Taliban regime gets 48-hour reprieve | The Express Tribune
Key Takeaways
- Pakistan and the Afghan Taliban agreed to a 48-hour ceasefire following days of deadly border clashes.
- Both sides offered conflicting accounts regarding who requested the ceasefire (Pakistan MOFA cited the Taliban; Taliban cited Pakistan).
- Pakistan intends to use the truce period to press the Taliban to take action against the TTP and its affiliates.
- The military (ISPR) reported successfully repulsing coordinated cross-border attacks by Afghan Taliban fighters, inflicting heavy losses on the militants.
- Pakistani forces conducted precision strikes inside Afghanistan's Kandahar province targeting Taliban strongholds, which the ISPR confirmed while rejecting Taliban claims that Pakistan initiated the fighting.
A temporary 48-hour ceasefire took effect along the Pakistan-Afghanistan border on Tuesday evening, following intense and deadly clashes that resulted in dozens of casualties on both sides. The Pakistani Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated the truce was reached at the request of the Afghan Taliban with mutual consent to seek a positive resolution through dialogue. However, the Taliban spokesperson contradicted this, claiming the ceasefire was initiated by Pakistan's request, while also omitting details about holding talks. Sources suggest friendly countries, notably Qatar, played a role in brokering the truce, which Pakistan intends to use to urge the Taliban to take decisive action against the TTP. This diplomatic move followed hours after Pakistan's military reported effectively repulsing coordinated cross-border attacks by Afghan Taliban fighters in areas like Spin Boldak and Kurram, inflicting significant casualties on the attackers. The ISPR also confirmed that Pakistani forces conducted precision strikes inside Afghanistan's Kandahar province, targeting Taliban strongholds, and dismissed Taliban allegations that Pakistan started the fighting as "outrageous and blatant lies."
