Afghanistan Peace CampaignThe ceasefire was first agreed upon during the initial round of defense ministerial talks between the two countries.
Pakistan has expressed pessimism about the continuation of the ceasefire agreement with Afghanistan.
The ceasefire was first agreed upon during the initial round of defense ministerial talks between the two countries, and both sides reaffirmed it in the second round.
However, Pakistan’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson claims that despite the agreement, terrorist attacks from Afghan territory have continued, thereby invalidating the ceasefire.
Tahir Andrabi, spokesperson for Pakistan’s Foreign Ministry, stated: “Let me clarify that the ceasefire between Pakistan and Afghanistan does not imply a traditional ceasefire implemented after two belligerent states in a war or a conflict situation. Pakistan-Afghanistan ceasefire implied that there would be no terrorist attack by Afghan sponsored terrorist proxies into Pakistan. There have been major terrorist attacks after this ceasefire. So, interpreting in that sense, the ceasefire is not holding.”
In response to a journalist’s question regarding the possibility of retaliatory strikes by the Islamic Emirate following Pakistani drone attacks in Afghanistan’s eastern provinces, Andrabi added that Pakistan’s military is prepared for any potential threat from Afghanistan.
The Islamic Emirate has not officially commented, but has previously accused Pakistan of carrying out the recent attacks in eastern Afghanistan, saying it would respond at an appropriate time.
Political analyst Mohammad Aslam Danishmal commented: “If attacks on Pakistani posts or drone operations were being conducted from Afghan soil, such claims might hold weight. But this is an internal issue of Pakistan, and they should resolve it themselves rather than escalating tensions with Afghanistan.”
Meanwhile, Pakistan’s military spokesperson also said that during the discussions between Kabul and Islamabad, Pakistan proposed a formal agreement that would include a verifiable monitoring mechanism potentially overseen by a third-party mediator.
Ahmad Sharif Chaudhry, Pakistan military spokesman, stated: “Our request was to draft an agreement with a verifiable framework. If necessary, we are open to third-party monitoring of this mechanism.”
Omar Samad, Afghanistan’s former ambassador to France, said: “Both sides should take this opportunity not only to uphold the ceasefire but also to call on mediators to actively step in and urgently help develop a mechanism to ensure it.”
These remarks come as a Turkish delegation is expected to visit Islamabad soon to help mediate between the two sides, and a regional summit hosted by Iran is also planned for mid-next month to address tensions between Kabul and Islamabad.