Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Thursday said Islamabad was ready to talk if Kabul agreed to fulfil Pakistan’s “justified” conditions following recent hostilities between the two countries.

Pakistan and Afghan­istan on Wednesday agreed to a temporary ceasefire after a fresh round of deadly cross-border clashes that threatened to escalate into a wider conflict. Pakistan’s Foreign Office (FO) said the ceasefire, implemented at the Taliban’s request and with mutual consent, took effect at 6pm local time on October 15 and would last for 48 hours.

The announcement followed sustained hostilities between the two countries over the weekend.

Addressing the federal cabinet today after the latest round of conflict, the premier stated that the Afghan side had requested a ceasefire and made a formal request. “Yesterday we decided the temporary 48-hour ceasefire [and] the message has been sent that if they want to fulfil our justified conditions through talks, then we are ready. The ball is in their court.”

He added that if the Afghan side was sincere and serious, then it would initiate steps to hold talks, adding that Pakistan’s allied nations, particularly Qatar, were also making efforts to resolve the situation.

The premier expressed hope that the latest situation between the two countries would be resolved on a long-term basis, including the elimination of the Fitna al-Khawarij from Afghan soil so the neighbouring country’s territory would no longer be used by terrorists.

Fitna-al-Khawarij is a term the state uses for terrorists belonging to the banned Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan.

PM Shehbaz reiterated his hope that the ceasefire be maintained for the future on the basis of “solid demands”. “If this was only done to buy time then we won’t accept it,” the premier warned.

He elaborated that officials from Pakistan had visited Kabul many times and engaged in cordial dialogue on resolving their issues together with mutual agreement for the sake of peace and prosperity.

“Unfortunately, despite all efforts, this was not possible and when this attack was ongoing on Pakistan, on India’s complete incitement, their (Afghan) Foreign Minister [Amir] Muttaqi was in New Delhi, so we were forced to give a comprehensive response.”

The premier said the Qatari emir had condemned the entire episode in talks with him in Egypt and expressed his desire to play a role in cooling down tensions.

Shehbaz also commended the armed forces and Field Marshal Asim Munir for their response to the Afghan side during the conflict, saying it was “necessary” to do so due to the many martyrdoms suffered by the security forces in operations against terrorists.

Gaza ceasefire

The premier also addressed the ceasefire in Gaza, pointing out the high casualties in the besieged territory during the conflict and Pakistan’s efforts towards peace in the matter.

He also criticised the politicisation of the issue within the country, saying it was a “great achievement” if fighting and deaths had stopped in Gaza.

PM Shehbaz lauded the role of United States President Donald Trump and all Muslim countries for their role in achieving the ceasefire, singling out Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Jordan, Turkiye, Indonesia and the United Arab Emirates.

The prime minister said the Palestinians should get their own state, adding that Pakistan would continue to strive and make efforts towards this end.

Welcomes IMF agreement

PM Shehbaz also welcomed the recent staff-level agreement with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and commended his team and the finance ministry for working day and night to pull it off.

“This should be the last programme that Pakistan enters with the IMF.”

He said the time had come to rid the country of loans, adding it would not be easy and would require continuous struggle and effort.