 "Ready for peace talks with Taliban, says Sharif as Afghanistan-Pakistan ceasefire nears end")
As the 48-hour truce between Pakistan and Afghanistan inches closer to the end, the country’s Prime Minister, Shehbaz Sharif, said that he is ready to hold talks with the Taliban. The Pakistani premier maintained that he is willing to have a peaceful resolution of the conflict on reasonable terms, and the “ball is now in Afghanistan’s court”.
The remarks from Sharif came during his address at the federal cabinet meeting on Thursday, Geo News reported. Sharif made it clear that it is for the Taliban to decide if they want a permanent ceasefire. However, during the meeting, Sharif repeated his minister Khwaja Asif's rhetoric, claiming that the Taliban regime carried out the recent attack on Pakistan at India’s behest.
He pointed out that the attack came when Afghan Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi was on a visit to India, without delivering any evidence of the accusation. Interestingly, the fight between the two nations escalated when Pakistan conducted two strikes in Kabul, prompting the Taliban to take what they called ‘retaliatory measures’.
During the Thursday cabinet meeting, Sharif said: “Unfortunately, despite all efforts, [the Taliban regime in] Afghanistan did not prioritise peace and adopted the path of aggression.”
India reaffirms support for Afghanistan
Amid the chaos, India reaffirmed support for Afghanistan, accusing Pakistan of ‘harbouring terrorism’. While speaking at a press briefing on Thursday, Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said India is closely monitoring the situation, emphasising that “three things are clear."
He went on to accuse Pakistan of hosting terrorist organisations, blaming its neighbours for internal failures, and being angered by Afghanistan asserting sovereignty over its own territory. He maintained that India will continue to remain fully committed to the sovereignty, territorial integrity, and independence of Afghanistan.
Several international players, like the United Nations and China, have been calling for a ’lasting’ ceasefire between the two nations. The UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan welcomed the ceasefire and said it was still assessing the number of casualties. It said the heaviest toll was in the south on Wednesday.
Impact Shorts
More Shorts“Current information indicates that at least 17 civilians were killed and 346 were injured in Spin Boldak on the Afghan side of the border,” the UN mission said. “UNAMA calls on all parties to bring a lasting end to hostilities to protect civilians and prevent further loss of life,” the mission added.
The 48-hour deadline is scheduled to end on Friday, 6 pm (local time). It remains unclear what will happen afterwards.
 "Trump holds ‘very productive’ call with Putin; both decide to meet in Hungary. Why this hurts Ukraine")
 "From Trump tirade to Gaza war: 5 takeaways of the NYC mayoral debate")
 "No, India has not ‘capitulated’ to Trump’s pressure on Russian oil, and neither have we suffered loss of autonomy")
 "In a first, US strike on boat in Caribbean Sea leaves survivors, says official")
 "Trump holds ‘very productive’ call with Putin; both decide to meet in Hungary. Why this hurts Ukraine")
 "From Trump tirade to Gaza war: 5 takeaways of the NYC mayoral debate")
 "No, India has not ‘capitulated’ to Trump’s pressure on Russian oil, and neither have we suffered loss of autonomy")
 "In a first, US strike on boat in Caribbean Sea leaves survivors, says official")
