Pakistan-Afghanistan Tensions: Everything is not going well between Pakistan and Afghanistan since the withdrawal of Taliban. Due to border dispute, both Pakistani government and Taliban are face to face. Recently, Pakistan entered its neighboring country and carried out air strikes in two provinces. However, now Pakistan, which has distanced itself from Taliban, has reached Afghanistan to talk to it and get closer to it.
In fact, the delegation of Pakistan’s Commerce Ministry reached Kabul, the capital of Afghanistan on Monday (25 March). Afghan Commerce Ministry spokesperson Abdul Salam Jawad has said that the Afghan delegation will be led by Commerce Minister Nuruddin Azizi. Pakistani Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mumtaz Zahra Baloch has also confirmed the visit of the Pakistani delegation to Kabul, which is led by Commerce Secretary Khurram Aga.
Why did Pakistan start moving closer to Afghanistan?
The world is aware of Pakistan’s actions. In such a situation, it is not adjacent to Afghanistan without any reason. The Pakistani Foreign Ministry says that it wants to promote trade and people-to-people relations with its neighboring country. The way relations have deteriorated in the last few years, Islamabad now wants to improve them. It does not want its image to be created in the world as a country which is a headache for its neighbours.
Afghan Commerce Ministry spokesperson said that Jawad told that bilateral issues and trade will be discussed with Pakistan. We are also going to raise the issue of ban imposed on many items. Pakistan has banned the import of some items under the transit agreement. Due to this ban, 50 percent of transit trade has reduced or has been transferred to Iran. Pakistan also wants to resolve all disputes with Afghanistan as soon as possible.
Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistani i.e. TTP is also the reason for Pakistan getting closer to Afghanistan. TTP has been getting support from Taliban and its terrorists are hiding in Afghanistan. In such a situation, Pakistan is hoping to convince the Taliban government and eliminate TTP terrorists. Pakistan, which is already facing attacks in Balochistan, does not want to face challenges from TTP.
Airstrike in Afghanistan
Both the countries are coming to the negotiating table at a time when recently the Pakistani Air Force carried out air strikes in Paktia and Khost provinces of Afghanistan. Afghan officials said that eight people, including three children, were killed in the attack. Pakistan in its defense said that it was targeting TTP terrorists, for which the attacks were carried out. A few days before the attack on March 18, 7 Pakistani soldiers were killed in a suicide attack by TTP terrorists.