Tensions between Pakistan and Afghanistan do not seem to be dialling down despite the latter’s spokesperson announcing that their operation against Pakistani military outposts has now been halted. Zabihullah Mujahid on Saturday declared this, sharing that mediation was done by Qatar and Saudi Arabia.
Even as Afghanistan halted their operation, Pakistan Army on Sunday (October 12, 2025) said at least 23 Pakistani soldiers and over 200 Taliban and affiliated militants were killed in fierce overnight clashes along the Pakistan-Afghanistan border. Pak Army further claimed to have seized 19 Afghan military posts.
Now, Pakistan has formally summoned Afghanistan’s ambassador to lodge a strong protest over the India‑Afghanistan joint statement issued during the visit of Taliban Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi to New Delhi.
Pakistan-Afghanistan border clash: Islamabad growing insecure over Kabul-India ties?
Islamabad has raised objection to the Afghanistan’s statement regarding references made to Jammu and Kashmir in the joint statement. “It was conveyed that the reference to Jammu and Kashmir as part of India is in clear violation of the relevant UN Security Council resolutions…,” the Foreign Office said.
Islamabad objected to the statement’s recognition of Jammu & Kashmir as “part of India” and its condemnations of terrorism emanating from “regional countries,” which Pakistan viewed as an attempt to shift blame. The Pakistani Foreign Office called the joint communiqué “provocative and irresponsible” and insisted the reference to Kashmir violated UN Security Council resolutions.
Pakistan also rejected Afghanistan’s suggestion that terrorism within Pakistan was an internal issue, stating that Kabul could not evade its obligations under regional security norms.
How has Afghanistan responded and what was it’s warning to Pakistan?
During his visit, Foreign Minister Muttaqi conveyed that if peace efforts with Pakistan fail, Kabul has “other options”, an implicit warning of possible escalation. The context of this statement comes amid intensifying border clashes along the Durand Line, with both sides reporting casualties.
Afghan authorities and the Taliban government have denounced Pakistan’s closure of the Torkham border crossing, calling it arbitrary and unjustified. Kabul insists Pakistan must respect its territorial integrity and ensure Afghan territory is not misused against neighboring states.
What is happening on the Pakistan‑Afghanistan border?
Border violence has surged. Whiele Afghanistan claims it killed 58 Pakistani soldiers in overnight operations, while Islamabad counters that 23 soldiers died and asserts it inflicted “heavy losses” on Taliban forces. In the wake of the clashes, Pakistan closed key border crossings, including Torkham and Chaman, disrupting transit trade and movement of civilians.
The closures remain in force as both sides maintain heightened postures. This, however, isn’t entirely new as in earlier months, diplomatic and security officials from both sides failed to agree on reopening Torkham, despite repeated negotiations. But this recent flare‑up is more forceful and closely linked to geopolitics beyond just border disputes.
Why does this matter in light of India‑Taliban engagement?
The timing of these tensions is telling because they coincide with the Taliban’s foreign minister Amir Khan Muttaqi making a landmark diplomatic visit to India and issuing statements sympathetic to Indian sovereignty claims. Pakistan perceives this as a strategic threat, that Kabul may be pivoting closer to New Delhi, undercutting Islamabad’s traditional influence in Afghanistan.
For Pakistan, this shift challenges its role as a key interlocutor with Kabul, especially given its long investment in Afghan affairs. The new alignment may also complicate Pakistan’s narrative of being a frontline state in counterterrorism, as increasing India–Afghanistan ties bypass Islamabad.
From Kabul’s side, closer engagement with India offers diplomatic leverage and diversification of partnerships, especially as Afghanistan seeks external support. Meanwhile, the border clashes and hardening stances may serve as leverage points, a reminder to Pakistan that Kabul can respond to provocations.
India reopening Wagah border to Afghanistan?
Afghanistan’s Foreign Minister Muttaqi has invited India to invest in the country’s minerals and requested New Delhi to help facilitate trade through the opening of the Wagah border, calling it the “fastest trade route” between the two countries. “We also requested the opening of the Wagah border as it is the fastest and easiest trade route between India and Afghanistan,” he said.