Lagatar24 Desk
Kabul: As a tenuous ceasefire between Afghanistan and Pakistan holds, videos of Taliban fighters parading captured Pakistani tanks and waving trousers allegedly left behind by fleeing Pakistani soldiers have gone viral — sparking the trend ‘93000’ on social media and reviving memories of Pakistan’s 1971 surrender.
Trousers Parade Turns Into Symbol of Humiliation
The week-long intense cross-border fighting between the Taliban and Pakistan has left Islamabad facing embarrassment. While both countries claimed the other “blinked first,” it was the Taliban’s symbolic display of captured uniforms and pants that dominated online narratives. Social media users mockingly dubbed the moment “93,000 Pants Ceremony 2.0,” drawing parallels to the surrender of 93,000 Pakistani soldiers to India in 1971.
Historical Parallel: 1971 Surrender
The number 93,000 refers to Pakistan’s surrender during the 1971 Bangladesh Liberation War, when Lt Gen A A K Niazi signed the Instrument of Surrender before Lt Gen Jagjit Singh Aurora. Images of that iconic moment resurfaced online as Afghan activists and commentators drew comparisons between past and present humiliations. One Kabul-based activist wrote, “1971: Surrendered to Indians. 2025: Surrendered to Afghans. Long time, but nothing changed for team 93000.”
Social Media Joins the Mockery
Afghan journalist Wakeel Mubariz called it the “93,000 pants ceremony 2.0.” Military veteran Kanwal Jeet Singh Dhillon shared the 1971 image with the caption, “93,000 was always a favourite number.” Memes and posts flooded X, with many mocking Pakistani forces for abandoning their posts during Taliban attacks.
Ceasefire Follows Heavy Clashes
The escalation began after Pakistan launched a cross-border strike targeting Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) camps inside Afghanistan. The Taliban retaliated fiercely, claiming to have killed over 60 Pakistani soldiers and destroyed 20 outposts. A temporary truce was eventually brokered through mediation by Qatar and Saudi Arabia. Taliban officials claimed Pakistan requested the ceasefire, while Pakistani sources insisted it was Afghanistan that sought to pause the fighting.
