Pakistan reaffirmed its commitment to eliminating terrorism as the temporary ceasefire with Afghanistan neared its end on Monday midnight. The truce, announced last Wednesday for Eid-ul-Fitr, was intended to halt border clashes between the two countries. According to AFP, Pakistani Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar stated on Pakistan Day that Islamabad’s stance on the ongoing conflict with Afghanistan remains unchanged.

Dar emphasized that Pakistan’s recent actions inside Afghanistan were aimed at eradicating terrorist threats. Meanwhile, Afghan Taliban authorities and a medical source reported that a mortar shell fired from Pakistan killed one person in Kunar province on Sunday. Tensions between the two neighbors have escalated in recent months, with Islamabad accusing Kabul of harboring militants responsible for cross-border attacks, a claim the Taliban denies.

The current round of conflict began in February after earlier mediation efforts by Gulf states and China failed. The ceasefire followed a deadly Pakistani strike on a drug rehabilitation center in Kabul, which Afghan officials said killed more than 400 people.