After getting a befitting response from Pakistan army, Afghanistan’s Taliban regime has said it wants the ongoing fighting with Pakistan to be settled through dialogue.
Taliban spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid told a news conference that Kabul has repeatedly stressed the need for a peaceful solution and still prefers dialogue to resolve the dispute.
However, he accused Pakistan of avoiding negotiations and alleged that reconnaissance aircraft were continuing to fly over Afghan airspace.
Mujahid warned that Afghanistan would respond to what he described as hostile actions by Pakistan.
Pakistan hoists flag on five Afghan posts in Paktia province
He also dismissed the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) issue as a domestic matter of Pakistan, calling it a pretext for destabilising the region.
He added that Afghanistan maintains good relations with India but said those ties are not directed against Pakistan.
Pakistan in the wee hours of Friday launched air strikes on Kabul and other Afghan cities amid the escalation.
On Friday, Defence Minister Khawaja Asif said Islamabad’s patience had run out with the Taliban authorities, declaring that the two countries were now in “open war”.
His statement followed comments by Mujahid that Afghan forces were carrying out “large-scale offensive operations” against Pakistani troops along the Durand Line.
