Pakistan’s Defense Minister Khawaja Asif and the country’s intelligence chief are heading to Doha for crucial talks with Afghan Taliban officials after deadly border clashes and airstrikes left dozens dead on both sides. Islamabad says its “precision strikes” targeted Fitnah al Khawarij militants behind recent attacks, while Kabul denies harboring banned groups such as Fitnah tul Hindustan. The renewed violence threatens regional stability as diplomatic efforts resume to ease Pakistan-Afghanistan tensions.
KARACHI: Pakistan’s Defense Minister Khawaja Asif and intelligence chief are set to travel to Doha on Saturday for talks with representatives of the Afghan Taliban, Pakistani state media reported. The development comes just hours after Pakistan carried out another airstrike in Afghanistan amid rising border tensions between the two neighbors.
The clashes, which reignited along the long and porous border last weekend, have resulted in the deaths of dozens of people on both sides. Pakistan reportedly conducted airstrikes in Kandahar and Kabul, targeting what it described as militant hideouts, following a temporary two-day truce that expired Friday evening.
A Pakistani security official said Islamabad conducted “precision aerial strikes” on Friday in Afghan border areas, targeting the Hafiz Gul Bahadur Group of Fitnah al Khawarij. The official claimed the group had been behind a recent suicide bombing and gun attack on a military camp in North Waziristan, which killed seven Pakistani paramilitary troops.
According to authorities, Friday’s airstrikes killed 10 people, including three Afghan cricketers who were in the region for a local tournament. The Afghanistan Cricket Board confirmed the deaths, revising an earlier toll of eight.
The renewed hostilities ended a brief 48-hour period of calm between the two countries, which had been expected to continue for diplomatic discussions in Doha. Pakistani and Afghan officials are now expected to meet in the Qatari capital to discuss ways to de-escalate the situation.
Islamabad has long accused the Afghan Taliban of harboring banned militant organizations, including Fitnah al Khawarij and Fitnah tul Hindustan, which Pakistan says have been carrying out cross-border attacks. Kabul, however, has consistently denied the allegations.
Meanwhile, former US President Donald Trump expressed his willingness to mediate the conflict, telling reporters at the White House during a meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky that he could “solve” the issue if necessary.
“I do understand that Pakistan attacked or there is an attack going on with Afghanistan,” Trump said. “That’s an easy one for me to solve if I have to solve it. In the meantime, I have to run the USA. But I love solving wars.”
The escalating tensions underscore the fragility of Pakistan-Afghanistan relations, which have been strained by recurring border clashes and mutual accusations of harboring militants. The upcoming talks in Doha are seen as a crucial step toward defusing the situation and preventing further bloodshed.
