Afghanistan

Pakistan, Afghanistan Declare Eid Ceasefire

Is the Pakistan-Afghanistan Eid ceasefire a genuine diplomatic breakthrough or a cynical act of damage control?

Published MAR 19

Pakistan, Afghanistan Declare Eid Ceasefire

Story

Above: A Taliban security personnel stands guard near the Torkham border in the Nangarhar province on Feb. 27, 2026. Image credit: Aimal Zahir/AFP/Getty Images

The Facts

Pakistan and Afghanistan on Wednesday declared a temporary pause in fighting ahead of Eid al-Fitr, which marks the end of Ramadan. The suspension was brokered at the request of Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Turkey.
Geo News
Republic World
Pajhwok Afghan News
Afghan government spokesman Zabiullah Mujahid said the Islamic Emirate would "bravely respond to any aggression in case of a threat," while Pakistan warned its operations would "immediately resume with renewed intensity" if attacks occurred.
Time Magazine
Ariana News
Asharq Al-Awsat
The pause was announced two days after a strike hit the Omid Addiction Treatment Hospital in Kabul, a 2,000-bed facility. Afghan officials said more than 400 people were killed and 265 were wounded in the attack.
The New York Times
Guardian
Financial Times
The United Nations recorded 143 deaths at the hospital and said 289 Afghan civilians, including 104 children and 59 women, had been killed or injured since fighting began in late February, before the hospital strike casualties were counted.
Time Magazine
Al Jazeera
Kabul Times News on Facebook
Pakistan denied deliberately targeting the hospital, with Information Minister Attaullah Tarar saying strikes were "carried out in an ammunition depot in Kabul" and that its operations targeted "terrorist" and military infrastructure.
Geo News
NBC
The Express Tribune
The rift between the former allies escalated last year when Pakistan alleged that Afghanistan was harboring and supporting militants responsible for attacks inside its territory — claims the Afghan Taliban administration has firmly rejected. Meanwhile, the Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan, a major banned Pakistani militant group with ties to the Afghan Taliban, also announced a three-day ceasefire on Thursday.
The Jerusalem Post
Guardian
DAWN
The Associated Press

Sources Split

LEFT

CENTER

RIGHT

ESTAB
CRIT

CENTER

PRO
ESTAB

The Spin

Narrative A

The Eid ceasefire between Pakistan and Afghanistan is a genuine breakthrough, backed by Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Qatar, proving diplomacy can cut through even the fiercest regional tensions. This pause signals real momentum toward lasting peace and stability for millions of civilians caught in the crossfire. Regional solidarity and Islamic values are doing what military force alone never could.

Tolonews on X

Asim Khalil Derkhwasti on X

Narrative B

A ceasefire announced two days after a strike killed over 100 people at a Kabul drug rehab center isn't diplomacy — it's damage control. Pakistan hit a civilian facility, dressed it up as a terrorist depot without providing evidence, then accepted an Eid pause only after international pressure mounted. Calling this peace ignores the bodies and the unanswered questions about what Pakistan actually targeted.

NDTV

Reuters

Narrative C

Pakistan’s operation targeted militant infrastructure tied to escalating cross-border attacks, not civilians. In a battlespace where armed groups operate from dual-use locations, reported hospital damage may reflect the fog of war and secondary detonations, which are evidence of stored munitions. With investigations still in their early stages, leveraging such claims to undermine the Eid ceasefire is premature and irresponsible.