Pakistan's prime minister has said "the ball was in the Afghan Taliban's court" for a permanent ceasefire, a day after a 48-hour truce was called in the wake of deadly cross-border clashes.
"If in 48 hours they want to resolve the issues and address our genuine demands, then we are ready for them," Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif told his cabinet on Thursday, reiterating that Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) terrorists should be eliminated and that Afghan territory not be used to plot attacks against Pakistan.
Islamabad has repeatedly urged the interim Taliban administration to rein in the terrorists of TTP, a conglomerate of several terror groups.
Sharif further said the Taliban administration should come forward if they are in favour of a permanent ceasefire.
“If they are serious, if they are sincere, they should come forward,” he said.
The remarks came a day after the 48-hour ceasefire was announced, following a week of violence along the Pakistan-Afghanistan border in which dozens of troops and civilians were killed on both sides.
Latest escalation
The latest escalation was primarily triggered by a surge in TTP attacks targeting Pakistani forces, including bombings in northwestern Pakistan.
Pakistan Defence Minister Khawaja Asif claimed last week that the Afghan interim administration had asked for money from Islamabad to relocate terrorists of TTP away from its border.
Pakistan alleges that the Taliban government has allowed TTP terrorists to operate from Afghan soil, while Kabul denies the charges and reaffirms that it does not permit attacks against Pakistan from its territory.
Tensions spiked last week when explosions struck Afghan territory, including the capital, which Taliban officials blamed on Pakistan.
Afghan Taliban forces launched an offensive near the border in response, prompting Islamabad to vow a strong retaliation.
The temporary ceasefire, which took effect at 1300 GMT on Wednesday, aimed to halt the bloodshed and open a window for talks.
