Virendra Pandit
New Delhi: Nearly a month after Pakistan signed a ‘historic’ mutual-defence pact with Saudi Arabia, Islamabad has requested not only Riyadh but also Doha (Qatar) to rein in the Taliban-ruled Afghanistan whose state-controlled militia have reportedly killed hundreds in Pakistan, both civilians and soldiers, as the five-day war between the two neighbours raged on both sides of their disputed border—the Durand Line—where the militiamen now control over two dozen Pakistani posts.
The Taliban fighters also waved from their guns the trousers of several Pakistani soldiers they took hostage, video footage showed.
According to the media reports on Wednesday, fresh violence erupted along the, border, leaving dozens dead. With the five-day conflict showing no signs of slowing down and Afghanistan denying visa even to Pakistani Defense Minister Khawaja Asif, the ISI chief, and others for talks, Islamabad was forced to beseech Qatar and Saudi Arabia to mediate.
Pakistan is reported to have lost more than a hundred soldiers while Afghanistan also lost dozens of its own militiamen, the reports said.
In video footages, Pakistan Army chief General Asim Munir was seen with coffins and paying tributes to dozens of soldiers who died. Several soldiers fled their border posts when attacked. Their bosses were seen hurriedly packing bodies of the slain soldiers and stuffing them into army trucks.
Fresh exchange of fire between Pakistani forces and Taliban fighters since Friday last week killed dozens along the volatile Pakistan-Afghanistan border in Kandahar province, intensifying the hostilities between the two former allies. Following a brief lull, clashes erupted overnight on Tuesday, with both sides accusing each other of starting the latest round of violence.
The ongoing hostilities, which started after Islamabad targeted Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) camps in Kabul, is the worst between the neighbours since the Taliban returned to power in 2021. The development came when Afghanistan’s Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqui started his week-long visit to India to reset bilateral relations.
Taliban spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid insisted that Pakistan initiated the fresh round of hostilities by firing “light and heavy weapons” in Spin Boldak district of Kandahar province, killing 15 civilians and injuring more than 100. A hospital in the district reported over 80 women and children were among the wounded.
The Taliban claimed its fighters killed “a large number” of Pakistani soldiers in retaliatory fire, took many soldiers hostage, and seized Pakistani weapons and tanks. A viral video showed Taliban fighters riding on a seized Pakistani T-55 tank, which Islamabad had acquired from Serbia.
Acutely embarrassed with this development, the Pakistani military accused the Taliban of attacking two border posts in the southwest and northwest. It said both attacks were repulsed, with about 30 fighters killed. Pakistan claimed 20 more were killed near Spin Boldak. Viral videos also showed Pakistan Air Force (PAF) jets carrying out airstrikes in Kandahar.
Islamabad claimed four civilians were wounded in the Taliban attack in Chaman district. In the border district of Orakzai, six Pakistani paramilitary soldiers were killed. The clashes have displaced thousands of those living in the border areas.
Facing the huge loss of its manpower, resources, and prestige, Pakistan requested Saudi Arabia and Qatar to mediate immediately as the violence escalated. “For God’s Sake, stop Afghans from fighting,” Pakistani officials told the two Arab countries.
The clashes started after Pakistan reportedly conducted cross-border airstrikes in Kabul last week, targeting TTP camps. Pakistan accused the Taliban of harbouring TTP, which has killed hundreds of Pakistani soldiers since 2021.
The Taliban mounted a strong offensive on Pakistani forces across the Durand Line, killing 58 Pakistani soldiers and destroying 20 Pakistani security outposts over the weekend.
The hostilities saw a brief pause on Sunday after appeals from Saudi Arabia and Qatar before resuming on Tuesday night. Over the past 10 days, most border crossings between Pakistan and Afghanistan have remained closed.
Amid deteriorating situation, Afghanistan has denied entry to Pakistan’s defence minister, ISI chief, and two military officials, rejecting their visa requests three times in as many days. It prompted Pakistan to suspend all ties with Afghanistan.