Islamabad – Former United States envoy Zalmay Khalilzad has voiced concern over the renewed clashes between Pakistan and Afghan Taliban regime, urging both sides to pursue diplomacy rather than military confrontation.
In a post on X this Wednesday, the former US representative for Afghan reconciliation wrote, “Intense fighting has resumed between Pakistan and Afghanistan. There are conflicting reports on targets hit. Needless deaths and destruction. A good outcome is unlikely. The two neighbors must learn how to resolve their issues through diplomacy.”
Khalilzad’s remarks came as reports emerged of precision airstrikes by the Pakistan Air Force (PAF) targeting suspected militant hideouts across multiple Afghan provinces, including Kabul, Kandahar, Khost, Paktika, and Helmand. According to field sources, the strikes hit structures believed to be sheltering foreign Mujahideen operating along key routes. Following the operation, the Taliban regime reportedly restricted access to social media platforms to control the flow of information.
Security officials said at least 56 Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) militants were killed and 10 injured in the latest round of airstrikes. Since Pakistan launched its cross-border operations between October 11 and 12, total TTP casualties have reportedly reached 81 killed and 10 wounded.
This is not the first time Khalilzad has offered to mediate between Islamabad and the Taliban regime. However, regional observers argue that his diplomatic overtures often overlook ground realities, particularly after the Taliban broke a ceasefire and destroyed the symbolic “Friendship Gate” at the border, an act seen as a deliberate provocation.
The escalation, analysts note, stems from the Taliban’s unwillingness to disarm the TTP, despite repeated assurances to Pakistan under the Doha Agreement framework.
Islamabad maintains that the TTP, designated by Pakistan as Fitna al-Khawarij, operates as an Indian-sponsored proxy network, further complicating the regional security calculus.
Meanwhile, Afghan journalist Sami Yousafzai, citing sources within the Taliban’s cabinet, claimed that Khalilzad may have indirectly contributed to worsening relations between Kabul and Islamabad.
In a post on X this Thursday, Yousafzai quoted Taliban insiders as saying that Khalilzad told Taliban leaders he had persuaded US President Donald Trump to adopt a soft stance toward recognizing their government.
According to those accounts, Trump’s view shifted after meetings with Pakistan’s Chief of Army Staff General Asim Munir and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, during which Pakistani officials reportedly presented a detailed assessment of the Taliban’s conduct. Khalilzad allegedly told Taliban leaders that Pakistan was seeking to secure an “anti-Taliban project” from Washington under the pretext of combating the TTP, a claim that, according to Yousafzai, further fueled resentment within the Taliban leadership.
Khalilzad’s diplomatic record remains deeply polarizing. His earlier advocacy for talks with the TTP was rejected by Pakistani security experts, citing the group’s repeated betrayals of peace agreements. He has also drawn criticism for his frequent commentary on Pakistan’s internal affairs and his apparent endorsement of former Prime Minister Imran Khan, a political figure currently facing charges of waging an anti-state campaign.
Analysts view Khalilzad’s recent calls for restraint as part of a broader pattern reflecting his flawed “Doha diplomacy,” which many blame for the collapse of the Ghani administration and the subsequent regional instability. As one regional observer remarked, “Khalilzad’s peace formulas have repeatedly produced chaos, first in Kabul, now reverberating across South and Central Asia.”
