Pakistan-Taliban Tensions Have Reached ‘Point of No Return’, Express Tribune Says
Pakistan’s Express Tribune newspaper has reported that relations between Islamabad and the Taliban administration have reached a stage from which turning back now appears “very difficult,” amid rising security tensions and border clashes.
According to the report, a senior Pakistani official involved in the Afghanistan file said ties between the two sides will “likely become even more strained” and added that the relationship is nearing a “point of no return.” The official also said the Taliban administration’s measures to address Pakistan’s security concerns are insufficient and largely superficial.
The Express Tribune said Turkey and Qatar have tried in recent weeks to reduce tensions between Islamabad and Kabul, but these efforts have produced no tangible result. According to the newspaper, the head of Turkey’s intelligence service also travelled to Kabul and Islamabad on September 16 and 17.
The report said that a day after Turkish and Qatari officials met in Kabul, a deadly attack on Kohat police took place on September 18, and one of the suicide attackers was identified as an Afghan national. Pakistani officials said the incident showed that terrorist groups continue to operate from Afghan soil.
Pakistan then carried out attacks inside Afghanistan. According to the Express Tribune, the Taliban administration responded by sending drones toward Pakistan, but Pakistani officials claimed the drones were destroyed before causing significant damage.
Islamabad later launched fresh strikes against drone storage facilities and launch sites at around 10 locations in Afghanistan. According to the report, one of the targets was located in Kandahar province.
The newspaper also wrote that the Turkish delegation had hoped to meet Taliban leader Hibatullah Akhundzada in Kandahar, but instead one member of his office attended the meeting. According to a source, this move was not welcomed by the Turkish side.
The tensions have also spilled into the diplomatic arena. Pakistan’s Foreign Ministry summoned the Taliban administration’s chargé d’affaires in Islamabad two days ago and handed him a formal protest note, blaming the Taliban administration for cross-border attacks and recent insecurity.
Meanwhile, some Pakistani officials told the Express Tribune that the worsening dispute could also change the perception of opponents of the Taliban administration. According to one official, if the current trend continues and pressure from opponents increases, it would not be surprising to see the Taliban administration’s authority weakened in parts of Afghanistan.
Local sources also reported that Taliban and Pakistani forces have clashed since Saturday evening in the border areas of Paktia and Nangarhar provinces, as well as in Pakistan’s Kurram district. The clashes continued until early Sunday, with both sides targeting each other’s positions with heavy weapons.
Pakistan and Afghanistan share a long and tense border, and Paktia, Nangarhar and Kandahar provinces are considered important areas in security developments between the two sides. In recent years, border tensions and accusations over sheltering armed groups have repeatedly affected relations between Islamabad and the Taliban administration.
