China, Saudi Arabia, and Iran on Thursday welcomed Pakistan and Afghanistan’s agreement to a 48-hour ceasefire after the two neighbours witnessed a fresh round of deadly cross-border clashes that threatened to escalate into a wider conflict.

China’s foreign ministry said today it supported countries in exercising restraint and realising a full and lasting ceasefire.

“China stands ready to continue to play a constructive role for continued improvement in the two countries’ relations, Lin Jian, a spokesperson for the foreign ministry, told a regular press briefing.

Iran also welcomed the ceasefire between its eastern neighbours, urging dialogue and diplomacy after days of deadly clashes.

In a statement, foreign ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei expressed concern over civilian casualties and called for stronger regional cooperation to combat terrorism, while reaffirming Tehran’s readiness “to assist in any effort to maintain calm and reduce tensions between the two neighbouring Muslim countries”.

Meanwhile, Foreign Minister and Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar held a telephonic conversation with his Saudi Arabian counterpart, Prince Faisal bin Farhan, and held a discussion regarding the matter.

According to a statement from the Foreign Office (FO), “H.H. Prince Faisal appreciated Pakistan’s commitment to peace and security in the region and emphasised the importance of collective efforts for stability.”

Per the statement, FM Dar “expressed gratitude for the Kingdom’s continued support” and also reaffirmed Pakistan’s resolve to work closely with Saudi Arabia to further strengthen cooperation on regional and international issues.

Following the announcement of the ceasefire, Dar also received a message from Qatar’s Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Dr Abdulaziz Al-Khulaifi, who commended Pakistan’s “constructive engagement” in promoting regional peace.

On Wednesday, the Foreign Office (FO) said that a temporary ceasefire had been agreed with Afghanistan for the next 48 hours amid recent border hostilities between the two countries.

“A temporary ceasefire has been decided between the Pakistani government and the Afghan Taliban regime, with the mutual consent of both parties, for the next 48 hours from 6pm today, at the request of the Taliban.

“During this period, both sides will make sincere efforts to find a positive solution to this complex but solvable issue through constructive dialogue,” the FO said.

Taliban regime spokesperson Zabiullah Mujahid said on X that Afghan forces were instructed to respect the ceasefire, “unless any aggression takes place”.

Pakistani officials on the northern and southern border with Afghanistan told AFP that “no violence was reported overnight, and the ceasefire remains in effect”.

Separately, United Nations rights chief Volker Turk welcomed the ceasefire and appealed to “both parties to prevent any further harm to civilians & commit to a lasting ceasefire,“ according to AFP.

The announcement came after the Pakistan armed forces conducted “precision strikes” in Afghanistan’s Kandahar province and capital Kabul, state media PTV reported.

Earlier in the day, the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) had said security forces repulsed a separate attack by the Afghan Taliban along the Balochistan border, killing around 15 to 20 of their members.

It said Afghan Taliban “resorted to cowardly attack[s] at four locations in [the] Spin Boldak area” in the early hours of Wednesday. “The attack was effectively repulsed by Pakistani forces,” the statement said.

The fighting was the third major skirmish between Pakistan and Afghanistan within a week, following an incident in Kurram and earlier skirmishes that began on Saturday night and continued into Sunday morning at several locations.

Twenty-three Pakistani troops were martyred and 29 were injured in the incident that began with Afghan Taliban attacking posts across the border, ISPR said.

Afghanistan claimed it carried out the attack as a “retaliatory” measure, accusing Islamabad of conducting air strikes in its territory last week.

For its part, Islamabad did not confirm whether it was behind the air strikes but underscored Pakistan’s right and resolve to defend itself against terrorist groups such as the TTP.

Islamabad has repeatedly called on Kabul to bar terrorist groups from using its territory to attack Pakistan; however, Afghanistan denies the allegations and claims Afghan soil is not used for attacks on neighbouring countries.

The issue of terrorists using Afghan soil against Pakistan has long strained ties between the two countries, and the ties seem to have nose-dived with the recent increase in hostilities at the border.