- FO spokesperson confirms 48-hour ceasefire announced with Afghanistan from 6pm Wednesday, agreed at Taliban’s request
- Both sides vow to pursue a ‘constructive, positive solution’ to end the escalating border hostilities
- Taliban Spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid says Afghan forces told to observe truce ‘unless any aggression takes place’
- Defence Minister accuses Afghan Taliban of ‘fighting India’s war,’ doubts the ceasefire will last
ISLAMABAD: The Foreign Office on Wednesday announced a temporary 48-hour ceasefire with Afghanistan—to take effect from 6pm today—aimed at halting a fresh round of cross-border hostilities and creating space for dialogue aimed at a durable solution.
The ceasefire was agreed “with the mutual consent of both parties” and, the FO said, was made at the request of the Taliban.
In its statement, the FO said that during the 48-hour period, both sides will make sincere efforts to find a positive solution to this complex but solvable issue through constructive dialogue.
پاک فوج کی افغان طالبان کی جارحیت پر جوابی کارروائی ، اہم ٹھکانے تباہ کردیئے
پاک فوج کی جانب سے افغان طالبان کے اہم ٹھکانوں کو کامیابی سے نشانہ بنایا گیا، سکیورٹی ذرائع
یہ Precision Strikes افغان صوبہ قندھار میں کی گئیں، سکیورٹی ذرائع
ان سٹرائیکس کے نتیجے میں افغان طالبان… pic.twitter.com/tFmRFvj5F4
— PTV News (@PTVNewsOfficial) October 15, 2025
Taliban spokesperson Zabiullah Mujahid posted on X that Afghan forces had been instructed to respect the ceasefire “unless any aggression takes place.”
The truce follows three days of intense fighting along the Pakistan-Afghanistan frontier, which saw fatalities and injuries on both sides and prompted a flurry of military and diplomatic activity.
The Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) earlier said Pakistani forces had repulsed an attack by the Afghan Taliban along the Balochistan border, killing approximately 15 to 20 fighters in that action. The ISPR described the assault as “cowardly attacks at four locations in [the] Spin Boldak area” in the early hours of Wednesday and said the attacks were “effectively repulsed by Pakistani forces.”
پاکستان نے صوبہ قندھار اور کابل میں Precision Strikes خالصتاً افغان طالبان اور خوارجین کے ٹھکانوں پر کی – سیکیورٹی ذرائع
پاک فوج نے قندھار مے افغان طالبان بٹالین ہیڈکوارٹرنمبر 4، 8 بٹالین اور بارڈر بریگیڈ نمبر 5 کے اہداف کو نشانہ بنایا، سیکیورٹی ذرائع
یہ تمام اہداف باریک… pic.twitter.com/zBPAZnTDzB
— PTV News (@PTVNewsOfficial) October 15, 2025
State broadcaster PTV News reported that Pakistan’s armed forces carried out “precision strikes” in Kandahar province and Kabul, quoting security sources who said key Taliban hideouts and battalion headquarters had been destroyed.
The post on X—citing unnamed security sources—claimed that Afghan Taliban Battalion Number 4 and Border Brigade Number 6 in Kandahar were “completely destroyed” and that “dozens of foreign and Afghan operatives” were killed.
A later PTV update said the “center and leadership of Fitna al-Hindustan” were targeted in Kabul. The broadcasts emphasized that strikes were “meticulously selected, isolated from civilian populations,” and that the Pakistan Army possessed “the full capability to give a befitting response to any aggression.” (PTV and security posts framed the targets as Taliban battalions and affiliated groupings designated by the state.)
The fresh clashes are the third major skirmish within a week, coming after fighting in Kurram late Tuesday and earlier exchanges that began on Saturday night and extended into Sunday at multiple locations. According to ISPR figures released over the weekend, 23 Pakistani troops were martyred and 29 injured in the incidents that began with cross-border attacks on Pakistani posts. The military’s media wing also said, “More than 200 Taliban and affiliated terrorists have been neutralised,” adding that the number of injured on the other side was “much higher,” according to its damage assessments and intelligence estimates.
Islamabad has not confirmed responsibility for any cross-border strikes inside Afghanistan but has underscored Pakistan’s right and resolve to defend its territory. Afghanistan, for its part, described its actions as “retaliatory,” alleging Pakistan carried out air strikes on its soil last week — an allegation Islamabad did not formally confirm in its public statements.
Officials and analysts say the most recent rounds of violence unfolded against a backdrop of long-running Pakistani concerns that terrorist groups use Afghan territory as a base for attacks into Pakistan, an issue that has repeatedly strained ties between the neighbours. The weekend clashes also followed a spate of intelligence-based operations inside Pakistan that resulted in casualties among security personnel, heightening tensions and public pressure for a robust response.
Not everyone greeted the ceasefire with optimism. Defence Minister Khawaja Asif expressed scepticism on Wednesday, saying he lacked confidence that a 48-hour truce would hold and alleging that the Afghan Taliban were acting as a “proxy of India.” Speaking on television, he warned that the ceasefire was fragile and reiterated Pakistan’s readiness to respond if hostilities resumed. “We have the capability, and we will attack them, God willing, if they escalate or widen the radius of this war,” he said, adding that Pakistan would respond positively to constructive dialogue but would not tolerate violations of its territory.
The ceasefire—brokered at Taliban initiative and accepted by Islamabad—provides a narrow window for diplomacy. Both sides have signalled, at least publicly, the desire to explore a negotiated way forward; Pakistan’s Foreign Office framed the truce as an opportunity for “sincere efforts” to resolve a “complex but solvable” problem. Whether the pause leads to sustained talks or proves only a brief lull will depend on immediate steps taken by both sides, the ability of interlocutors to prevent further provocations, and the involvement of mediating actors urged on by regional stakeholders.
