In a dramatic turn of events, Pakistan and Afghanistan agreed to a 48-hour ceasefire on Wednesday evening after a day of intense cross-border clashes left dozens dead and more than a hundred wounded. The violence, one of the deadliest between the neighbours in years, has raised fresh concerns of a wider conflict in the region.
The temporary ceasefire came into effect at 6 pm PKT (6:30 pm IST).
“Both sides will make sincere efforts, through dialogue, to find a positive solution to the complex yet resolvable issue,” Islamabad said in a statement cited by Reuters.
According to Pakistan, Afghanistan requested the ceasefire. Kabul has not yet issued any statement, either on the ceasefire or on Islamabad’s claim about who initiated the request.
Earlier in the day, Pakistan claimed to have killed “dozens of Afghan security forces and militants” in overnight military operations — an escalation that underscores the deadliest border violence between the two countries in recent years. Pakistan also stated it had destroyed tanks and military posts in response to what it described as “unprovoked assaults.”
Civilian Casualties Disputed
Islamabad firmly denied targeting civilians after the Taliban claimed that a dozen civilians were killed and more than 100 others wounded in a strike on a border area in Afghanistan’s southern Kandahar.
Taliban’s chief spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid alleged that a Pakistani Army border outpost had been destroyed and a tank commandeered in retaliation.
“A Pakistani Army border outpost was destroyed and an enemy tank seized in response,” Mujahid stated.
Pakistan has repeatedly accused Afghanistan of supporting gunmen responsible for terrorist attacks on its soil — attacks Islamabad claims have increased since 2021, when the Taliban took power in Kabul.
Afghanistan has denied these allegations, maintaining that its territory will not be used to stage attacks on other countries.
Taliban Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi reiterated this position during his state visit to India last week, asserting, “We will not allow our land to be used for attacks against any country.”
Regional Tensions and Terror Groups
Wednesday’s clashes were the second outbreak of violence this week, heightening fears of a wider regional conflict. The tension comes amid concerns that terrorist outfits like ISIS, Jaish-e-Mohammed, and Lashkar-e-Taiba are attempting to re-establish a foothold in the volatile border region.
The fighting had briefly paused on Sunday following appeals from Saudi Arabia and Qatar, but Wednesday’s violence reignited the fragile situation.
The latest flare-up, one of the deadliest in recent years, coincides with Taliban Foreign Minister Muttaqi’s visit to India, a development Islamabad views as New Delhi attempting to reset ties with Kabul.
India recently restored full diplomatic relations with Afghanistan and announced plans to upgrade its Technical Mission in Kabul to an Embassy, External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar confirmed last week.
Islamabad has long accused Kabul of harbouring terrorists, especially the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), a claim Afghanistan denies.
