Pakistan welcomes three-day ceasefire in Afghanistan for Eid Al-Adha

A Taliban prisoner, center, greet relatives after his release from the Bagram prison, outside of the US military base in Bagram, some 50 km north of Kabul. Afghan authorities plan to release 900 more Taliban prisoners on May 26, as calls grow for the militants to extend a ceasefire on its third and final day.

• Foreign office calls ceasefire a “positive development” by Taliban and Afghanistan in implementing peace agreement 
• Taliban instruct fighters not to carry out operations over Eid but say will retaliate if attacked 

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan said on Thursday it welcomed an announcement by Afghanistan’s Taliban militants that they will observe a three-day ceasefire for the Muslim religious holiday of Eid Al-Adha, starting Friday. 
The ceasefire offers respite from weeks of increasing violence in Afghanistan where disagreements over a prisoner exchange and the violence have delayed peace talks between an Afghan government-mandated committee and the Taliban, as envisaged in an agreement signed between the United States and the militant group in Doha in February.
“Pakistan welcomes three-day ceasefire announced by the Taliban on the occasion of the Eid-Al-Adha throughout Afghanistan,” the foreign office said in a statement, adding that it also welcomed a “reciprocal announcement” by the government of Afghanistan.
“We believe this is a positive development towards advancing the goal of a peaceful and stable Afghanistan and hope that further steps will be taken to implement the U.S.-Taliban Peace Agreement leading to Intra-Afghan negotiations,” the statement said. 
On Wednesday US special envoy for Afghanistan Zalmay Khalilzad also hailed the Taliban and Afghan government’s decision to observe a truce.
“In order for our people to spend the three days of Eid in confidence and happiness, all fighters are instructed not to carry out any operations,” Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid had tweeted on Tuesday.
However, he added that if Taliban fighters come under attack from government forces, they will retaliate.