Key Points:
- Pakistan and Afghanistan agreed to a 48-hour ceasefire starting Wednesday, October 15, 2025, at 6 pm (Pakistan Standard Time).
- Fresh border clashes on Wednesday killed over 12 Afghan civilians and injured more than 100, including women and children, according to Taliban spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid.
- Pakistan reported 6 paramilitary personnel killed in Taliban attacks on border posts; Islamabad claims it killed dozens of Afghan forces in retaliatory strikes.
- Both sides dispute who requested the ceasefire. Pakistan claims Afghanistan asked for it, while Taliban sources say Pakistan initiated the request.
- Pakistani airstrikes targeted Kandahar and reportedly destroyed Taliban military installations; UN expressed concern over civilian casualties and displacement.
New Delhi: Pakistan and the Taliban-led Afghan government agreed to implement a temporary 48-hour ceasefire beginning Wednesday evening, October 15, 2025, at 6 pm Pakistan Standard Time (6:30 pm IST), following a deadly escalation of cross-border hostilities that killed dozens and wounded over a hundred civilians and soldiers on both sides.
The truce announcement came hours after intense fighting erupted along the volatile Pakistan-Afghanistan border, particularly in the Spin Boldak district of Afghanistan’s Kandahar province and Pakistan’s Chaman district. Pakistan’s foreign ministry stated that the ceasefire aims to halt hostilities and create space for diplomatic dialogue to resolve what Islamabad described as a “complex yet resolvable issue”.
Conflicting Claims Over Ceasefire Initiative
Both countries have issued contradictory statements regarding who requested the temporary truce. Pakistan’s Foreign Office claimed the ceasefire was arranged “at the request of the Afghan Taliban regime,” while Taliban spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid stated, “At the request of the Pakistani side, a ceasefire between the two countries will take place this evening”.
The Islamic Emirate (Taliban government) directed its forces to observe the ceasefire “provided the other side does not commit aggression,” according to Mujahid’s statement.
Deadly Wednesday Clashes
Fresh violence erupted Wednesday morning when Pakistani forces allegedly launched attacks on the Spin Boldak area in Kandahar province. Taliban spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid reported that the strikes killed more than 12 Afghan civilians and injured over 100 others, predominantly women and children who were treated at local hospitals. Multiple residential houses were destroyed in the bombardment.
“This morning, Pakistani forces initiated assaults… resulting in the martyrdom of more than 12 civilians and injuring over 100 others,” Mujahid stated on social media platform X.
In response to what the Taliban described as “unprovoked Pakistani attacks,” Afghan forces launched a counteroffensive. Taliban sources claimed their forces killed several Pakistani soldiers, captured military posts, confiscated weapons and tanks, and “destroyed” a majority of Pakistani military installations along the border.
Pakistan’s Version of Events
Pakistan’s military presented a different narrative, claiming that Taliban forces launched coordinated attacks on Pakistani border outposts in the southwestern Balochistan region (near Chaman) and northwestern areas. The Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), Pakistan’s military media wing, stated that these “unprovoked” assaults killed six Pakistani paramilitary personnel and injured several others.
Pakistani officials reported that four civilians were also injured on their side of the border when “Taliban forces targeted a Pakistani outpost near Chaman district,” according to regional administrator Habib Ullah Bangzai. The conflict persisted for approximately five hours during the early morning before Pakistani forces “repelled” the assault.
Pakistani Airstrikes on Afghan Territory
Pakistan carried out precision airstrikes targeting what it described as Taliban military positions in Kandahar and Kabul. According to PTV News, citing security sources, the Pakistan army destroyed key hideouts of Taliban battalion headquarters No. 4 and 8, and border brigades 5 and 6 in Kandahar. The military claimed “all these targets were meticulously selected, isolated from civilian populations, and successfully destroyed”.
The ISPR reported killing “dozens of Afghan security forces and militants” in overnight military operations and claimed to have killed 15-20 attackers who launched coordinated assaults at four border points. Pakistan also reported destroying tanks and military posts during the operations.
Context: Escalating Tensions
The latest clashes follow a week of intense cross-border hostilities that began last weekend, marking the deadliest violence between the two neighbors in recent years. Last week, Pakistani forces reportedly carried out airstrikes in Barmal district, Paktika province, violating Afghan airspace. In retaliation, Afghan forces launched strikes along the Durand Line (the disputed border), reportedly capturing around 20 Pakistani border posts, killing 58 soldiers, and wounding approximately 30.
Pakistan has repeatedly accused Afghanistan’s Taliban government of allowing Pakistani Taliban militants (Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan or TTP) to use Afghan territory as a haven for launching attacks inside Pakistan. Kabul consistently denies these allegations, insisting its territory is not being used for such purposes.
International Concern
The United Nations expressed serious concern over the border violence. Richard Bennett, the UN Special Rapporteur on human rights in Afghanistan, stated he was “concerned about numerous civilian casualties and people being forced to leave their homes due to the fighting”.
Pakistan’s Defense Minister Khawaja Asif described the bilateral situation as a “stalemate,” telling media on Monday: “You can say there are no active hostilities, but the environment is hostile… There are no ties, direct or indirect, as of today.” He warned that hostilities could resume “at any time”.
Path Forward
Both Pakistan’s Foreign Office and Taliban officials emphasized the need for sincere dialogue during the 48-hour ceasefire period. Pakistan’s statement said, “Both sides will make sincere efforts, through dialogue, to find a positive solution to the complex yet resolvable issue,” while stressing the importance of preventing further loss of life and property.
The temporary truce offers a critical window for both countries to de-escalate tensions and pursue diplomatic solutions to their long-standing border disputes, though whether this ceasefire will hold and lead to lasting peace remains uncertain, given the deep mistrust and conflicting narratives between Islamabad and Kabul.
