people were killed and 425 wounded on the Afghan side of the border.
Security issues are at the heart of the tensions, with Pakistan accusing Afghanistan of harboring militant groups led by the Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) – the Pakistani Taliban – on its soil, a claim Kabul denies.
"Pakistan has repeatedly shared its concerns" related to the presence of militant groups operating from Afghan soil, spokesman Shafqat Ali Khan said in a weekly press briefing Friday.
"Pakistan expects concrete and verifiable actions against these terrorist elements by the Taliban regime."