Islamabad— Pakistan has agreed to a temporary ceasefire for 48 hours starting this evening at 6pm, in response to a request from the Afghan Taliban, the Foreign Office said in an official statement.
The ministry’s spokesperson said both sides will use the pause to make sincere efforts to seek a negotiated solution through talks. The announcement follows days of cross-border clashes that saw heavy fighting along parts of the Pakistan-Afghanistan frontier.
On the Taliban side, spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid posted on X that Afghan forces have been instructed to observe the ceasefire so long as there is no renewed aggression.
According to military briefings, Pakistani forces recently repelled coordinated attacks by Afghan Taliban fighters and associated militants in Spin Boldak (Balochistan) and the Kurram sector (Khyber Pakhtunkhwa). The military said dozens of attackers were killed and that several enemy posts and a number of tanks were damaged during counter-operations.
The Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said early on 15 October that militants staged multiple attacks near Spin Boldak, which were repulsed; ISPR reported 15–20 Taliban fighters killed and others wounded. It also said operations on the night of 14–15 October in Kurram inflicted heavy damage on Afghan posts, destroyed several enemy positions and tanks, and resulted in the deaths of an estimated 25–30 militants.
Defence Minister Khawaja Asif had earlier warned that ties between Islamabad and Kabul were effectively frozen and that while an active war might not be underway, the situation remained highly tense and could flare up again.
Both capitals have traded accusations in recent days. Pakistan has urged Afghan authorities to prevent banned groups from using Afghan soil, while Afghan officials have described Pakistani military actions near the frontier as provocative. The newly announced ceasefire offers a window for de-escalation and dialogue; whether talks produce a lasting calm remains to be seen.
