FO says ceasefire initiated on Taliban’s request. ISPR says precision strikes inflict heavy losses on terrorists
ISLAMABAD:
Pakistan and the Afghan Taliban regime on Wednesday agreed to a temporary ceasefire along the border, following days of deadly and intense clashes in multiple locations that left dozens dead on both sides.
According to a statement issued by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the 48-hour ceasefire came into effect at 6pm on Tuesday. The truce, the ministry said, was reached at the request of the Afghan Taliban and with mutual consent.
“During this period, both sides will make sincere efforts to find a positive resolution to this complex but solvable issue through constructive dialogue,” the statement added.
The Taliban regime spokesperson, however, insisted that the ceasefire was agreed upon on Pakistan’s request and he would not mention either the 48-hour pause or both sides agreeing to hold talks to discuss the thorny issues.
Although it was not mentioned publicly, some friendly countries, particularly Qatar, played a role in brokering the ceasefire. Sources said the 48-hour ceasefire meant that Pakistan wanted to give the Taliban regime a chance to come good on their promises to stop cross border terrorism.
Pakistan agreed to a ceasefire and talks on the request of a “friendly country” in order to give the Taliban one more opportunity to address Islamabad’s concerns.
During the next 48-hour, both sides would try to find a way out of the current impasse. 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 repulsed multiple 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 1520 Taliban terrorists were killed and several others injured, while the Pakistani side suffered no major losses. It added that the attackers had used divided villages along the border, disregarding the safety 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, saying a similar attempt was made overnight in the Kurram sector of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, where “heavy losses” were inflicted on the Afghan side.
“Eight posts, including six tanks, were destroyed in the effective yet proportionate response of Pakistani troops,” the statement said, adding that 2530 Taliban and Fitna Al Khwarij were believed to have been killed.
The Security sources told The Express Tribune that Pakistani forces also carried out precision strikes inside Afghanistan’s Kandahar province, targeting key Taliban strongholds. “The strikes completely destroyed the Taliban’s Battalion No 4 and Border Brigade No 6, killing dozens of foreign and Afghan militants,” one source claimed.
The ISPR rejected the Taliban regime claims that Pakistan initiated the fighting, calling the allegations “outrageous and blatant lies”. It said such propaganda “can be debunked with basic fact checks”, reaffirming that Pakistan Army remained fully prepared to defend the country’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.
