A Pakistani soldier retains watch on the Pakistan-Afghanistan border in Chaman, Balochistan province. File.
| Photograph Credit score: AFP
Pakistan’s overseas minister stated Monday (March 23, 2026) that the nation stays dedicated to “eradicating the menace of terrorism”, because the clock ticked all the way down to the tip of a brief ceasefire with Afghanistan.
Each nations final Wednesday (March 18, 2026) introduced a halt to weeks of hostilities for the Id al-Fitr vacation marking the tip of Ramadan, agreeing to a brief ceasefire till midnight Monday.
However in a message to mark Pakistan Day, a nationwide vacation, Overseas Minister Ishaq Dar indicated that the nation’s method to the battle had not modified.
“Pakistan stays firmly dedicated to eradicate the menace of terrorism,” he stated in an announcement. “Pakistan’s actions inside Afghanistan… are directed in the direction of this purpose.”
On Sunday, the Taliban authorities and a medical supply stated one individual was killed by a mortar shell fired by Pakistan within the japanese border province of Kunar.
Afghanistan and Pakistan have been locked in battle for months over claims from Islamabad that Kabul is harbouring extremists behind cross-border assaults on its territory.
The Taliban authorities deny the declare.
In his personal Pakistan Day message, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Monday stated army motion inside Afghanistan was “a logo of our nationwide resolve towards terrorism”.
“We is not going to permit any hurt to the peace and safety of our nation,” he added.
Identification
The Id truce got here after a Pakistani strike on a drug rehabilitation centre in Kabul final Monday, which Afghan authorities stated killed greater than 400.
The Norwegian Refugee Council, a world NGO, stated the next day that “tons of” had been killed and injured.
Inside Ministry spokesman Abdul Mateen Qani advised AFP on Monday that identification of the our bodies was nonetheless ongoing and new funerals had been anticipated to happen within the coming days.
About 50 our bodies had been buried in a mass grave in Kabul final Wednesday (March 18, 2026).
On Saturday (March 21, 2026), the Afghan Well being Ministry referred to as on households to contact the forensic drugs division to assist establish “dozens of our bodies”.
The UN help mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) on Monday (March 23, 2026)stated preliminary figures from their investigation indicated that there have been 143 killed and 119 wounded.
However a spokesperson advised AFP the toll was more likely to improve, with the method slowed by difficulties in figuring out some our bodies.
Based on a UN toll final Tuesday (March 17, 2026), not considering the drug rehabilitation centre strike, a minimum of 76 Afghan civilians have been killed within the combating because it intensified on February 26.
Greater than 115,000 folks have been displaced in Afghanistan, it added.
“The requires a ceasefire proceed… China has supplied to mediate and the Secretary Normal has stated that he would help such a mediation,” the UNAMA spokesperson stated.
Revealed – March 23, 2026 10:57 pm IST