Pakistan announces 5-day pause on Afghan strikes for Eid

In a statement, Pakistan’s information minister Attaullah Tarar said the pause in strikes on “terrorists and their support infrastructure in Afghanistan

” would take effect at midnight on Wednesday and remain in place until midnight on Monday.

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

However, he said, “in case of any cross-border attack, drone attack or any terrorist incident inside Pakistan”, the operations would immediately resume with renewed intensity.

Afghanistan held a mass funeral on Wednesday for some of the victims of what Tehran said was a Pakistani air strike on a drug rehabilitation hospital in Kabul earlier this week.