Pakistan shifts from U.S.-Iran mediator to escalating conflict with Afghanistan

Pakistan has intensified its military operations against Afghanistan with a high-profile offensive, just days after playing a key role as a mediator in an understanding between the United States and Iran. This abrupt shift redirects Islamabad's focus from weeks of intensive regional diplomacy back to its most immediate and volatile conflict.

The recent Pakistani airstrikes targeted the Afghan provinces of Paktia, Paktika, and Kunar. These attacks represent the deadliest since a bombing on a rehabilitation hospital in Kabul in mid-March. The United Nations reported that at least 28 civilians were killed in these new strikes. The offensive occurred after a period where the Afghan front had been relatively contained, while Pakistan was actively engaged in mediating talks between Tehran and Washington, alongside other nations like Qatar, and maintaining dialogue channels with Kabul through China to de-escalate bilateral tensions.

This renewed confrontation contrasts sharply with Pakistan's recent diplomatic successes. On April 8, Islamabad reportedly mediated a ceasefire between Tehran and Washington. Concurrently, China announced that Pakistani and Afghan delegations had agreed on a "comprehensive plan" to quell the worst bilateral crisis since the Taliban's return to power in 2021. However, just two weeks after Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif announced the U.S.-Iran agreement, tensions with the Taliban surged again.

Islamabad claims the recent bombings targeted factions identified as Jamaat-ul-Ahrar and Fitna al Khwarij, groups it links to the Pakistani Taliban, stating it eliminated 29 insurgents. Conversely, the Afghan Taliban government asserts that the attacks hit residential areas, resulting in 36 civilian deaths and 163 injuries. Pakistan accuses Afghanistan of harboring terrorists operating within its territory, an allegation Kabul denies, underscoring the deep-seated mistrust and ongoing friction between the two nations.