New Delhi: The Pakistan Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced Wednesday that Pakistan and Afghanistan have agreed to a temporary 48-hour ceasefire following days of intense border clashes between the two countries.
“A temporary ceasefire has been decided between the Pakistani government and the Afghan Taliban regime, with the mutual consent of both parties, for the next 48 hours from 6pm today, at the request of the Taliban,” the Pakistan’s foreign office said in a statement.
Adding, “During this period, both sides will make sincere efforts to find a positive solution to this complex but solvable issue through constructive dialogue.”
Afghan Taliban spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid confirmed the development on X, saying, “At the request and insistence of the Pakistani side, the ceasefire between the two countries will begin after 5:30 PM today. The Islamic Emirate also directs all its forces to adhere to the ceasefire and not to violate it after 5:30 PM today unless there is a violation.”
At the request and insistence of the Pakistani side, the ceasefire between the two countries will begin after 5:30 PM today.
The Islamic Emirate also directs all its forces to adhere to the ceasefire and not to violate it after 5:30 PM today unless there is a violation.
— Zabihullah (..ذبـــــیح الله م ) (@Zabehulah_M33) October 15, 2025
Earlier in the day, Pakistan’s state broadcaster PTV News reported that the Pakistan Armed Forces had carried out “precision strikes” in Afghanistan’s Kandahar province and the capital city Kabul. It quoted Pakistani security sources as saying, “Pakistan Army’s retaliatory action against Afghan Taliban aggression, key hideouts destroyed. Key hideouts of the Afghan Taliban successfully targeted by the Pakistan Army.”
Adding, “These precision strikes were carried out in Afghanistan’s Kandahar province. As a result of these strikes, Afghan Taliban Battalion Number 4 and Border Brigade Number 6 were completely destroyed. Dozens of foreign and Afghan operatives killed.”
The military sources further told PTV that the Pakistan Army “possesses the full capability to give a strong and complete response to any external aggression”.
The state broadcaster reported that strikes had also been conducted in Kabul, targeting what it described as the “centre and leadership of Fitna al-Hindustan”.
It added that “the Pakistan Army possesses the full capability to give a befitting response to any aggression,” Dawn reported.
The term Fitna al-Hindustan is used by Pakistan for militant organisations operating in Balochistan.
Pakistan’s Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) had earlier in the day said security forces repelled an attack by the Afghan Taliban along the Balochistan border, killing between 15 and 20 of their fighters. According to the ISPR, Afghan Taliban “resorted to cowardly attack[s] at four locations in [the] Spin Boldak area” during the early hours of the day and “The attack was effectively repulsed by Pakistani forces”. The developments Wednesday marked the third major skirmish between Pakistan and Afghanistan within a week, following earlier incidents in Kurram and other border areas since Saturday night.
The ISPR said that 23 Pakistani soldiers were killed and 29 injured in the latest round of violence.
Earlier, Afghanistan’s Taliban regime had said its forces killed at least 58 Pakistani soldiers in cross-border clashes late Saturday, following Pakistani airstrikes that struck several Afghan provinces, including Kabul. Islamabad neither confirmed nor denied the strikes.
While minor border skirmishes between Pakistan and Afghanistan have been frequent since the Taliban’s 2021 takeover, the latest escalation was unprecedented.
The Pakistani military said that, by midnight, both sides were exchanging heavy fire, with Afghan forces striking Pakistani posts while Pakistan’s Air Force and artillery targeted positions in Afghanistan’s Helmand, Kandahar, Khost, Paktia, and Paktika provinces.
Kabul described its assault as a response to alleged Pakistani air strikes earlier in the week.
Pakistan, however, maintained that Kabul must “stop harbouring the Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) on its soil.” The foreign office Sunday warned that any further aggression from Afghanistan would receive an “unwavering and befitting response”.
Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid, meanwhile, warned that Pakistani strikes on Kabul “will have consequences” and that Afghanistan “has weapons to respond”.
Pakistan Defence Minister Khawaja Asif described the situation Monday as a “stalemate,” noting that there were “no ties, direct or indirect” between Islamabad and Kabul after the unprovoked attack.
China, which borders both Pakistan and Afghanistan, had sought to mediate between the two countries. Beijing’s foreign ministry said Monday that it had urged both sides to protect their nationals and investments in the region. However, Zabihullah in a press conference said Sunday that hostilities had ceased as a result of mediation of Saudi Arabia.
Saudi Arabia and Qatar both issued statements expressing concern over the escalating violence and urged “dialogue and restraint.”
#بيان | تتابع المملكة العربية السعودية بقلق التوترات والاشتباكات التي تشهدها المناطق الحدودية بين جمهورية باكستان الإسلامية ودولة أفغانستان. pic.twitter.com/TSj5Hv0FAI
— وزارة الخارجية 🇸🇦 (@KSAMOFA) October 11, 2025
Despite the latest violence, Pakistan and Afghanistan had seen some improvement in relations earlier this year following steps such as reviving the Joint Coordination Committee and upgrading diplomatic ranks.
However, Islamabad continues to press Kabul to take concrete action against the TTP and other militant groups active in Pakistan, while the Taliban regime maintains that it does not allow any group to use Afghan territory against Pakistan or any other country.
(Edited by Amrtansh Arora)
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