Pakistan, Afghanistan agree Eid truce, pause military operations
The move follows requests from Türkiye, Saudi Arabia and Qatar, Islamabad says.
Pakistan and Afghanistan have said that they were pausing their military operations against each other for the Muslim holiday of Eid.
The pause will begin at midnight on Wednesday and continue until March 23, Information Minister Ataullah Tarrar said on X. He said that the decision was taken following requests from Türkiye, Saudi Arabia, and Qatar.
“Pakistan offers this gesture in good faith and in keeping with the Islamic norms,” he said, adding that in case of any cross-border attack, the operation will immediately resume.
Afghan Taliban spokesperson Zabiullah Mujahid also announced the move in a post on X.
The pause comes after weeks of escalating clashes since late February that have killed at least 107 people on both sides, including 13 soldiers and five civilians in Pakistan, with one soldier still missing.
According to Kabul, 13 soldiers and 76 civilians have been killed in Afghanistan, excluding the latest casualties claimed in Monday’s strike.
Rising tension
According to the UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan, it also documented 76 civilian deaths and 213 injuries in Afghanistan between February 26 and March 16 — except for the incident at Omid Addiction Treatment Hospital in Kabul late Monday — due to the ongoing hostilities.
Tensions further spiked after Kabul accused Pakistan of airstriking a major hospital in the capital, killing at least 408 people, a claim Islamabad denies.
Pakistan said it targeted Afghan military installations and ammunition depots in Kabul and in eastern Nangarhar province.
Pakistan has long accused Afghanistan of harbouring anti-Pakistan militant groups, which Kabul denies.