Khalilzad: Pakistan Airstrike Kills 8 Afghanistani Cricket Players

DID Press: Former US Special Envoy for Afghanistan, Zalmay Khalilzad, has claimed that Pakistan violated the 48-hour ceasefire with the Taliban government by launching an airstrike in Paktika province, killing eight cricket players and several civilians.

According to Khalilzad, the ceasefire—brokered by Qatar and recently extended—was broken just hours later when Pakistani aircraft bombed Orgun district in eastern Paktika.

“Reports indicate that eight cricket players and a number of civilians were killed in this attack,” Khalilzad wrote on his X account, calling on Islamabad to “focus on resolving its internal issues instead of military aggression and to respect the peace process.”

The Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB) has confirmed the deaths of three national team players in the airstrikes and announced its withdrawal from the upcoming tri-series with Sri Lanka and Pakistan scheduled for November 2025.

Khalilzad also condemned what he called Pakistan’s “brutal and sudden expulsion of over one million Afghanistani refugees,” warning that Kabul is struggling to provide shelter and basic services to the returnees.

These developments come amid renewed cross-border tensions, as Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif had earlier announced a 48-hour truce with the Taliban government. However, local sources on both sides report continued clashes, casting doubt on prospects for a lasting ceasefire.