Pakistan PM says 'ball in Afghan Taliban's court' for permanent ceasefire

Pakistan's prime minister said on Thursday that "the ball is in the Afghan Taliban's court" for a permanent ceasefire, a day after a 48-hour truce was called in the wake of deadly cross-border clashes. The temporary ceasefire, which came into effect at 6 pm Islamabad time on Wednesday, was aimed at halting the bloodshed and opening a window for talks.

Afghanistan and Pakistan may hold talks in Doha, the capital of Qatar, according to a report by Afghanistan's TOLOnews citing government sources on Wednesday evening. The discussions will reportedly include topics such as the possible extension of the current ceasefire agreement.