Islamabad, March 25, (dpa/GNA) — United Nations experts have called on Afghanistan and Pakistan, to agree to a new ceasefire and pursue a lasting peace deal, as reports of renewed cross-border violence on Wednesday emerged.
A local Afghan official said Pakistani forces fired around 85 artillery shells into eastern Kunar province in the past 24 hours, striking residential areas and raising alarm among local communities. The shelling occurred despite a temporary Eid al-Fitr ceasefire, requested by Saudi Arabia, Turkey, and Qatar, during which both sides had agreed to halt offensive operations.
Pakistan had announced its pause would last until March 23, while Afghanistan said it would suspend retaliatory strikes without specifying an end date. The ceasefire lapsed Monday night, and Pakistan could not be reached for comment on the new shelling.
Clashes that resumed in late February after the collapse of an October 2025 truce have already caused at least 289 civilian casualties in Afghanistan, including 76 deaths, and damaged homes, medical facilities and markets, according to UN experts. Schools have closed and trade suspended, they said.
The experts condemned a March 16 Pakistani airstrike on a drug rehabilitation facility that reportedly killed and injured hundreds.
Earlier, Pakistan said it struck TTP camps on February 21–22, but the UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan reported some strikes hit civilian homes in Nangarhar and Paktia, killing at least a dozen, followed by Taliban retaliatory attacks, and a wider Pakistani offensive on cities including Kabul and Kandahar.
Pakistan accuses Afghanistan of supporting the TTP, a claim Kabul denies. The experts said there is no evidence that Taliban authorities directed TTP attacks and urged both sides to respect international law, protect civilians and seek a peaceful settlement.
GNA