Pakistan and Afghanistan agree to maintain ceasefire after peace talks in Istanbul

Pakistan and Afghanistan have agreed to maintain a ceasefire following peace talks in Istanbul, Turkey’s Foreign Ministry announced Thursday, after a dialogue between the two sides collapsed earlier in the week.

ANKARA, Turkey — Pakistan and Afghanistan have agreed to maintain a ceasefire following peace talks in Istanbul, Turkey’s Foreign Ministry announced Thursday, after a dialogue between the two sides collapsed earlier in the week.

The sides plan to meet again at a higher-level gathering in Istanbul on Nov. 6 to finalize how the ceasefire will be implemented, the ministry said in a statement released on behalf of Pakistan, Afghanistan and mediators Turkey and Qatar.

“All parties have agreed to put in place a monitoring and verification mechanism that will ensure maintenance of peace and imposing penalty on the violating party,” the statement read.

The latest negotiations, facilitated by Turkey and other friendly nations, were aimed at easing border tensions between the two sides who earlier this month exchanged fire, leaving dozens of soldiers, civilians and militants dead.

Despite the collapse of the previous round of talks, a ceasefire has largely held and no new border clashes were reported this week. However, both countries have kept major crossings closed, leaving hundreds of trucks carrying goods and refugees stranded on each side.