(MENAFN) Kabul and Islamabad are scheduled to conduct discussions in the Qatari capital, Doha, on Saturday, according to a statement from the Pakistani Foreign Ministry.

These talks are being facilitated by the government of Qatar and follow recent airstrikes by Pakistan in Afghanistan’s Paktika border province, which resulted in five fatalities, including three cricket players.

“A high-level delegation from Pakistan, led by our Minister of Defense, will hold discussions with representatives of the Afghan Taliban in Doha today,” announced the Pakistani Foreign Ministry on X.

The negotiations will primarily concentrate on “immediate measures to end cross-border terrorism against Pakistan emanating from Afghanistan and restore peace and stability along the Pak-Afghan border.”

The Foreign Ministry emphasized that Pakistan “does not seek escalation” but called on the Afghan Taliban authorities to uphold their obligations to the international community.

It urged them to address Islamabad’s “legitimate security concerns” by implementing verifiable steps against terrorist groups operating near the border regions.

The two neighboring Asian countries agreed to a temporary ceasefire on Wednesday.

Following this, the Qatari government extended an invitation to negotiate a permanent truce and resolve shared issues.

Tensions along the Afghanistan-Pakistan border have heightened in recent years, with both nations frequently accusing each other of supporting militant factions.

The recent weekend clashes led to conflicting casualty reports; the Taliban claimed to have killed 58 Pakistani soldiers, whereas Islamabad asserted that it had seized 19 Afghan border posts.

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