Pakistan says it has agreed to a 48-hour ceasefire with Afghanistan

ISLAMABAD — Pakistan said Wednesday it agreed to a 48-hour ceasefire with Afghanistan following days of violence that have killed dozens of people on both sides of the border.

Pakistan’s Foreign Ministry said the ceasefire was at Afghanistan’s request.

Moments later, the Taliban government's chief spokesman, Zabihullah Mujahid, said the truce was at “the insistence” of the Pakistani side. His social media post on X did not mention a 48-hour timeframe. All Afghan forces have been instructed to observe the ceasefire “as long as no one violates it,” Mujahid added.

Pakistan accuses Afghanistan of harboring armed groups, a charge rejected by the country's Taliban rulers. Pakistan is grappling with militant attacks that have increased since 2021, when the Taliban seized power in Afghanistan.