Former Pakistani envoy says Islamabad misjudged Taliban friendship

Asif Durrani, former Pakistani special representative for Afghanistan, stated in an interview that the Taliban's actions have forced Pakistan to conduct strikes, adding that Islamabad was mistaken in believing the Taliban were friends of Pakistan.

Durrani, speaking to Afghanistan International on Monday, said the "Taliban regime" had placed Islamabad in an inevitable position. He noted that four major attacks in Pakistan this month alone killed 60 people and claimed the Afghan Taliban do not want to control the Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP). Durrani asserted that TTP ranks include individuals affiliated with the Afghan Taliban and recalled that many Taliban leaders, including Mullah Baradar, spent years in Pakistani prisons, as did the Taliban ambassador to Pakistan on three occasions.

Addressing Taliban ties to India and Iran, Durrani said these relations lack strategic depth and are interest-based, adding that India's links are not concerning unless Afghan soil is used against Pakistan's security. He urged the Taliban to recognize that good neighborly relations are essential for survival, warning that Afghanistan and Pakistan would suffer without each other.

Durrani highlighted that during Istanbul and Doha talks, the Taliban provided no firm response on TTP, after which attacks escalated after four months. He called on Afghans to question why the Taliban shelter TTP.

Pakistan's air force carried out widespread airstrikes on Afghan border areas on Sunday night, targeting districts in Nangarhar and Paktika. Islamabad stated the operations hit TTP and Islamic State Khorasan Province hideouts. UNAMA confirmed 13 civilians killed in Nangarhar, while the Taliban reported women and children among the victims.