Pakistan and Afghanistan Temporarily Halt Clashes for Islamic Holiday

Over Three Weeks of Armed Clashes

Ceasefire Declared Ahead of Eid al-Fitr

At the Request of Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and Turkey

Pakistan and Afghanistan, currently engaged in armed conflict, have entered a five-day ceasefire in observance of an Islamic holiday.

On the 13th, thick black smoke was rising from the fuel warehouse of private airline Kam Air in Kandahar, Afghanistan. Photo by Reuters and Yonhap News Agency

According to Ataullah Tarar, Pakistan's Minister of Information, on X (formerly Twitter) on March 19 (local time), Pakistan announced the previous day that it would temporarily suspend military operations for five days ahead of 'Eid al-Fitr,' following requests from Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and Turkey. Eid al-Fitr is an Islamic holiday celebrated at the end of Ramadan.

The ceasefire period started at midnight on this day and will last until midnight on the 23rd. In a statement, Minister Tarar said, "Pakistan has taken this measure in good faith and in accordance with Islamic norms," but warned that in the event of attacks or terrorist incidents, Pakistan would immediately resume even more intensive military operations.

Immediately after Pakistan's announcement of the suspension of combat operations, Zabihullah Mujahid, spokesperson for the Afghan Taliban government, also stated on X that defensive operations would be temporarily halted at the request of Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and Turkey.

This ceasefire was largely driven by the support of three neighboring countries, including Saudi Arabia. These countries helped broker a truce after the armed clashes between the two sides in October last year, and continued their mediation efforts even after fighting resumed last month.

However, Pakistan and Afghanistan continue to dispute the facts regarding the recent Pakistani airstrikes that left hundreds dead. On the previous day, Sirajuddin Haqqani, Afghanistan's Minister of Interior, stated that on the 16th, the Pakistani military bombed a drug rehabilitation hospital in Kabul, resulting in 408 deaths and 265 injuries, and vowed to hold those responsible accountable.

In contrast, Minister Tarar of Pakistan asserted, "Contrary to the false claims spread by Afghan regime officials and some media outlets, neither civilians nor infrastructure were targeted in this airstrike," insisting that only military facilities and terrorist support bases were precisely targeted.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.