In an interesting turn of events in Afghanistan, relations between the Taliban and its patron Pakistan seem to be souring.
After Pakistan reportedly launched rocket attacks along its border with Afghanistan, the ruling Taliban issued a strong statement. Taliban accused Pakistani military of killing five children and a woman in its pre-dawn rocket strikes on April 16.
Spokesperson for the Taliban government Zabiullah Mujahid reportedly said, "This is cruelty and it is paving the way for enmity between Afghanistan and Pakistan. We are using all options to prevent repetition (of such attacks) and calling for our sovereignty to be respected. The Pakistani side should know that if a war starts it will not be in the interest of any side. It will cause instability in the region."
Islamabad has claimed that terror attacks on Pakistan have been launched from Afghan soil. Pakistan has been waging war on the Pakistani Taliban, while providing help to the Afghan Taliban.
The Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan, or TTP, is distinct from the Afghan Taliban, but TTP leaders have been known to seek asylum in Afghanistan. Apart from the TTP, a territorial dispute over the Durand Line has also been a thorn in Pakistan and Taliban relations.
The latest tension is ironic since Pakistan has been long accused of providing aid to the Afghan Taliban covertly, helping it fight the Americans in USA's longest war. The Taliban stormed to power in August 2021 as the US military withdrew from the war-torn country.