Regional and international actors have stepped up calls for restraint in the Taliban-Pakistan tensions, urging both sides to pursue diplomatic solutions.
Russia’s foreign minister, Sergei Lavrov, emphasized the need to resolve the dispute through political and diplomatic channels during a phone call with Amir Khan Muttaqi, the Taliban’s foreign minister, according to the Russian Foreign Ministry.
Lavrov said differences between the Taliban and Islamabad should be addressed through dialogue rather than military confrontation.
Muttaqi, for his part, said the Taliban prioritize diplomacy but maintain what he described as the right to defend Afghanistan’s people and territory.
At the same time, Ali Mohiuddin al-Qaradaghi, head of the International Union of Muslim Scholars, issued a religious ruling calling for a cease-fire between the Taliban and Pakistani forces during the final ten days of Ramadan.
In a statement posted online, Qaradaghi urged leaders in Afghanistan and Pakistan to halt the fighting before the final days of the holy month and prepare for political talks after the Eid holiday. He suggested that Qatar, Turkey and Saudi Arabia could mediate the discussions.
Separately, Qatar’s Foreign Ministry said the country’s minister of state for foreign affairs had spoken with Muttaqi by phone and expressed Doha’s full support for efforts to reduce tensions between the two sides.
The ministry warned that continued military confrontation could have serious consequences for regional and international security.
Despite these diplomatic efforts, some analysts say attempts by regional actors to mediate between the two sides have so far produced little progress and that any agreement could prove temporary.
The calls for de-escalation come as the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights recently urged both Pakistan and the Taliban to halt the escalating violence, warning that continued clashes risk worsening Afghanistan’s already severe humanitarian crisis.
