ALBAWABA- Clashes broke out Thursday along the Pakistan–Afghanistan border just hours after the two countries resumed peace talks in Istanbul aimed at preventing renewed violence.
The Pakistani Ministry of Information accused Afghan forces of opening fire at the Torkham–Spin Boldak crossing, saying Pakistani troops responded “in a measured and responsible manner.”
In a statement posted on X, the ministry said, “We strongly reject the Afghan side’s claims regarding today’s incident at the Chaman border. The shooting originated from the Afghan side, and our forces responded immediately in a calculated way.”
Afghan officials, however, offered a different account. Taliban deputy spokesman Hamdullah Fitrat told AFP, “Unfortunately, the Pakistanis launched a brief attack, and we don’t know why.”
Afghan government spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid said Pakistani forces opened fire on Spin Boldak “while the third round of negotiations was underway in Istanbul.” He added that Kabul had refrained from retaliating “out of respect for the negotiating team and to prevent civilian casualties.”
Eyewitnesses in Kandahar province, where Spin Boldak is located, said calm was restored shortly after a brief exchange of gunfire. An Afghan military source, speaking on condition of anonymity, claimed that Pakistan used “light and heavy weapons” and targeted civilian areas.
The border skirmish came as Turkish and Qatari mediators hosted renewed talks between Islamabad and Kabul, seeking to finalize a monitoring and verification mechanism to uphold a ceasefire first agreed to in October. Both sides have accused each other of bad faith in previous negotiations, warning that fighting could resume if talks collapse.
The United Nations estimates that at least 50 Afghan civilians were killed during border clashes in October, while Pakistan also reported civilian casualties.
Tensions between the two neighbors have persisted for months, with Islamabad accusing Kabul of harboring militants from the Pakistani Taliban (TTP), and the Taliban government insisting on respect for Afghanistan’s sovereignty.
According to diplomatic sources, Pakistan’s military intelligence chief, Lt. Gen. Asim Malik, is leading Islamabad’s delegation in Istanbul, while Abdul Haq Waqif, head of Afghan intelligence, is representing Kabul. The meeting aims to avert a fresh round of cross-border hostilities that have become the most intense since the Taliban seized power in 2021.
