Pakistani Taliban complicate Afghanistan ceasefire push DW 11/05/2025

"A deadly cross-border conflict erupted after the Taliban blamed Pakistan for explosions in the Afghan capital, Kabul, on October 9. The Taliban said the Pakistani army has bombed several targets, including inside the city. More than 70 people were killed and hundreds injured in the conflict between the Taliban fighters and the Pakistani military by the time Turkey and Qatar brokered a ceasefire."

""However, many technical questions remain unanswered," said Omar Samad, an expert at the New America Foundation think tank in Washington. Samad served as Afghan ambassador to Canada and France from 2004 to 2011. "Who should monitor compliance with the ceasefire: a third country or an international organization? The deep mistrust between Kabul and Islamabad, historical border conflicts, and differing definitions of terrorism further complicate the talks," he told DW."

"Relations between the former allies, who share a 2,600-kilometer (1,600 mile) border, have deteriorated significantly in recent years. Islamabad accuses Kabul of providing protection to the militant group Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) an offshoot of the Taliban in Pakistan. The Taliban rulers in Kabul deny this. Since the Taliban seized power in Afghanistanin 2021, the number of attacks and assaults in Pakistan has increased."

Truce talks between Pakistan and the Taliban are scheduled in Istanbul on November 6 with Turkey and Qatar mediating. Intense border clashes followed explosions in Kabul on October 9 after the Taliban blamed Pakistan; the Taliban accused the Pakistani army of bombing several targets, including inside the city. More than 70 people were killed and hundreds injured before a ceasefire was brokered. Turkey plans a monitoring mechanism to secure peace and punish violations, but many technical questions remain about who should monitor compliance. Deep mistrust, historical border conflicts, differing definitions of terrorism, and disputes over Taliban sheltering of the TTP complicate negotiations.

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