Can Turkey broker Pakistan-Afghanistan peace? Taliban ups ante, says...

Will Turkey be able to broker a peace deal between Pakistan and Afghanistan? A team of diplomats will soon arrive Islamabad and meet representatives from both sides. After meeting Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif in Baku, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said the tripartite visit would aim to seal a permanent ceasefire and peace between the nations as soon as possible. Turkey offered to mediate the talks after multiple rounds of negotiations had failed to end the skirmishes between the two South Asian neighbours. The two Muslim nations are on a face-off since deadly border clashes erupted two weeks ago along the Durand Line.

Pakistan-Afghanistan Ties 

Meanwhile, upping the ante, Afghan government spokesperson Zabiullah Mujahid said that Kabul had the right to defend itself. He said Afghanistan “(does) not want insecurity in the region, and entering into war is not our first choice". Earlier, he reiterated in a written statement that Afghanistan "will not allow anyone to use its territory against another country, nor permit actions that undermine its sovereignty or security."

Pakistan-Afghanistan War

Even before the talks could begin, Pakistan Defence Minister Khawaja Asif threatened Afghanistan with a war if talks failed. He told Geo News, "If talks fail, only war will happen." As there was no breakthrough in the talks, Pakistan Information Minister Attaullah Tarar assured that Pakistan valued peace and stability but would take "necessary" measures to protect its own people.

Pakistan-Afghanistan Peace Talks

Afghanistan has refused to budge from its position. It reiterated its   "principled position" that Afghanistan will not allow anyone to use its soil against another country, nor permit any foreign nation to act against its sovereignty and independence. It also underlined that the defence of Afghanistan's people and territory remains "the Islamic and national duty" of the Emirate, vowing to "firmly defend against any aggression with the help of Allah and the support of its people."