Saudi team likely to visit Afghanistan, Pakistan as attempts at mediating truce gain momentum: Report
New Delhi, Dec 9 (LatestNewsX) – Saudi Arabia is ramping up its efforts to broker a lasting ceasefire between Afghanistan and Pakistan after several rounds of talks steered by regional intermediaries failed to pin down a workable peace plan. A Saudi delegation is slated to tour both capitals for further talks, following an earlier Riyadh‑based mediation attempt that stalled, Tolo News reported on Tuesday. While the exact dates are still unannounced, sources speaking to the BBC on the condition of anonymity said Afghan and Pakistani officials had committed to keeping the dialogue alive during the Riyadh talks.
The tension‑heavy border has seen a flurry of peace initiatives amid continued skirmishes, with neighbors now more actively stepping in to mediate. The first meeting in Doha, led by Qatar and Turkey on 18‑19 October, resulted in a temporary truce, but the subsequent Istanbul talks could not agree on a permanent solution. Saudi Arabia then stepped up, with Iran also offering to mediate, as Islamabad repeatedly accuses Kabul’s Taliban of sheltering TTP operatives and orchestrating cross‑border attacks. Kabul counters, labeling Pakistan’s accusations as false and pointing to repeated incursions that push Afghan refugees eastward.
Regarding terrorism, the Afghan Taliban dismiss incidents inside Pakistan as Pakistan’s internal affairs and accuse Islamabad of conducting airstrikes on Afghan soil. Meanwhile, Pajhwok news agency reported that 2,300 Afghan refugees were forcibly deported from neighboring Pakistan and Iran in one day. A social‑media post by the Taliban administration’s deputy spokesman, Hamdullah Fitrat, cited the High Commission for Addressing Migrants’ Issues, noting that 623 families—2,349 people in total—returned on Sunday, and that an additional 3,134 refugees were deported from Iran and Pakistan the previous Saturday.
The continual return of Afghan refugees strains Kabul’s infrastructure and finances, especially under sanctions and a lack of official recognition. Tensions resurfaced late last week when clashes erupted along the Durand Line, with Kabul and Islamabad each blaming the other for the overnight firefight that lasted roughly four hours. Trade routes have remained shut since the intense exchange began almost two months ago, a conflict the Afghan Taliban say was retaliation for Pakistan’s aerial raids, which they claim targeted terror leaders hiding within Afghan territory, though those leaders reportedly resurfaced elsewhere. jb/rad
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