Afghanistan-Pakistan relation is exacerbating over time. Pakistan bends before TTP attacks, sends delegation to plead before Taliban in Afghanistan on Wednesday 22nd February 2023. The visit of the Pakistani delegation to Kabul comes amid the worsening of ties between the two neighbours.
Key Highlights
Afghanistan-Pakistan are shooting at each other having themselves entangled in a gun battle, the tensions have been building worse. In the last 48 hours there has been serious developments. A bustling border crossing has been shut; both the sides have been shelling heavy fire, and business and civilian movements have been hit badly.
What triggered Afghanistan-Pakistan hostility?
Afghanistan-Pakistan share a long border of 2600 km long. It has 18 border crossings for the movements of goods and people. Among the busiest is the Torkham Border crossing. It connects Kabul and Islamabad. On Sunday, 19th February 2023, the Taliban closed the border.
The Taliban said that Islamabad has failed to keep its word. They promised to ensure the safety of those entering Pakistan but they haven’t kept the promise. Taliban said that Pakistan Immigration Authorities misbehave with Afghan visitors. The visitors were apparently those people seeking medical care in Pakistan. The matter was taken up by The taliban’s spokesperson Zabiullah Mujahid.
He said “Afghanis were humiliated by Pakistan. Thier travel documents and identity as well as refugee cards were being torn and thrown away. Patients requiring medical care in Pakistan and elderly men as well as women were also being treated harshly”. Islamabad denied these charges. But reports says that Pakistan authorities did bar some afghan patients because of invalid identity cards and incomplete documents. This is what triggered the tensions.
Tensions escalated between Afghanistan-Pakistan on Monday
Afghanistan-Pakistan exchanged heavy fire at the Torkham Gate. Locals say this it went on for an hour, killing 6 and injuring 1 Pakistani security guard. Both sides blame each other for the escalation. They also had series of meetings to resolve this but to no avail, resulting to thousands of trucks lined up on either sides of the border.
These trucks were filled with vegetables and other perishable food items. “It is a huge loss for us. All these things worth millions of rupees. If they ask us to turn back, we cannot even do that because we do not even have money for the fuel. Who will repay us for all this? no one will” a truck driver miserably said.
It is not the first time its happened
All has not been well between Afghanistan-Pakistan. Tensions between are run high at the border ever since. In December 2022, 10 people were killed at the Chaman Border due to ” unprovoked and indiscriminate firing by the Pakistani security guards at the Taliban. In November 2022, a Pakistani security guard was shot in the same area, Islamabad blaming the Taiban for it and that’s really the essence of what’s at play here.
Islamabad has repeatedly accused the Taliban of plotting terror attacks, which is itself ironical in nature. The statement of Pakistan accusing another country of plotting terror attack comes as a shock as it itself has been committing terrorism against its neighbouring country, India since its formation.
Terror political outfits in Pakistan, like TTP and Taliban Pakistan are giving Pakistan sleepless nights. Its a prolonged challenge now. TTP targeting civilians and Afghan Talibans at the border. Infact, the capital itself is on high alert. Reports of terror threat in Islamabad has surfaced the police to brief up security.
China is watching all over this
China has invested time and money in this region, more specifically the belt and road initiative. The Chinese Embassy in Pakistan has temporarily shut its consulate section. China sighted technical issues for this. But the reports confirm that it was indeed security threats.
The Chinese Embassy says that it is constantly threatened by the terror outfits like TTP and is also antagonized with the Pakistani government. They have failed to curb attacks on the Chinese citizens and failed to secure Chinese projects, In fact a report quoted that the Chinese officials were saying, “If Islamabad cannot protect our citizen’s projects and interest, we know the way.”
Last year in Kabul, The Islamic States attacked the Longhan Hotel. 5 Chinese citizens were injured. This hotel is a popular destination among the Chinese. China said that it was shocked at the attack and advised its citizen to leave Afghanistan as soon as possible. Beijing is investing heavily in mining projects in Afghanistan.
Last month, it signed an oil extraction deal with Kabul. China will invest 500 million dollars in the next five years in Afghanistan is also the part of this deal. But growing terror threats have cast a shadow over all of it. And that’s what we end up with if investments are done in terror regime. Even loan sharks like China are not safe. As for Pakistan, suffering in the hands of Afghanistan, we can say, “the chickens are coming home to roost”.
For Further References: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Afghanistan%E2%80%93Pakistan_relations…..www.inpactimes.com