On the final day of a temporary Eid al-Fitr ceasefire, Pakistan’s top leadership reaffirmed its commitment to military action inside Afghanistan, signaling a return to hostilities as the midnight deadline approaches.

In messages marking Pakistan Day, both Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif characterized cross-border strikes as essential tools for national security.

"Pakistan remains firmly committed to eradicating the menace of terrorism," Foreign Minister Dar stated on Monday, explicitly noting that recent military actions within Afghan territory are directed toward that goal.

Prime Minister Sharif echoed this sentiment, describing operations across the border as a "symbol of national resolve" and vowing that the government would not permit any threats to the country’s peace and security.

The five-day truce, which began last Wednesday to observe the end of Ramadan, followed a devastating Pakistani strike on a Kabul drug rehabilitation center that Afghan authorities claim killed over 400 people.

Despite the agreement, the Taliban government reported on Sunday that a Pakistani mortar shell killed one person in the eastern province of Kunar, illustrating the fragility of the peace.

The conflict, which escalated sharply in February, stems from Islamabad’s long-standing allegations that the Taliban is harboring extremists responsible for attacks on Pakistani soil—a claim Kabul continues to deny.

Previous mediation efforts by China and various Gulf states have largely stalled, particularly as Middle Eastern powers shift their diplomatic focus toward the regional war sparked by US-Israeli strikes on Iran last month.

Source: AFP