New Delhi: Pakistan and Afghanistan have agreed to a temporary truce ahead of Eid al-Fitr this week. The 2 countries have been engaged in fighting near the border for weeks now. Pakistan’s Information Minister, Attaullah Tarar announced the decision to pause the fighting between the 2 sides. He said that the pause is set to run from midnight of Thursday, to midnight of Tuesday.
The pause in fighting between the 2 countries came after a request to this effect was made by Turkey, Saudi Arabia and Qatar.
‘Pakistan offers gesture in good faith’: Minister
The Information Minister of Pakistan, Attaullah Tarar in a social media post, made the announcement to temporarily pause fighting with Afghanistan. He wrote, “Pakistan offers this gesture in good faith and in keeping with the Islamic norms.”
However he went on to warn that in case of any escalation in violence from the Afghanistan side, including a cross border attack, drone strike or any terrorist incident inside Pakistan, operations shall immediately resume and will be carried out with renewed intensity, reported Aljazeera.
Shortly after this, an Afghanistan government spokesperson also announced that in view of Eid celebrations, they would be temporarily suspending military operations against Pakistan.
Attack in Kabul
This pause in fighting comes just days after Afghanistan accused Pakistan of attacking a drug rehabilitation centre, in the capital, Kabul. It said that the airstrikes killed hundreds of people at the facility.
Pakistan however has denied any hand in the attack. The country said that it “only targets terrorist infrastructure and military locations” in Afghanistan.
The UN said that at least 143 people were killed in the attack on the Omar Addiction Treatment Hospital in Kabul. This is a 2,000 bed facility in the capital which was attacked around 9 pm on Monday.
Afghanistan and Pakistan have been experiencing their worst fighting in years. Taliban said that it launched operations against Pakistan and its military in February along the Durand Line, which separates the 2 countries. This operation was reportedly in response to the airstrikes being carried out by Pakistan.