Pakistan and Afghanistan have agreed to a short-term ceasefire for the Eid al-Fitr holiday, offering a fragile pause in a rapidly escalating conflict that has sparked international concern after a deadly airstrike in Kabul. The ceasefire, which is expected to last from Thursday to Monday, comes at a time of mounting civilian casualties, diplomatic pressure and sharply intensified rhetoric from both sides.
Eid ceasefire announced amid growing regional pressure
A temporary ceasefire was confirmed by officials in Islamabad and Kabul on Wednesday, with both sides signaling a willingness to halt military operations during the Islamic holiday. Pakistan’s Information Minister Attaullah Tarar said “fraternal Islamic countries” including Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Turkey had requested the pause.
“Pakistan offers this gesture in good faith and in accordance with Islamic norms,” Tarar wrote in a post on social media.
However, the announcement was accompanied by a clear warning: “in the event of any cross-border attack, drone strike or any terrorist incident inside Pakistan, (the operation) will immediately resume with renewed intensity”.
The Afghan Taliban administration soon repeated the move, saying it would temporarily suspend military actions during the same period.
Airstrike in Kabul sparks anger and global scrutiny
The ceasefire follows one of the deadliest incidents in months after Pakistani jets hit an anti-drug facility in Kabul on Monday evening. Taliban authorities initially claimed around 400 people were killed and more than 200 wounded.
However, the United Nations reported 143 confirmed deaths at the Omar Addiction Hospital, a large 2,000-bed facility, underscoring the difficulty of verifying the death toll.
Islamabad has “vehemently” denied allegations that it has targeted civilians, saying its operations are aimed solely at “terrorist infrastructure and military sites”.
However, the extent of the devastation and the nature of the site have intensified international scrutiny and condemnation.
Retaliatory threats underscore the fragility of the pause
Despite agreeing to the Eid ceasefire, the Afghan leadership has indicated that tensions remain acute. Interior Minister Sirajuddin Haqqani strongly condemned the strike at a mass funeral for the victims.
“We will take revenge,” he said, warning those responsible, “we are not weak and helpless. You will see the consequences of your crimes.”
Although he indicated an openness to diplomatic engagement, his tone reflected deep unease in Kabul.
“We don’t want war, but the situation has come to this,” he said. “So we try to solve problems through diplomacy.
The conditional nature of the ceasefire has led analysts to question whether the pause represents a genuine de-escalation move or a tactical move to ease international pressure.
Escalation of the conflict along the Durand Line
The latest violence is part of a wider escalation of hostilities along the 2,640 kilometer Durand Line that separates the two countries. Clashes intensified after Taliban forces launched an operation in late February that they described as a response to earlier Pakistani airstrikes.
Pakistan says its actions are necessary to prevent armed groups from using Afghan territory for cross-border attacks.
The cycle of retaliation has resulted in repeated cross-border exchanges and airstrikes, raising fears of wider regional destabilization.
The humanitarian crisis deepens as the civilian toll rises
The human cost of the conflict continues to rise. The United Nations has warned that the situation is putting a heavy strain on Afghanistan’s already fragile health infrastructure.
The head of the World Health Organization, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, said that “escalating conflict is placing further pressure on health systems and increasing risks to the health and well-being of vulnerable populations.”
“I call on all parties to ease tensions and prioritize peace and health,” he wrote, adding that at least six medical facilities had been hit since late February.
On the ground, the aftermath of the Kabul strike was described in horrifying detail. Aid workers reported widespread destruction, with difficulty identifying victims due to the severity of injuries.
“I saw a finger in one place, a leg in another place, a hand in one place. It was really horrible,” said Jacopo Caridi, the Afghan director of the Norwegian Refugee Council.
Mass funerals were held in Kabul and dozens of coffins were carried to hillside graves as families mourned the loss.
Diplomatic efforts continue, but long-term peace elusive
International actors greeted the temporary truce cautiously. The Qatari Foreign Ministry called it “a positive gesture that contributes to de-escalation and promotes calm between the two sides.”
The ministry added that it hoped the pause would “pave the way for a return to a sustainable ceasefire agreement that spares civilian lives and achieves security and stability”.
However, broader mediation efforts have struggled to gain traction. Gulf states that initially pushed for dialogue have turned their attention to other regional crises, while offers by China and Russia to facilitate talks have yet to yield tangible results.
The United Nations, meanwhile, warned of a worsening humanitarian outlook, noting that at least 76 civilians had been killed in earlier fighting and more than 115,000 families had been displaced even before the Kabul strike.
A temporary calm in a long-term conflict
As the Eid holiday approaches, the ceasefire offers a brief respite from weeks of intense violence. With both sides maintaining hardened positions and issuing conditional commitments, a pause appears tenuous.
Rather than signaling a breakthrough, the ceasefire underscores the volatility of a conflict that continues to escalate, with little sign of a permanent solution on the horizon.
