ISLAMABAD — October 15, 2025: Pakistan and Afghanistan’s Taliban regime have agreed to a 48-hour temporary ceasefire, beginning Wednesday at 6 p.m., following a surge in cross-border hostilities and Pakistan’s reported precision strikes on Taliban and militant targets inside Afghanistan.
The Foreign Office (FO) in Islamabad confirmed the ceasefire, saying the decision was made at the Taliban’s request and “with mutual consent of both sides.” During the pause, both parties will “make sincere efforts to find a positive solution to this complex but solvable issue through constructive dialogue,” the statement said.
“This temporary pause aims at creating space for meaningful discussions and to promote stability along the border,” the FO added.
Pakistan Conducts ‘Precision Strikes’ in Kandahar and Kabul
According to security sources cited by state broadcaster PTV News, Pakistan’s armed forces carried out precision strikes inside Afghanistan’s Kandahar province and the capital, Kabul, targeting Taliban and affiliated terrorist networks accused of staging attacks on Pakistani territory.
In Kandahar, strikes reportedly destroyed Taliban Battalion Headquarters 4 and 8 and Border Brigade 5, which officials said were “carefully selected and isolated from civilian populations.”
In Kabul, the operation targeted what officials described as the leadership and central command of the “Fitna al-Hindustan” network, a term used by Islamabad for groups involved in terrorist activity in Pakistan’s Balochistan province.
“These operations demonstrate our capability to precisely neutralise terrorist infrastructure while minimising risks to civilians,” security officials said, adding that the Pakistan Army “is fully capable of giving a befitting response to any act of aggression.”
Wave of Clashes Along the Border
The ceasefire follows a week of intense cross-border fighting, marking one of the most serious escalations between Pakistan and Afghanistan since the Taliban’s return to power in 2021.
Hostilities intensified when Taliban forces, allegedly alongside Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) fighters—referred to by Islamabad as “Fitna al-Khawarij”—launched attacks in the Kurram region late Tuesday. Pakistani forces responded with “decisive action,” reportedly destroying multiple Taliban posts, including tanks and training camps across the border in Naeem, used for staging insurgent operations.
On Wednesday morning, the Taliban regime launched a coordinated assault at three to four locations near the Chaman–Spin Boldak border crossing in Balochistan. During the attack, militants reportedly blew up the Pak-Afghan Friendship Gate, a key trade route linking the two countries.
According to Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), Pakistan’s military repelled the assault, killing at least 20 attackers and forcing the rest to retreat.
Officials accused Taliban and TTP fighters of using nearby villages as cover and civilians as human shields — a tactic described as increasingly common in recent border engagements.
Heavy Casualties Reported on Both Sides
The ISPR confirmed that 23 Pakistani soldiers were martyred and 29 injured in the latest round of clashes, while claiming that more than 200 Taliban and affiliated militants were killed in retaliatory strikes.
According to the military, the confrontation began on the night of October 11–12, when Taliban fighters, “supported by Indian-sponsored elements of Fitna al-Khawarij,” launched unprovoked fire and raids along the border.
“Pakistan’s Armed Forces exercised the right of self-defence and responded decisively along the entire border, inflicting heavy casualties on Taliban forces and affiliated Khawarij elements,” the ISPR said, adding that “all possible measures were taken to avoid collateral damage and protect civilian lives.”
Strained Bilateral Relations
Relations between Islamabad and Kabul have deteriorated sharply in recent months amid Pakistan’s accusations that Afghan soil is being used for cross-border terrorism. The Taliban government has repeatedly denied these claims, insisting it does not allow its territory to be used against neighboring countries.
Earlier this week, Defence Minister Khawaja Asif described the bilateral relationship as being at a “stalemate,” saying there were currently “no direct or indirect ties” between the two sides, and warning that “hostilities could resume at any time.”
While the temporary ceasefire offers a short-term respite, analysts caution that without sustained diplomatic engagement and cross-border counterterrorism cooperation, the risk of renewed conflict remains high.
