Are Afghanistan and Pakistan headed for a war? Here's what we know
&imwidth=600&imheight=450&format=webp&quality=medium "Are Afghanistan and Pakistan headed for a war? Here's what we know")
Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, Taliban spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid Photograph: (WION Web Desk)
Are Afghanistan and Pakistan on the brink of war? After rising border clashes and sharp warnings from Khawaja Asif, tensions have surged between Islamabad and the Taliban.
Is this escalation temporary or something bigger? Scroll down to read more.
Tensions between Pakistan and Afghanistan on Friday (Feb 27) reached a boiling point with Islamabad carrying out airstrikes in parts of Kabul, Kandahar and Paktia. The Afghan Taliban, meanwhile, announced that they have renewed attacks against Pakistani troops along their shared border. Are the two nations headed towards a war? Here's what we know.
Pakistan-Afghanistan headed towards a war?
Pakistan has already declared "open war" against Afghanistan’s Taliban authorities. On Friday (Feb 27) Pakistan's defence minister Khawaja Asif, in a post on X, said that Islamabad's "patience has reached its limit."
Also read | Pakistan declares 'open war' against Afghanistan Taliban, says 'patience reached its limit'
He noted that after NATO forces withdrew, Pakistan expected that there would be peace in Afghanistan and that the Taliban would prioritise the well-being of the Afghan people and regional stability. However, he claimed that instead, Afghanistan has become “a colony of India."
He added that while Islamabad "made every effort to keep the situation normal through direct means and through friendly countries," but "attempts are being made to target Pakistan with aggression".
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"Now it is open war between us and you," he said, adding, "Now it will be ‘Dama Dam Mast Qalandar’.”
Asif also slammed the Taliban government for "depriving" its citizens of "basic human rights," he noted that the government "snatched away the rights that Islam grants to women."
Pakistan can ‘crush’ Afghanistan
Pakistan's Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, in a statement on Friday, said that his country's armed forces can "crush" aggressors. "Our forces have the full capability to crush any aggressive ambitions," Sharif said, according to the Pakistani government's X page. "The entire nation stands shoulder to shoulder with the Pakistan armed forces," he said.
Iran offers to help 'facilitate dialogue' between Afghanistan and Pakistan
In light of the heightened tensions, Iran has offered to help "facilitate dialogue" to resolve the conflict between Afghanistan and Pakistan. "The Islamic Republic of Iran stands ready to provide any assistance necessary to facilitate dialogue and to enhance understanding and cooperation between the two countries," said Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi in a post on X.
