Pakistan and Afghanistan had a breakdown in talks, with a demand that shocked Turkish and Qatari mediators, leaving them speechless for a while!
On October 27, the negotiations between the Pakistani delegation and the Taliban delegation from Afghanistan completely collapsed in a meeting in Istanbul, Turkey. Pakistan insisted that Afghanistan accept all armed groups that have launched attacks within Pakistan, a demand that left the mediators from Qatar and Turkey speechless for a while.
Indeed, this is basically difficult to achieve. But Pakistan clearly demanded that Afghanistan do so. A Pakistani military spokesperson once publicly questioned, "We are only asking for these armed groups to be expelled. Is this demand unreasonable?"
Pakistan's Defense Minister Khawaja Asif even warned earlier that if an agreement was not reached during the talks, it would mean the resumption of war. Afghanistan has its own difficulties; it faces the isolation of the international community and significant economic pressure due to the suspension of transit trade. Sometimes, it needs assistance from Pakistan.
This month, the border clashes between the two countries that lasted for several days resulted in hundreds of deaths, becoming the most severe violent incident since the Taliban seized power in Afghanistan in 2021.
On the night of October 14, Pakistani forces suddenly attacked a border checkpoint in Pakistan. The Pakistani military quickly retaliated, destroying a checkpoint and a tank position, and a senior commander of the group was killed in the firefight. However, Pakistan also suffered heavy losses.
From October 24 to 25, armed personnel attempted to cross into the Gomal and North Waziristan areas in northwest Pakistan from Afghanistan. New border clashes resulted in the death of five Pakistani soldiers and 25 armed militants.
The return of a large number of refugees has worsened the problems of poverty, unemployment, and lack of education in Afghanistan, and has also increased the resentment of some Afghans towards Pakistan.
Original article: www.toutiao.com/article/1847233785369604/
Statement: This article represents the views of the author.