A heavy exchange of fire between Pakistani and Afghan forces was reported from the Chaman border late on Friday night. Pakistani officials said that Afghan forces had fired mortar shells on the Badani area and that the Pakistan side retaliated to the Afghan aggression. There were also reports of fighting on the Chaman-Kandahar highway.
There are all indications that the tension is once again assuming dangerous dimensions due to the stubborn attitude of the Kabul regime, which is not reciprocating the desire of Pakistan to settle differences through dialogue. It is because of the rigidity of the Afghan side that there is no renewed worthwhile move aimed at de-escalation and restoration of durable peace by mediators. There was a report by Reuters that Pakistan and Afghanistan recently participated in a third round of peace talks in Saudi Arabia, hosted jointly by Saudi Arabia, Turkiye and Qatar. The report said no major breakthrough was achieved, though both sides agreed to maintain the ceasefire. However, the Foreign Office spokesperson, while welcoming any move aimed at mediation, expressed his ignorance about such a development. He also stated that lack of cooperation from the Taliban regime could be one of the reasons for the delay in the arrival of a high powered delegation from Turkiye that was supposed to arrive in Pakistan in November, as announced by Turkish President Tayyip Erdoğan in a meeting with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif. The Turkish delegation was to bring forward consultations between Pakistan and Afghanistan to not only maintain a ceasefire but to also come to an agreement about issues that both sides have raised in past meetings. The border also remains effectively closed for all kinds of movements and Pakistan’s decision to open it for humanitarian supplies to Afghanistan was misinterpreted by Kabul. Responding to this gesture, Afghan spokesperson Zabiullah Mujahid said the border will remain closed from their side till Pakistan meets conditions of Afghanistan about provision of firm guarantees against future closures on whatsoever reasons.
Pakistan seems to be determined to keep the border close for normal trade and routine linkages until and unless its genuine security concerns are addressed. In fact, the decision to allow UN aid was taken in line with Pakistan’s obligation to humanitarian access and, secondly, Pakistan does not have anything against the people of Afghanistan. Pakistan’s caring attitude towards Afghan people was highlighted by Islamabad’s generosity to host millions of Afghans on its soil for decades despite economic and social implications of the decision. Similarly, for long, Pakistan allowed liberal imports under the Afghan Transit Trade (ATT) knowing full well that the arrangement was misused for smuggling into Pakistan inflicting heavy losses on its economy. However, instead of responding positively to the legitimate demands of Pakistan, Afghanistan continues to harbor terrorists carrying out almost daily activities in Pakistan. It was in this backdrop that the Foreign Office spokesperson affirmed that borders are closed and will remain closed until we receive firm assurances from the Afghan side that violence, violent elements, terrorists from their soil, will not cross over into Pakistan, to perpetrate the crimes that they have committed. These include besides the TTP and Fitnah al Khawarij, Afghan nationals who have been brutally murdering people in Pakistan. That Afghanistan is bent upon mischief was also underlined by the Taliban’s decision to put out a map of so-called greater Pashtunistan on a grave of a famous Pashtun poet, which includes territories from Pakistan’s Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. Pakistan and Afghanistan have a settled international border recognized under international law , therefore, theatrics like this will accrue no benefits to Kabul except increasing vows of its people, who are being denied the right to live in peace and security due to false notions of the incumbent rulers.
