Pakistan Violates Truce, Orders On-Hand Expulsion of Afghanistani Refugees
DID Press: Despite an extended temporary ceasefire between the Taliban government and Pakistan, Pakistani airstrikes on Afghanistan’s Paktika province have pushed the already fragile relations between the two neighbors into a new phase of crisis. At the same time, Islamabad has ordered the immediate expulsion of all Afghanistani refugees, signaling the end of its four-year policy of limited engagement with Kabul.
According to local sources, at least ten civilians were killed and several others injured after Pakistani forces carried out multiple airstrikes in the Argun and Barmal districts of Paktika. Reports by Pajhwok News Agency and Al Jazeera confirmed that women and children were among the victims, with several residential homes hit during the bombardments.
Mohammad Naeem Wardak, Deputy Foreign Minister of the Taliban government, condemned the attacks, saying: “The violation of the ceasefire and targeting of civilians are unacceptable. We reserve the right to defend ourselves, and Pakistan will bear full responsibility for the escalation.”
Meanwhile, U.S. President Donald Trump, in a meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky at the White House, described ending the conflict between Pakistan and Afghanistan as “an easy one” and pledged that Washington will work to halt hostilities between the two countries.
In a separate development, Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif chaired an emergency security meeting in Islamabad on Friday, ordering the continuation of the immediate deportation of Afghanistan refugees.
“Pakistan has paid a heavy price for decades of instability in its neighborhood. It is time for these costs to come to an end,” said Sharif, citing security concerns.
The meeting, attended by Army Chief Asim Munir and provincial officials, revealed that over 1.4 million Afghanistan citizens have already been deported since the launch of the expulsion campaign. Under the new directive, visa extensions for undocumented Afghans will no longer be granted, and harboring individuals without legal documentation will be treated as a crime.
In a further hardline statement, Defense Minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif declared that Islamabad’s four-year policy of engagement with the Taliban had failed: “No more messages will be sent to Kabul, and no delegation will be dispatched.”
In response to Pakistan’s airstrikes, Afghanistan Cricket Board announced the cancellation of all upcoming matches against Pakistan — a move highlighting how the diplomatic rupture has now spilled into sports.
Analysts warn that Pakistan’s breach of the ceasefire, its intensified border attacks, and the mass deportation of Afghanisatni refugees could mark the beginning of a new chapter of political and military confrontation between the two neighbors — one that, without effective mediation, poses a serious threat to regional stability.