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  "path": "/news/1981371/brief-pause-in-fighting-between-pak-afghan-forces-to-identify-retrieve-body-at-torkham",
  "publishedAt": "2026-03-12T16:39:56.000Z",
  "site": "https://www.dawn.com",
  "tags": [
    "Pakistan",
    "_Operation Ghazab lil-Haq_",
    "_unprovoked firing_",
    "_providing space_"
  ],
  "textContent": "KHYBER: Pakistan and Afghanistan border forces on Thursday agreed on a brief pause amid ongoing clashes to identify and collect a dead body lying at Zero Point at Torkham for the last few days.\n\nHowever, the body, identified by Afghan authorities as a national, could not be retrieved from the location due to delayed consultation among the Afghan authorities and the time for the pause in fighting lapsing, sources told _Dawn_.\n\nThey said that local residents had spotted the body and reported it to the security officials, while videos and pictures of the dead body were also shared on social media.\n\nSources said that soon after, security officials from both countries agreed to constitute delegations of local influentials to identify and remove the dead body from the border crossing.\n\nThe Pakistan side comprised eight persons, including Malak Tajuddin, Shah Khalid, Murad Hussain, Mufti Ejaz, Saeed Khan, Qari Nazeemgul, Mulana Aaqib and Qari Jihad Shah.\n\nFrom the Afghan side, the delegation comprised 11 persons, including Haji Madtyaar Shinwari, Malak Maula Khan Shinwari, Raees Gul Majeed, Malak Waali Khan, Malak Gul Rehman, Qari Baseer, Mautabar Khan, Mufti Asadullah, Darya Khan, Malak Shahzar and Malak Hilmand.\n\nFive delegates from each side met at Zero Point after a pause was instituted at around 2:30pm on Thursday, with both sides holding white flags.\n\nMufti Ejaz, a senior member of the Pakistani delegation, later told _Dawn_ that although the dead person was identified as an Afghan national, the members of the Afghan side had sought time to discuss the matter with higher-ups.\n\nHe added, however, that the matter could not be resolved as the Afghan side could not return till the 5:30pm deadline for the pause.\n\nShah Khalid, another member of the Pakistani delegation, told _Dawn_ that they also searched for more dead bodies around Zero Point as they had information about more casualties due to the cross-firing between the border forces of both countries.\n\nHe said that no more dead bodies could be found as the delegates were running short of time.\n\nHe said that they had to return to Landi Kotal after the expiry of the deadline, after which cross-firing between border forces resumed.\n\nEjaz, however, sounded optimistic about there being further development in the matter on Friday. He said that if the Afghan authorities refused to take the dead body on Friday, it would be brought to a local graveyard to be buried in Landi Kotal.\n\nThe development comes as Pakistan continues with _Operation Ghazab lil-Haq_, which was launched in late February following _unprovoked firing_ by the Afghan Taliban from across the border.\n\nIslamabad has repeatedly accused Kabul of _providing space_ to the banned Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) since the Taliban takeover of Afghanistan in 2021. UN monitoring reports over the past two years have noted the TTP’s presence in eastern Afghanistan, though the Taliban deny offering support.",
  "title": "Brief pause in fighting between Pak-Afghan forces to identify, retrieve body at Torkham"
}