Govt rubbishes Afghan Taliban’s ‘frivolous’ claim of Pakistan violating truce

Lead

Pakistan's information ministry has denied allegations from the Afghan Taliban that Islamabad violated a temporary pause in fighting along the Pakistan-Afghanistan border, terming the claims "frivolous" and part of a propaganda campaign. The ministry also dismissed reports that Pakistan had removed barbed wire fences along the Durand Line, describing such claims as "fabricated and devoid of facts." In separate statements issued this week, Pakistani officials reiterated that any act of terrorism or cross-border aggression by Afghan Taliban forces or their proxies would trigger an immediate resumption of military operations.

Coverage Comparison

According to Dawn, Pakistan's most respected English-language daily, the information ministry's fact-checking account posted on X on Friday, responding directly to a statement from the Afghan defence ministry that accused Pakistan of violating the ceasefire on the "first day of Eid"—which Kabul observed on Thursday. The Pakistani statement asserted: "No violation of the temporary pause has taken place along the western border by Pakistan and all such claims are absolutely false." The ministry suggested the accusations may have been initiated by "detractors within Taliban regime," aiming to create a pretext for Afghan-directed terrorism or other actions.

Earlier in the week, a separate statement from the information ministry addressed claims about the removal of barbed wire along the 2,640-kilometre border, which is guarded by Pakistan. The ministry accused "Afghan Taliban regime and Indian RAW's mouthpieces" of spreading fake claims, and provided context that the border's complexities had been previously explained by security officials. The ministry also shared a screenshot of a social media post from an account named Afghanistan Defence, which claimed that "operations to completely remove the barbed wire along the Durand Line are ongoing and progressing rapidly," accompanied by video clips of men attempting to cut wire. Pakistani officials dismissed these clips as "created content," alleging they followed "Taliban propaganda tactics" of staging brief appearances for recording before fleeing.

Key Claims

The primary claims in this story, as outlined by Dawn's reporting, include:

• Ceasefire violation denial: Pakistan's information ministry categorically denied violating the temporary pause in fighting, which Islamabad had initiated unilaterally on Wednesday for five days due to Eidul Fitr, and at the request of "brotherly Islamic countries."
• Barbed wire removal denial: The ministry called reports of removing border fencing "fabricated," and asserted that the fence remains fully intact.
• Accusations against Taliban regime and Indian intelligence: The ministry accused elements within the Afghan Taliban and India's Research and Analysis Wing (RAW) of orchestrating the propaganda.
• Warning of resumption of operations: Pakistan reiterated that any cross-border attack, terrorism, or drone attack by Afghan Taliban forces or proxies would lead to the immediate resumption of Operation Ghazab lil-Haq with "renewed intensity."
• Context of the operation: Operation Ghazab lil-Haq was launched on the night of February 26, following what Pakistan described as "unprovoked firing" by Afghan Taliban forces from across the border.

Perspectives

Perspective from Pakistani Officials: The information ministry frames these allegations as a deliberate misinformation campaign, possibly aimed at undermining the temporary truce. They emphasise that any future aggression will be met with force, signalling a zero-tolerance stance.

Perspective from the Afghan Taliban: Afghan authorities claim Pakistan violated the ceasefire on the first day of Eid, and have separately reported ongoing efforts to remove barbed wire along the Durand Line. These claims have not been independently verified.

Perspective of the military's Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR): In a November 2025 press conference, ISPR Director General Lt Gen Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry highlighted challenges of terrorist infiltration through the border, stating that Afghan forces have opened fire at Pakistani checkposts to facilitate such infiltration—a claim that remains contested by Kabul.

As with many cross-border disputes, official narratives differ sharply. The lack of independent verification of either side's claims complicates the picture, and the on-the-ground situation remains opaque. Pakistan's information ministry, for its part, has sought to underscore that its military operations are a response to Afghan-based militancy, and that any decision to resume them hinges on the security environment along the border.