Pakistan and Afghanistan Agree to Maintain Ceasefire Amidst rising Tensions
Islamabad, Pakistan – Pakistan and Afghanistan have agreed to continue a ceasefire along their shared border, despite escalating tensions fueled by recent clashes and accusations of cross-border attacks.The agreement, reached following a period of heightened military activity, offers a fragile path toward de-escalation, though underlying issues remain unresolved.
Recent weeks have seen a surge in fighting between Pakistani security forces and militants, prompting retaliatory strikes by Pakistan into Afghanistan. These actions were in response to a significant increase in attacks within Pakistan attributed to the Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), a militant group with close ties to the Afghan Taliban. An independent conflict monitor reported the TTP was responsible for approximately 600 attacks against Pakistani security forces in the past year, a dramatic increase from the estimated 67 attacks recorded the year before the Taliban seized power in Afghanistan, according to the Pak Institute for Peace Studies.
The TTP gained notoriety for a devastating attack in 2014 that killed over 100 Pakistani schoolchildren, and has experienced a resurgence in the past four years after being weakened by counterterrorism campaigns a decade prior.
Pakistan has historically maintained close connections with the Taliban, dating back to the 1990s, and has faced accusations of providing covert support during the U.S.war in Afghanistan – allegations Islamabad denies.
While President Trump recently suggested a swift resolution to the conflict, stating he would “get that solved very quickly,” the situation remains complex. Taliban spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid affirmed Afghanistan’s desire for positive relations with Pakistan, emphasizing “mutual respect, non-interference in internal affairs, and not posing a threat to anyone” in a post on X.
Recent trilateral meetings between pakistan, Afghanistan, and China, focused on counterterrorism and trade, had initially raised hopes for improved relations. However, growing ties between Afghanistan and Pakistan’s regional rival, India, have further complicated the dynamic. pakistan’s Defense Minister Asif this week accused Kabul of being ”a tool for Delhi,” coinciding with the Taliban foreign minister’s frist official visit to India.
Analysts suggest the current ceasefire represents a temporary containment of the situation, with Pakistan possibly leveraging military escalation to pressure the Taliban. Asfandyar Mir, a senior fellow at the Stimson center, anticipates the Taliban will continue to stall on Pakistani requests to address the TTP within Afghanistan. he warns this continued support for the TTP poses a continued source of regional instability,potentially leading to further attacks in Pakistan and increased military action by Pakistan inside Afghanistan.
“Border tensions will play out at a new level,” warns Basit, from Singapore’s S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies. “If they were simmering, now they will be boiling.”
