Pakistan PM Shehbaz Sharif Declares "Ball In Taliban's Court" For Permanent Ceasefire Following Border Clashes

Islamabad has consistently accused Kabul of providing safe harbor to TTP-led groups within Afghanistan's borders, claims which Kabul firmly denies.

Pakistan:

On Thursday, Pakistan's Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif declared that "the ball is in the Afghan Taliban's court" regarding establishing a permanent ceasefire, following the implementation of a 48-hour truce after deadly clashes along their shared border.

"If within these 48 hours they wish to resolve the issues and address our legitimate demands, we stand ready," Prime Minister Sharif stated to his cabinet, emphasizing Pakistan's requirements that the Pakistani Taliban be eradicated and Afghan territory not be utilized for planning attacks against Pakistan.

These statements followed the announcement of a 48-hour ceasefire, which came after a week of violence across the Pakistan-Afghanistan border that resulted in numerous casualties among military personnel and civilians on both sides.

Pakistan is currently experiencing a surge in attacks against its security forces along its western border with Afghanistan, primarily orchestrated by the Tehreek-e-Taliban (TTP) – the Pakistani Taliban – and affiliated groups.

Islamabad maintains that Kabul harbors TTP-led organizations within its territory, an allegation consistently rejected by the Afghan government.

Tensions escalated dramatically last week when explosions occurred in Afghan territory, including in the capital, with Taliban officials attributing responsibility to Pakistan.

These blasts coincided with the Afghan foreign minister's uncommon diplomatic visit to India, Pakistan's eastern neighbor and historical adversary.

In response, Afghan Taliban forces launched military operations near the border, prompting Islamabad to pledge strong retaliatory measures.

The temporary ceasefire, which became effective at 6 pm Islamabad time (1300 GMT) on Wednesday, was intended to halt the ongoing violence and create an opportunity for diplomatic discussions.

Since the Taliban's return to power in Kabul in 2021, Pakistan has consistently urged them to prevent militant groups from using Afghan territory as a base for launching cross-border attacks.