Delhi–Kabul Reset Sparks Islamabad’s Kashmir Fury Amid Border Clashes

SRINAGAR: A renewed diplomatic outreach between India and Afghanistan has set off a fresh wave of regional tension, with Pakistan reacting sharply to references to Jammu and Kashmir in the joint statement issued in New Delhi on October 10. The India–Afghanistan communiqué, the first of its kind since the Taliban seized power in 2021, reaffirmed both countries’ commitment to counter terrorism and deepen engagement, even as deadly clashes erupted along the Pakistan–Afghanistan border.

The joint statement, released after talks between India’s External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar and Afghan acting Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi, said both sides “unequivocally condemned all acts of terrorism emanating from regional countries” and emphasised “the importance of promoting peace, stability, and mutual trust in the region.” The statement also recorded Afghanistan’s condemnation of the April 22 terrorist attack in Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir, which claimed 26 lives.

Jaishankar thanked Kabul for its solidarity, while Muttaqi assured that Afghanistan “would not allow its territory to be used against any other country.” The Afghan foreign minister, visiting India under a temporary travel exemption granted by the United Nations Security Council, called his trip “an important step in increasing understanding between the two countries.”

However, Islamabad viewed the statement as a provocation. Pakistan’s Foreign Office summoned the Afghan envoy on Saturday to register a “strong protest,” alleging that the mention of Jammu and Kashmir as part of India was “a clear violation of United Nations Security Council resolutions.” In a late-night statement, it said, “The joint communiqué undermines the legal status of the region and is highly insensitive to the sacrifices and sentiments of the people of Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir.”

Pakistan also bristled at Muttaqi’s remark in Delhi that terrorism was “an internal issue” of Pakistan. Islamabad’s Foreign Office said it had repeatedly shared evidence about “terrorist elements operating from Afghan soil against Pakistan” and insisted that Kabul must not “deflect responsibility” for controlling such groups.

The growing bitterness has coincided with escalating hostilities along the 2,611-kilometre Durand Line. Late Saturday, Afghan security forces launched strikes on Pakistani border posts, accusing Islamabad of violating Afghan airspace earlier in the week. Taliban government spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid said Afghan troops had captured 25 Pakistani positions, killing 58 soldiers and wounding 30. Though Pakistan has not confirmed these figures, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif denounced what he called “provocations” by Kabul and warned of a “strong response.”

The Taliban’s Defence Ministry said its “retaliatory operations” had concluded by midnight but warned that any further aggression would be “met with a powerful response.” The clashes were reported from several border provinces, including Kunar, Nangarhar, Paktia, and Helmand, where exchanges of heavy artillery continued through Saturday evening. Afghan state-run media claimed the “revenge operation” had destroyed three Pakistani military outposts.

A Pakistani security official, speaking anonymously, confirmed that Afghan forces had opened fire across multiple northwestern districts, including Chitral and Kurram, while Pakistan responded with heavy weapons and shot down three suspected Afghan drones. Casualty figures on the Pakistani side remain unclear.

International concern over the violence has mounted. Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi urged “restraint and dialogue,” while Qatar warned of “serious repercussions for regional stability.” The Torkham crossing, a key trade route between the two countries, remained closed on Sunday.

The clashes mark a sharp deterioration in relations that were already strained by Pakistan’s mass deportation drive against undocumented Afghan nationals. Islamabad maintains that the banned Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) operates from Afghan territory—a charge Kabul denies. The United Nations has reported that the TTP enjoys “substantial logistical and operational support” from elements within Afghanistan.

Pakistan’s Defence Minister Khawaja Asif told Parliament earlier this week that “repeated efforts to persuade the Taliban to rein in the TTP have failed,” warning that Islamabad “will not tolerate it any longer.”

For India, the New Delhi meeting represented a cautious but symbolic reopening of channels with Kabul. Since the Taliban’s takeover, India has maintained a limited diplomatic presence but continued humanitarian and infrastructure aid. The decision to engage publicly with the Taliban’s foreign minister signals New Delhi’s intent to balance counter-terrorism priorities with pragmatic diplomacy.

For Pakistan, however, the episode deepens its strategic unease. The Taliban’s growing proximity to India—coupled with Kabul’s refusal to echo Islamabad’s line on Kashmir—suggests a shifting regional alignment that Islamabad finds deeply uncomfortable.

As violence flares along the Durand Line, the joint statement between India and Afghanistan appears to have triggered more than a diplomatic reaction—it has exposed the fragile and volatile fault lines that define South Asia’s geopolitics today.