The Taliban have backed India’s sovereignty over Jammu & Kashmir (J&K), triggering a sharp reaction from Pakistan amid already tense ties with Afghanistan, further strained by recent border clashes. Taliban officials highlighted mutual support for each other’s territorial integrity in a joint statement following External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar’s meeting with Afghan Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi.
Pakistan viewed the inclusion of J&K in the joint statement as an opening of a new front in their strained relationship, arguing that it violated UNSC resolutions and the legal status of J&K. New Delhi, however, maintained that the statement reaffirmed India-Afghanistan contiguity, noting that Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) shares a 106-km border with Afghanistan.
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Jaishankar emphasised that India, as a neighbouring country and a friend of the Afghan people, has a vested interest in Afghanistan’s development and progress. In response, Islamabad summoned the Afghan ambassador, terming the joint statement highly insensitive. Former President Asif Ali Zardari accused the Taliban of abandoning the Kashmiri people and doing injustice to both history and the Muslim Ummah.
Meanwhile, as clashes between Afghanistan and Pakistan escalated, Muttaqi accused “certain elements” in Pakistan of fomenting unrest. He dismissed claims that Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) operates from Afghanistan and stressed that most Pakistanis are peace-loving. He said Afghanistan retaliated to Pakistan’s escalation, achieving military objectives before pausing the conflict, supported by calls from Qatar and Saudi Arabia to end hostilities.
Muttaqi further said Afghanistan would protect its borders and national interests, warning that if Pakistan does not pursue peace, Afghanistan has other options. Addressing Pakistan’s claims about TTP, he highlighted the challenges of controlling the 2,400-km long border and urged Pakistan to tackle domestic security issues instead of blaming Afghanistan.
