Pakistan and Afghanistan have agreed to a 48-hour ceasefire, but tensions remain over the TTP’s presence in Afghanistan, which could soon spark renewed violence. Humanitarian groups have spoken out against yesterday's Pakistani airstrikes, which caused scores of civilian casualties. Pakistan’s decision to keep the border closed and expel Afghan refugees are worsening the humanitarian crisis.

Islamabad/Kabul (AsiaNews) – After a day of heavy fighting and airstrikes, a 48-hour ceasefire has been announced between Pakistan and Afghanistan.

The Pakistani Foreign Ministry the announcement made, stressing that the Taliban regime asked for an end to the hostilities. Shortly thereafter, Taliban government’s chief spokesman, Zabihullah Mujahid, said it was on Pakistani “insistence”, but did not mention any time frame.

Several humanitarian organisations active in Afghanistan have spoked out against Pakistan's airstrikes against Kabul, the Afghan capital, and the southern province of Kandahar, from where many Taliban leaders.

“We started receiving ambulances filled with wounded people, and we learned that there had been explosions a few kilometres away from our hospital,” explained Dejan Panic, EMERGENCY’s Country Director in Afghanistan. 

He added: “40 people have arrived so far, including women and children. They have shrapnel wounds, blunt force trauma and burns. Ten are in critical condition. Unfortunately, five people were already dead on arrival. The numbers of dead and injured are still provisional.”

This morning, the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) reported that the highest number of civilian casualties in Afghanistan was in Spin Boldak, a district in Kandahar province, the epicentre of the violence, where at least 18 civilians were killed and more than 360 injured.

Yesterday's clashes marked the second round of fighting – the first broke out overnight on 9-10 October with a series of Pakistani strikes in Kabul and other provinces aimed at taking out Noor Wali Mehsud, the leader of the Tehrik-i Taliban Pakistan (TTP), the Pakistani Taliban. His death has not been confirmed.

Last week, “UNAMA also documented at least 16 civilian casualties (one killed and 15 injured”.

Relations between the two countries have been volatile since the Taliban returned to power in August 2021 following the withdrawal of US-led NATO forces.

Since then, Islamabad has accused Kabul of protecting and financially supporting the Pakistani Taliban, who seek to establish an Islamic emirate in Pakistan modelled after the Afghan one, and to this end, attack state infrastructure.

Although 2025 is not over yet, this year is likely to have the highest number of losses among Pakistani security forces ever recorded.

Four years ago, Pakistan, then under the leadership of former Prime Minister Imran Khan, tried unsuccessfully to sign a ceasefire agreement with the TTP, over which the Afghan Taliban claim they have no control.

Before resorting to force, Pakistan put pressure on Afghanistan by expelling hundreds of thousands of Afghan residents and refugees, worsening the humanitarian situation in the country, where about half the population, over 20 million people, live below the poverty line.

Pakistan carried out raids in the eastern provinces, a TTP stronghold. The strikes on Kabul (which coincided with a visit by a Taliban delegation to India, Pakistan's enemy) have opened a new chapter in relations between the two countries.

Various observers believe the Taliban will continue to support the TTP, so the fighting will likely continue for the time being even with this ceasefire announcement.

The issue is also taking on broader implications, involving the Afghan opposition, which yesterday praised Islamabad's military action on social media.

Last weekend, Pakistan's Foreign Minister, in response to Afghan attacks after the first strikes in Kabul, expressed hope for the first time “that one day the people of Afghanistan will be free and live under a truly representative and popular government.”

What is more, despite the ceasefire (which is backed by Pakistan's main ally China), Islamabad ordered the immediate evacuation and closure of dozens of refugee camps, resulting in the expulsion of Afghan refugees.

In Punjab, the provincial government also announced that Afghans will have to pay taxes, which will help identify illegal residents.

Islamabad is also exerting pressure on the Taliban leadership by keeping border crossings with its northwestern neighbour closed. As a result, thousands of lorries are stuck at the border, a major problem especially for Afghan civilians, whose rely on imported medicine and necessities.

It is presently unclear whether regional powers, such as the Gulf states, can play a mediating role.

For his part, Pakistani Foreign Minister and Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar today said he had a telephone conversation with his Qatari counterpart, Mohammed bin Abdulaziz Al-Khulaifi, exchanging views on the regional situation.

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• pakistan
• taliban
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• emirate
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• border crossings