The FO says the ceasefire has been initiated at the Taliban’s request. 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 places that left dozens dead on both sides.
According to an announcement from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the 48-hour ceasefire came into force at 6pm on Tuesday. The ceasefire, the ministry said, was reached at the request of the Afghan Taliban and by mutual consent.
“During this period, both sides will make sincere efforts to find a positive solution to this complex but solvable problem through constructive dialogue,” the statement added.
However, the Taliban regime’s spokesman insisted the ceasefire was agreed at Pakistan’s request and would not mention either the 48-hour pause or both sides agreeing to hold talks to discuss the difficult issues.
Although not mentioned publicly, 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 on the “friendly country” request to give the Taliban another opportunity to address Islamabad’s concerns.
Over the next 48 hours, both sides would try to find a way out of the current stalemate. Sources said Pakistan would press the Taliban regime to take decisive and tangible action against the banned Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and its affiliates.
The announcement came 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 at four locations in Spin Boldak where the Afghan Taliban “resorted to cowardly aggression” that was “effectively repulsed” by Pakistani forces.
The ISPR said 15-20 Taliban terrorists were killed and several others injured, while the Pakistani side suffered no major casualties. It added that the attackers had used divided villages along the border, disregarding the security of the local population, and destroyed the Pak-Afghan friendship gate on their side of the border.
The military described the attacks as part of a coordinated escalation and said a similar attempt was made overnight in the Kurram sector of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, where “heavy casualties” were inflicted on the Afghan side.
“Eight positions, including six tanks, were destroyed in the effective but proportionate response by Pakistani troops,” the statement said, adding that 25-30 Taliban and Fitna Al Khwarij were believed to have been killed.
The security sources told The Express Pakinomist that Pakistani forces also carried out precision strikes inside Afghanistan’s Kandahar province, targeting key Taliban strongholds. “The attacks completely destroyed the Taliban’s No. 4 Battalion and No. 6 Frontier Brigade, killing dozens of foreign and Afghan militants,” a source claimed.
The ISPR rejected the Taliban regime’s claims that Pakistan initiated the fighting, calling the allegations “outrageous and blatant lies”. It said such propaganda “can be debunked with basic fact-checking” and reaffirmed that the Pakistan Army remained fully prepared to defend the country’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.
