On Thursday (January 18th), the recent Iran-Pakistan tensions took an ironic turn when the Taliban government in Afghanistan called the airstrikes by Iran and Pakistan’s counter-offensive “alarming” and urged the two nations to exercise restraint.
Taking to X, Abdul Qahar Balkhi, the Taliban government’s foreign ministry spokesperson said, “The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan considers the recent violence between the Islamic Republic of Iran and the Islamic Republic of Pakistan alarming, and calls on the two neighboring countries to exercise restraint.”
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan considers the recent violence between the Islamic Republic of Iran and the Islamic Republic of Pakistan alarming, and calls on the two neighboring countries to exercise restraint. pic.twitter.com/NlOQMRSn4i
— Abdul Qahar Balkhi (@QaharBalkhi) January 18, 2024
Balkhi further asserted that after attaining peace and stability post prolonged “imposed wars” both Iran and Pakistan should make efforts to bolster regional stability and resolve disputes via dialogue and diplomatic means.
“In light of the region’s newfound peace and stability after protracted imposed wars and instability, both sides should direct efforts towards further strengthening regional stability and resolving disputes through diplomatic channels and dialogue,” the spokesperson for the Foreign Ministry of Islamic Emirates of Afghanistan (IEA) added.
In light of the region's newfound peace and stability after protracted imposed wars and instability, both sides should direct efforts towards further strengthening regional stability and resolving disputes through diplomatic channels and dialogue.
— Abdul Qahar Balkhi (@QaharBalkhi) January 18, 2024
This comes after Pakistan launched “precision military strikes” on 18th January against what it claimed “terrorist hideouts” in Iran’s Sistan-Baluchestan province leaving four children and three women dead in its “intelligence-based operation” named “Marg Bar Sarmachar”. Subsequently, Iran summoned Pakistan’s charge d’affaires to protest against the missile attack.
Pakistan’s ‘precision strike’ came after on 16th January, Iran attacked the headquarters of a terrorist group with drones and missiles inside Pakistan’s territorial borders. Two important headquarters of Jaish al-Adl (Army of Justice) in Pakistan were destroyed. The strikes were concentrated in an area in Pakistan’s Balochistan region where “one of the largest headquarters” of Jaish al-Adl was located. Following the air strike by Iran, Pakistan expelled the Tehran envoy and recalled its ambassador.
Ironically, the Taliban which is a hardcore Islamist group with a history of violence is calling on other countries to exercise restraint and resolve issues via diplomatic channels. Taliban itself grabbed power in the country after it entered Afghanistan’s capital Kabul in August 2021 overthrowing the democratically elected government there after the US withdrew its forces. Since the Taliban takeover, a Shariah-compliant administration government has been running the country. In addition to the displaced population and extreme poverty, the country witnessed the prohibition of girls from enrolling in schools. Both employment and public life are off-limits to Afghan women.
Interestingly, Pakistan has been the biggest benefactor and cheerleader of the Taliban. Pakistan is one of the only three countries (with UAE and Saudi Arabia) that recognised the Taliban when they first took power in Afghanistan. However, the Afghan Taliban’s success in acquiring power through violence has emboldened the Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) which time and again carried out terror activities in Pakistan.
