ISLAMABAD — Pakistan’s ceasefire agreement with Afghanistan is being treated as a conditional truce rather than a conventional peace pact, the Foreign Office (FO) said. The accord is contingent on the absence of terrorist activity originating from Afghan territory, and is primarily aimed at curbing cross-border attacks, rather than signaling full normalization of bilateral relations.
The FO noted that recent border clashes and cross-border incidents have strained trust between Islamabad and Kabul. Mediators from Qatar and Turkey facilitated the ceasefire, but officials emphasized that the agreement is not a traditional peace treaty.
Terms and Objectives
- The ceasefire is intended to prevent attacks by militant groups such as Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), Fitna-al-Khawarij (FaK), and the Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) targeting Pakistan from Afghan soil.
- Despite the truce, Pakistan has witnessed significant incidents of terrorism, including a suicide blast in Islamabad’s G‑11 area that killed 12 people and an attempted attack at Cadet College Wana in South Waziristan, allegedly by Afghan-based operatives.
Impact on Bilateral Relations
The FO underscored that until Kabul takes concrete and verifiable measures against militant groups operating on its territory, Islamabad will consider the ceasefire tenuous. Security forces remain vigilant, and Pakistan reserves the right to respond to protect its citizens.
The conditional nature of the ceasefire reflects the deep mistrust between the two neighbors and sets strict parameters for future cooperation.
This story has been reported by PakTribune. All rights reserved.