Pakistan announced on Wednesday a temporary pause in hostilities with Afghanistan to mark the end of Ramadan, agreeing to a ceasefire for Eid al-Fitr from Thursday through Monday after Kabul vowed to avenge the deaths of hundreds in a strike on a Kabul drug rehabilitation centre. The halt, information minister Attaullah Tarar said on X, was requested by Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Turkey; he called it “a gesture in good faith” but warned that operations would “immediately resume with renewed intensity” if there were any cross‑border or drone attacks or terrorist incidents inside Pakistan. There was no immediate response from Taliban authorities.
Pakistani jets struck the drug treatment centre on Monday night in what has become the deadliest incident in recent clashes between the neighbours. Taliban authorities told reporters that roughly 400 people were killed and more than 200 wounded; Islamabad rejected Kabul’s claim that the strike was deliberate. Pakistan says militants launching cross‑border attacks are being sheltered in Afghanistan, an allegation Kabul denies.
A rain‑soaked mass funeral for some victims was held on a hillside above Kabul on Wednesday, where Afghan Red Crescent volunteers carried dozens of simple wooden coffins from ambulances to a mass grave. At the graveside, Interior Minister Sirajuddin Haqqani described the victims as innocents targeted by “criminals” and vowed: “We will take revenge,” adding, “We are not weak and helpless. You will see the consequences of your crimes.” Haqqani also indicated that the government prefers talks to further escalation, saying diplomacy remains the aim despite the deteriorating situation.
Interior ministry spokesman Abdul Mateen Qani said the ceremony was for identified victims and that some bodies had been returned to home provinces; identification of others was still under way. Health ministry spokesperson Sharafat Zaman told AFP that 50 coffins had been brought to the Kabul site on Wednesday. AFP journalists at the scene reported seeing at least 95 bodies removed from rubble on Monday and Tuesday.
Humanitarian responders described scenes of severe destruction that complicate recovery and identification. Jacopo Caridi, country director for the Norwegian Refugee Council, said teams on the ground estimated “hundreds” killed and wounded and described the scene as “shocking,” making identification difficult.
Calls for mediation have so far failed to halt the fighting. The UN said before Monday’s strike that at least 76 Afghan civilians had died in clashes since February 26 and that more than 115,000 families had been displaced. Gulf mediators have shifted attention elsewhere amid wider regional tensions, while China has sent a special envoy to help de‑escalate and Russia’s representative for Afghanistan, Zamir Kabulov, said Moscow “will be ready” to assist if both sides request talks.
Original Source: https://www.ndtv.com/world-news/pakistan-afghanistan-conflict-pakistan-announces-eid-truce-as-taliban-vows-kabul-attack-revenge-11235425#publisher=newsstand
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Publish Date: 2026-03-19 01:18:00
