Information Minister Ataullah Tarar on Wednesday announced that Pakistan has decided on a “temporary pause” in the ongoing Operation Ghazab lil-Haq against the Afghan Taliban in view of Eidul Fitr and at the “request of brotherly Islamic countries”.

The information minister made the announcement in a post on the social media platform X.

Operation Ghazab lil-Haq was launched on the night of February 26, following unprovoked firing by the Afghan Taliban from across the border.

In his post, the information minister said, “In view of the upcoming Islamic festival of Eidul Fitr, upon its own initiative as well as on the request from the brotherly Islamic countries of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, the State of Qatar and the Republic of Turkiye, the government of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan has decided to announce temporary pause amidst ongoing Operation Ghazab lil-Haq against the terrorists and their support infrastructure in Afghanistan.”

Tarar said the pause would be applicable from “midnight March 18/19 to midnight March 23/24”.

“Pakistan offers this gesture in good faith and in keeping with the Islamic norms,” he said.

“However, in case of any cross-border attack, drone attack or any terrorist incident inside Pakistan, Operation Ghazab lil-Haq shall immediately resume with renewed intensity,” he warned.

Shortly after the minister’s announcement, the Afghan Taliban also announced a temporary suspension of its military operation against Pakistan.

Afghan Taliban spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid reiterated that the decision was made in response to requests from brotherly Islamic countries, including Saudi Arabia, Turkiye and Qatar.

Meanwhile, in a separate post, the information minister provided an update on the operation and Afghan Taliban and Fitna al Khawarij losses.

Fitna al Khawarij is a term the state uses for terrorists belonging to the banned Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP).

According to the minister, 707 had been killed and more than 938 had been injured. He said that 255 posts had been destroyed and 44 posts had been captured.

He said that 237 tanks, armoured vehicles and artillery guns had been destroyed, adding that 81 terrorists and terrorist support infrastructure locations across Afghanistan were effectively targeted by air.

He reiterated that on the night of March 16, armed forces targeted Afghan military installations in Kabul and Nangarhar.

“In these strikes, Pakistan’s forces destroyed drone storage and technical support infrastructure and ammunition storage sites in Kabul and Nangarhar, which were being used by the Afghan Taliban and terrorist elements to carry out attacks against innocent Pakistani civilians,” he said.

“Similarly, Pakistan armed forces effectively targeted and destroyed Afghan Taliban posts in the Bajaur, Kurram, Torkham, Khyber, North and South Waziristan sectors,” he said.

He also shared a video, which he said showed “precision engagements carried out by Pakistan against these installations, posts, and terrorist camps that directly or indirectly support terrorism from Afghan soil”.

“No civilian population or infrastructure was targeted, contrary to the false claims being propagated by Afghan regime officials and sections of the media,” he said.

Relations between Pakistan and the Afghan Taliban are at their lowest point in the four years since the group came to power.

Last year in October, border clashes had erupted between Pakistan and Afghanistan across their 2,600-kilometre frontier. Following those clashes, Turkiye and Qatar had stepped in to mediate.

The first round in Doha produced a fragile ceasefire, while the second, also in Doha, ended with only a general agreement to develop a mechanism for verifying compliance and a decision to continue talks. The third round concluded without any concrete agreement.

On Feb 22, Pakistan targeted terrorist camps and hideouts overnight in the Nangarhar and Paktika provinces of Afghanistan, which led to the Afghan Taliban launching unprovoked attacks along the border.

In response, Pakistan initiated Operation Ghazab lil-Haq on Feb 26. Earlier this month, Chief of Defence Forces and Chief of Army Staff Field Marshal Asim Munir said that peace between Pakistan and Afghanistan could only prevail if the Taliban regime “renounced their support for terrorism and terrorist organisations”.