Pakistan’s game of death and politics; invitation to Taliban opponents simultaneous with bombing of eastern Afghanistan.
Credible sources say Pakistani officials have officially invited a number of anti‑Taliban figures to come to Islamabad to hold talks about Afghanistan’s political future.
According to these sources, if accepted, the meeting would be held within less than a week. So far none of the opposition figures have issued an official response, but the invitation itself has been interpreted in Afghanistan’s political circles as a sign of a possible shift in Pakistan’s approach.
This diplomatic activity is taking place while reports have also emerged about the potential political and even military support for Taliban opponents.
The Taliban have stated that they discovered and confiscated dozens of weapons at the Torkham border crossing, which they claim were entering Afghanistan from Pakistan.
Political observers say that growing insecurity in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Islamabad’s dissatisfaction with Taliban performance in suppressing anti‑Pakistan armed groups may have pushed Pakistani authorities toward a serious reevaluation of past policies; policies that, according to some Pakistani analysts, have not secured Islamabad’s strategic interests and have imposed heavy security costs on the country.
Meanwhile, tensions have not remained only at the political level. Alongside news of the invitation to Taliban opponents, Pakistan has bombarded parts of eastern Afghanistan.
According to local sources, these attacks have resulted in more than 25 civilian casualties, killed and wounded.
The simultaneity of political negotiations in Islamabad with bombings in eastern Afghan regions is seen as an explicit sign that Taliban‑Pakistan relations have entered a new, tense, and unprecedented phase; a phase that could have wider security consequences for the region.
