- Maulana Fazl stresses both sides should ‘avoid blame and provocation’ after deadly border clashes
- Cites past role in easing Pak-Afghan friction, claiming he remains in touch with Kabul leadership
- Warns against “opening a western front” amid Pakistan’s internal and external challenges.
ISLAMABAD: Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam (JUI-F) chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman on Tuesday offered to mediate between Pakistan and Afghanistan to defuse escalating border tensions, days after deadly clashes left 23 Pakistani soldiers martyred and around 200 Taliban and affiliated militants dead.
The offer came amid a fragile ceasefire along the Pak-Afghan border, following what Pakistan described as an “unprovoked attack” launched from the Afghan side late on the night of Oct 11–12. According to the military’s media wing, Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), the assault involved Taliban and “India-sponsored Fitna al-Khawarij”—the term designated for terrorists associated with the banned Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP).
“In the past, I played a role in reducing tensions between Pakistan and Afghanistan, and I can do it now too,” Maulana Fazl told reporters in Islamabad, expressing readiness to engage both sides to restore calm.
The JUI-F chief, who remains the only Pakistani political leader to have met Taliban supreme leader Shaikh Hibatullah Akhundzada, said he was already in touch with the Afghan leadership. “They want to resolve the issues through understanding,” he said, adding that continued recriminations could further strain the situation.
“Now that a ceasefire is in place, both countries should avoid blame and provocation—including on social media—and instead focus on cooling things down,” he urged.
The cleric’s remarks followed heightened rhetoric from both capitals in recent days. On Sunday, Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid had warned that Pakistan’s “strikes on Kabul will have consequences” and claimed that Afghanistan “has weapons to respond.”
Maulana Fazl cautioned against escalation, noting Pakistan’s superior military capacity and the risks of opening “a western front” at a time of multiple internal and external challenges. “Pakistan has a world-class army and capability. Our state should think about whether opening a western front is the right war strategy at this time,” he said.
Commenting on Afghan Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi’s recent visit to India—during which he reportedly described Kashmir as “part of India”—the JUI-F leader advised restraint, arguing that Pakistan should also introspect on its own approach to the Kashmir dispute.
“Instead of making a fuss over Muttaqi’s statement, we should look at our own performance. How many policies have we changed on Kashmir? Has Pakistan made any progress in line with UN resolutions?” he asked.
Fazl, who maintains close links with segments of the Afghan religious and political establishment, observed that Afghanistan’s security institutions were still in a formative phase. “Their intelligence and military systems are at an initial stage,” he noted.
Tensions between the two neighbors have persisted since the Taliban takeover of Kabul in 2021, as Pakistan accuses the TTP of operating from sanctuaries inside Afghanistan—a charge repeatedly denied by Kabul, which insists that its soil is not used against any country.
In October last year, the Afghan interim government had assured Islamabad that it would not allow militant groups to use Afghan territory for cross-border attacks. However, the resurgence of terrorist incidents in Pakistan’s border regions and recent deadly skirmishes have renewed concerns over the Taliban administration’s control and intent.
