Pakistan, Afghanistan agree on 48-hr ceasefire amid border clashes
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Islamabad: Pakistan on Wednesday announced a 48-hour ceasefire with Afghanistan, following border clashes that have killed dozens on both sides.
A statement from the Foreign Office (FO), reported by Dawn newspaper, said: “A temporary ceasefire has been decided between the Pakistani government and the Afghan Taliban regime, with the mutual consent of both parties, for the next 48 hours from 6 pm today, at the request of the Taliban.”
During this period, both sides are expected to make “sincere efforts to find a positive solution to this complex but solvable issue through constructive dialogue,” the FO added. There was no immediate confirmation from the Afghan government regarding the ceasefire.
Earlier reports from state-run PTV News stated that the Pakistan armed forces conducted “precision strikes” in Afghanistan’s Kandahar province and Kabul, killing dozens of foreign and Afghan operatives, according to security sources.
The Pakistan Army also said it had repulsed multiple attacks by the Afghan Taliban, killing over 40 attackers in separate incidents along the border. “While repulsing the attack, 15-20 Afghan Taliban were killed and many injured,” the army added, noting that the situation is still developing with reports of further build-up in staging points of Fitna Al Khwarij and the Afghan Taliban. The term Fitna al-Khawarij is used by Pakistani authorities to refer to militants of the banned Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan.
The ceasefire comes amid heightened tensions along the Pakistan-Afghanistan border, with both sides seeking to prevent further escalation while exploring dialogue options.
With PTI inputs