"Pakistan and Afghanistan agreed Thursday to extend a ceasefire following peace talks in Istanbul, after their deadliest border clashes in years. A follow-up round of negotiations will be held in Istanbul next week, Turkey's Foreign Ministry said. According to the ministry, both sides would meet again on November 6 to finalize a monitoring mechanism to "ensure maintenance of peace and imposing penalty on the violating party.""
"Islamabad accuses Kabul of sheltering militant groups that launch cross-border attacks, particularly the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), which it says operates from Afghan territory. "Any terrorist attack or any suicide bombing inside Pakistan shall give you the bitter taste of such misadventures," Pakistani Defense Minister Khawaja Asif had said earlier this week. Kabul denied the claims and condemned the attacks as violations of its sovereignty. Taliban Interior Minister Sirajuddin Haqqani said on Thursday that "some (in Pakistan), consciously or unconsciously, are playing"
A truce declared on October 19 followed weeks of violence that killed dozens after Pakistan launched airstrikes on Afghan territory targeting Pakistani Taliban militants. Pakistan and Afghanistan agreed to extend the ceasefire after peace talks in Istanbul mediated by Turkey and Qatar. Both sides will reconvene on November 6 to finalize a monitoring mechanism to ensure maintenance of peace and impose penalties on violators. Afghan state media blamed Pakistan's "unreasonable demands" for earlier faltering talks. Islamabad accuses Kabul of sheltering militant groups, especially the TTP, while Kabul denied those claims and condemned cross-border attacks as violations of sovereignty.
Read at www.dw.com
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