Afghanistan has been failing to answer one question: if there is no existing relationship between the Afghan Taliban and the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), why has there been a notable resurgence in TTP-led terrorism in Pakistan since August 2021, when the Afghan Taliban returned to power in Kabul?

Though Pakistan has been demanding that lasting peace requires the Afghan Taliban to sever ties with the TTP targeting Pakistan, no headway has been made in this direction. Pakistan has been left with no choice but to feel frustrated with terrorist groups attacking its mainland while seeking refuge in the hilly border areas along the frontier between the two countries.

Launched on February 26, Operation Ghazab lil-Haq not only obliterated terrorist hideouts in Afghanistan but also closed the door to diplomatic contact between Pakistan and Afghanistan.

From April 1 to 7, in Urumqi, China arranged informal exploratory talks between Pakistan and Afghanistan and urged the warring parties not only to de-escalate tensions but also to undertake confidence-building measures (CBMs), such as opening trade routes. This appeared more directed at Pakistan than Afghanistan. On the occasion, Pakistan demanded that Kabul “demonstrate visible and verifiable actions”. The primary role of a mediator is to provide a third-party forum, which China did.

Published in March this year,........

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