ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Thursday said the “ball is in the Afghan Taliban’s court” for ensuring a permanent ceasefire, a day after Pakistan and Afghanistan agreed to a 48-hour truce following deadly cross-border clashes.
“If in 48 hours they want to resolve the issues and address our genuine demands, then we are ready for them,” Sharif told his cabinet in Islamabad.
He reiterated that Pakistani Taliban militants must be eliminated and that Afghan territory must not be used to stage attacks inside Pakistan.
His remarks came hours after the Pakistan Army reported killing more than 80 militants in a series of counterterrorism operations along the frontier, even as the temporary ceasefire remained in place.
According to the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), security forces foiled a major infiltration attempt in the Mohmand district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, killing at least 45 militants affiliated with Fitna Al-Khwarij, a term used by Islamabad for the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP).
The military said the infiltration attempt was detected through intelligence reports, and that the attackers had crossed over from Afghanistan intending to strike inside Pakistan. “45 to 50 militants were killed, while several others were injured,” the ISPR added.
In separate operations conducted between October 13 and 15, the army targeted militant hideouts in North Waziristan, South Waziristan, and Bannu districts. The ISPR said 34 terrorists were killed in those operations, including 18 in North Waziristan’s Spinwam area, eight in South Waziristan, and another eight in Bannu, during intense exchanges of fire.
The military described the operations as part of its broader campaign against groups allegedly supported by “hostile intelligence networks.”
The clashes along the Pakistan-Afghanistan border this week marked some of the most serious violence in recent months, leaving dozens of troops and civilians dead on both sides before the ceasefire took effect.
Sharif’s comments underline Islamabad’s position that any lasting peace now depends on Kabul’s willingness to curb militant activity emanating from its territory.
