Pakistan, Afghanistan announce temporary Eid ceasefire as tensions soar after Kabul attack

Taliban security personnel arrive in armored Humvees, after Pakistani airstrikes hit the Omid Addiction Treatment Hospital in Kabul, on March 17, 2026. (Photo by Wakil KOHSAR / AFP)

Pakistan and Afghanistan announced a temporary Eid ceasefire after a deadly Pakistani airstrike in Kabul killed hundreds. Both sides agreed to pause hostilities, but tensions remain high, with Kabul vowing revenge and Pakistan warning of resumed operations if attacked.

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Pakistan on Wednesday announced a “temporary pause” in hostilities with Afghanistan to mark Eid al-Fitr, days after a controversial airstrike on Kabul triggered widespread anger and calls for retaliation.

The ceasefire, set to run from Thursday to Monday, comes in the aftermath of one of the deadliest incidents in the recent escalation between the two neighbours. Pakistani jets struck a drug rehabilitation centre in the Afghan capital on Monday night, with Taliban authorities claiming around 400 people were killed and more than 200 injured.

Islamabad has rejected allegations that the strike deliberately targeted civilians. However, the scale of casualties and the location of the strike have intensified scrutiny of Pakistan’s actions.

‘Gesture in good faith’ or strategic pause?

Pakistan’s Information Minister Attaullah Tarar said the pause was requested by “brotherly Islamic countries” including Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Turkey.

“Pakistan offers this gesture in good faith and in keeping with the Islamic norms,” he wrote on X.

At the same time, his statement carried a clear warning, underscoring Islamabad’s continued hardline posture.

“In case of any cross-border attack, drone attack or any terrorist incident inside Pakistan, (operations) shall immediately resume with renewed intensity.”

The conditional nature of the pause has raised questions over whether the move is a genuine attempt at de-escalation or a tactical step to ease international pressure following the Kabul strike.

Kabul vows revenge, signals unease

Afghanistan also confirmed a temporary halt in fighting for Eid, saying it would suspend what it described as “defensive operations to repel injustice” at the request of the same Gulf nations.

But the anger within Kabul’s leadership remains evident.

At a mass funeral for victims of the strike, Afghan Interior Minister Sirajuddin Haqqani condemned the attack, calling the victims innocent civilians targeted by “criminals”.

“We will take revenge,” he said, warning those responsible, “We are not weak and helpless. You will see the consequences of your crimes.”

Even as he signalled openness to diplomacy, Haqqani made it clear that the Taliban views the strike as a serious provocation.

“We do not want war but the situation has come to this,” he said. “So, we are trying to solve the problems through diplomacy.”

Human cost mounts

Scenes from Kabul highlighted the scale of devastation.

Afghan Red Crescent volunteers carried dozens of coffins to a mass grave on a hillside overlooking the city. Health officials said at least 50 bodies were brought to the burial site on Wednesday alone, while many victims were sent to their home provinces.

Aid workers described the aftermath as deeply disturbing.

Jacopo Caridi, Afghanistan country director for the Norwegian Refugee Council, said the destruction made identification of victims extremely difficult.

“I saw a finger in one place, a foot in another place, a hand in one location. It was really horrific,” he told AFP.

Independent verification of the exact death toll remains challenging, but humanitarian agencies say hundreds have been killed or wounded.

Fragile truce, uncertain future

Despite the Eid pause, underlying tensions between the two countries remain unresolved.

Pakistan continues to accuse Afghanistan of harbouring militants responsible for cross-border attacks, a charge Kabul denies. The latest strike and the Taliban’s vow of retaliation have only deepened mistrust.

Efforts at mediation have so far yielded little progress. Gulf countries that initially pushed for dialogue have shifted focus to the wider West Asia crisis, while China and Russia have offered to facilitate talks without concrete outcomes.

The United Nations has warned of a worsening humanitarian situation, noting that at least 76 Afghan civilians had been killed in earlier fighting and more than 115,000 families displaced even before the Kabul strike.

Against this backdrop, the Eid ceasefire appears less like a breakthrough and more like a temporary pause in a conflict that shows no real signs of de-escalation.