Islamabad, 19 March (H.S.): Pakistan has announced a temporary halt to military operations against Afghanistan during Eid al-Fitr celebrations, extending from Thursday to Monday, as a gesture of goodwill requested by Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and Turkey. Information Minister Attaullah Tarar emphasized that this pause aligns with Islamic norms, but cautioned that any cross-border aggression, drone strikes, or terrorist acts within Pakistan would trigger an immediate and intensified resumption of hostilities.
The decision follows a devastating Pakistani airstrike on Monday night targeting a drug rehabilitation center in Kabul, which Afghan authorities claim killed over 400 people and wounded more than 200 others. Islamabad has rejected assertions of a deliberate attack on civilians, attributing the strike to ongoing efforts against extremists allegedly harbored by Kabul responsible for cross-border incursions into Pakistan. Tensions have escalated as Afghanistan accuses Pakistan of sheltering militants, fueling a cycle of retaliatory violence that has displaced over 115,000 families since late February.
During a somber mass funeral on a rain-soaked hillside overlooking Kabul, Interior Minister Sirajuddin Haqqani decried the victims as innocent and vowed retribution, declaring, We are not weak and helpless. You will see the consequences of your crimes. While stressing a preference for diplomatic resolution—We do not want war but the situation has come to this—Haqqani underscored the Taliban's resolve amid stalled mediation efforts by Gulf states, China, and Russia.
Independent verification remains challenging due to debris and remote locations, though humanitarian reports confirm hundreds of casualties in what has been described as a horrific scene of dismembered remains.
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Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar
