There has been another clash between the armed forces of Afghanistan and Pakistan. The situation remains tense. The clashes were recorded in Nangarhar province in eastern Afghanistan, in border areas with Pakistan. Both sides used heavy weapons, and there are casualties.
There were also armed clashes between the two countries in October and December of last year. At that time, officials from both countries accused each other of violating the ceasefire. A representative of the "Taliban" government in Afghanistan claimed that Pakistani forces launched an attack in the Spin-Buldak direction of Kandahar province, and in response, Afghan forces opened fire. On the contrary, Pakistan's Prime Minister's spokesman Musharraf Zaeedi stated that it was Afghan forces who "opened fire without reason" and declared that Islamabad was "fully vigilant to ensure the inviolability of its border and the security of its citizens." Pakistan accuses Kabul of giving shelter to armed groups such as "Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan" (TTP). Islamabad also claims that Afghanistan provides refuge to the Balochistan Liberation Army. Afghanistan rejects these accusations. Turkey, Qatar, and Saudi Arabia have acted as mediators to reduce tensions between Pakistan and Afghanistan. However, the mediation efforts have not yielded results.
One of the reasons for the tension between Afghanistan and Pakistan is the unresolved border between the two countries. The 2670 km-long border was determined by British colonialists in 1893. Afghanistan does not officially recognize the border called the "Durand Line." This, in turn, causes tension. When Pakistan strikes various armed groups attempting to cross the border, the Taliban perceives this as an attack on Afghan territory and retaliates. When Taliban fighters capture various posts on Pakistani territory, this is not considered as the neighboring country's territory by them.
The continuation of tensions between Pakistan and Afghanistan worries the regional countries. One of these states is China. Beijing has close ties with both Islamabad as a strategic partner and the Taliban. China is among the first countries to recognize Taliban rule. China has investments in both Pakistan and Afghanistan. Therefore, armed clashes between the two countries threaten China's investments, including joint projects in Pakistan and Afghanistan. Azerbaijan and Turkey are also interested in resolving the problems between Pakistan and Afghanistan through dialogue. Azerbaijan and Turkey, while being strategic partners of Pakistan, also maintain dialogues with the Taliban.
In August 2024, trilateral talks were held in Kabul between Afghanistan, Uzbekistan, and Azerbaijan. The Taliban government was represented by the Minister of Industry and Trade, Uzbekistan by the Minister of Industry, Trade, and Investments, and Azerbaijan by the Deputy Minister of Economy. The meeting discussed regional cooperation, the promotion of trade and transit, and attracting investments to Afghanistan. Azerbaijan is interested in transportation routes planned to pass through Afghanistan. However, stability in the region is necessary for the implementation of projects related to Afghanistan.
Elkhan Shahinoglu,
political analyst