The relations between Pakistan and the Afghan Taliban regime are in freefall, with no improvement likely in the near to mid-term. The IEA will not budge on the TTP, and Islamabad will not give an inch on its core demand that Kabul rein in the TTP and not permit Afghan soil to be used against Pakistan. The IEA refusal acts in open violation of the 2020 Doha Agreement, and shows complete disregard for the precepts of neighbourly obligations under gawandgiri (neighbourliness), Islamic amity and pashtunwali.

The bilateral ties have fractured following intense cross-border strikes by Pakistan Army and airstrikes by PAF inside Afghanistan on suspected TTP locations. This came after Pakistan had exhausted all peaceful options, diplomatic contacts, warnings, mediation efforts and repeated assurances. Situation is further complicated by the IEA's overtures to India, quite paradoxically. Regional powers, China, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Türkiye have repeatedly attempted mediation with mixed results.

Recently, both countries clashed at the 8th Moscow Format, a Russia-led regional mechanism launched in 2017 to build consensus on Afghanistan. Quite comically, IEA's interim FM, Amir Khan Muttaqi, emphasised resolution of all bilateral issues through dialogue, criticising Islamabad's 'military approach'. Pakistan's special representative, Ambassador Sadiq, delivered 'a blunt assessment', reiterating the centrality of Afghanistan-based terrorism directed against Pakistan. He highlighted the not-so-hidden TTP-IEA nexus, providing statistics, and accused IEA of being 'complicit' in anti-Pakistan terrorism. He defended Pakistan's military operations as acts of self-defence. Afghanistan has repeatedly dubbed TTP as Pakistan's internal problem. No joint........

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