In a shocking and grim development, Pakistan violated a 48-hour ceasefire with Afghanistan late Friday night, carrying out airstrikes on border districts that reportedly left at least 10 civilians dead.
The Taliban regime in Kabul condemned the strikes as “a betrayal of the highest order,” vowing to expose what it described as Islamabad’s “double game” before the international community.

Devastation Along the Durand Line

According to local sources and Tolo News reports, the airstrikes hit residential areas in Arghun and Barmal districts of Paktika province, close to the Durand Line — a colonial-era border that continues to divide Pashtun tribal lands and fuel hostilities.
Entire homes were flattened, and families who had just begun to hope for peace after the ceasefire found themselves back under fire.
A Taliban spokesperson lamented, “What happened here goes beyond a border violation; this is a stab in the back of peace efforts.”

Diplomatic Fallout: Doha Talks Overshadowed by Bombings

The strikes came at a delicate moment when Pakistani delegates were in Doha, Qatar, for high-level negotiations, while Afghan officials were preparing to join talks on Saturday.
Kabul, reportedly armed with a dossier of evidence about the bombings, plans to present it before international mediators — a move that could strain already fragile peace discussions and cast doubt on Islamabad’s credibility in the diplomatic process.

Islamabad’s Counterclaims: Blame Game Intensifies

Pakistan, however, issued a counter-narrative. Officials claimed that a Taliban-backed suicide bombing targeted a military camp in North Waziristan, killing seven Pakistani soldiers and injuring 13 others.
While acknowledging the terror attack, Islamabad did not confirm conducting any airstrikes, adding another layer of ambiguity and tension to an already volatile border situation.

Durand Line: The Unhealed Wound

This latest clash marks another flare-up in a week of escalating violence along the Durand Line — a long-contested frontier seen by Pashtun tribes as an artificial divider.
With retaliatory measures looming and mistrust deepening on both sides, the border remains a powder keg.

As the Doha peace talks continue under a shadow of bloodshed, a question hangs heavily over the region:
Will dialogue prevail, or will betrayal and vengeance push both nations closer to disaster?

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