Peshawar, March 31 A joint Pakistan-Afghanistan "jirga" held here on Tuesday called for an immediate ceasefire to ease the rising tensions between the two neighbors.
A jirga is an assembly of elders and community leaders in Afghanistan and Pakistan that resolves disputes based on consensus.
The declaration was issued at the conclusion of the jirga, which was attended by former governors, political leaders, ex-diplomats, tribal elders, intellectuals, and religious scholars.
The participants emphasized that both countries must ensure their territories are not used against each other under any circumstances.
"No individual or group should be allowed to use either country's soil for hostile activities," the official statement said.
The jirga urged the governments of both nations to fully utilize their state capacity to implement mutually agreed decisions to maintain peace.
It also stressed that all disputes and differences should be resolved through dialogue and diplomacy, declaring these as the only viable options.
"War is not a solution to any problem. Sustainable peace can only be achieved through mutual respect and understanding," the statement added.
The forum also called for the establishment of a joint and permanent platform to ensure continuous engagement between the two countries, which would help improve understanding of each other's positions, circumstances, and constraints.
It further recommended concrete confidence-building measures and their effective implementation to strengthen trust.
Last week, Pakistan said that the operation against the Afghan Taliban was ongoing and would continue until the objective of eliminating the threat of terrorism was achieved.