FO says the ceasefire was initiated at the request of the Taliban. ISPR says precision strikes inflict heavy casualties on terrorists
ISLAMABAD:
Pakistan and the Afghan Taliban regime agreed to a temporary ceasefire along the border on Wednesday, after days of deadly and intense clashes in several locations that left dozens dead on both sides.
According to a statement released by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the 48-hour ceasefire came into effect at 6 p.m. on Tuesday. The truce, the ministry said, was concluded at the request of the Afghan Taliban and with mutual consent.
“During this period, both sides will make sincere efforts to find a positive solution to this complex but solvable issue through constructive dialogue,” the statement added.
The Taliban regime’s spokesperson, however, insisted that the ceasefire was agreed upon Pakistan’s request and would not mention the 48-hour pause or the two sides’ decision to hold talks to discuss the thorny issues.
Although not publicly mentioned, some friendly countries, notably Qatar, played a role in brokering the ceasefire. Sources said the 48-hour ceasefire meant Pakistan wanted to give the Taliban regime a chance to fulfill its promises to end cross-border terrorism.
Pakistan agreed to a ceasefire and talks at the request of a “friendly country” to give the Taliban an additional opportunity to address Islamabad’s concerns.
Over the next 48 hours, both sides will attempt to find a way out of the current impasse. Sources said Pakistan would put pressure on the Taliban regime to take decisive and tangible steps against the banned Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and its affiliates.
The announcement comes hours after Pakistan’s military said its forces had effectively repelled several cross-border attacks launched by Afghan Taliban fighters in the early hours of Tuesday.
In a statement, the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said the attacks took place in four locations in Spin Boldak, where the Afghan Taliban “resorted to cowardly aggression” which was “effectively repelled” by Pakistani forces.
The ISPR said 15 to 20 Taliban terrorists were killed and several others injured, while the Pakistani side did not suffer any major losses. He added that the attackers used divided villages along the border, disregarding the security of local people, and destroyed the Pak-Afghan Friendship Gate on their side of the border.
The army described the attacks as part of a coordinated escalation, saying a similar attempt was carried out overnight in the Kurram sector of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, where “heavy casualties” were inflicted on the Afghan side.
“Eight posts, including six tanks, were destroyed during the effective but proportionate response of Pakistani troops,” the statement said, adding that 25 to 30 Taliban and Fitna Al Khwarij were believed to have been killed.
The security sources told The Express PK Press Club that Pakistani forces also carried out precision strikes in Afghanistan’s Kandahar province, targeting key Taliban strongholds. “The strikes completely destroyed the Taliban’s No. 4 Battalion and No. 6 Border Brigade, killing dozens of foreign and Afghan militants,” a source said.
The ISPR rejected the Taliban regime’s claims that Pakistan initiated the fighting, calling the allegations “outrageous and blatant lies”. He said such propaganda “can be debunked through basic fact-checking”, reaffirming that the Pakistani military remained fully prepared to defend the country’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.
