Iran should step in as mediator between Pakistan, Afghan Taliban
This month, the Afghan Taliban faced its most intense and prolonged cross-border confrontation since assuming power in 2021. The escalation began with Pakistani airstrikes on Kabul and other Afghan cities, targeting senior figures of the Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP). In response, Taliban forces launched retaliatory attacks, resulting in dozens of casualties on both sides. Each government accuses the other of provocation, further straining already fragile relations.
To deescalate the crisis, a 48-hour ceasefire was brokered on October 15 at the Taliban’s request and accepted by Pakistan, offering a brief window for diplomacy.
In an exclusive interview with Iran Daily, renowned historian Ayesha Jalal analyses the unfolding situation, suggesting that Iran take on a mediating role.
A Pakistani-American scholar and the Mary Richardson Professor of History at Tufts University, Jalal is widely recognized for her work on South Asian history, particularly the formation of Muslim identities in the modern era. Her distinguished career is marked by fellowships from Trinity College, Cambridge, and the MacArthur Foundation.
IRAN DAILY: How do you assess the future trajectory of regional developments in South Asia following the Taliban’s return to power in Afghanistan?
JALAL: The aftermath of the American departure from Afghanistan posed a Catch-22 situation for Pakistan. Would the end of the American led military presence in Afghanistan be a catalyst for peace or greater regional insecurity? The actions of the Pakistan military establishment, which launched its much-delayed Operation Zarb-e-Arz in 2014 anticipating an eventual American withdrawal, suggests that they expected the security situation to deteriorate after the Taliban took over. There were elements within the Pakistan military establishment that thought a working relationship could be forged with the Taliban. But their optimism proved to be misplaced once it became clear that the Afghan Taliban would not, even if they could, take concerted action against the anti-Pakistan Tehreek-e-Talban Pakistan (TTP). Kabul’s continued support for TTP elements wanted by Pakistan who have taken refuge in Afghanistan is at the heart of the current standoff between the two countries.
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