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TalkDiplomacy IR
@talkdiplomacy

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Amidst the many protests and political drama occurring within Pakistan's core cities and government, another issue has materialized on the country's northwestern frontier. Only two days ago, Pakistani border guards came under heavy fire from the Afghanistan's Taliban at the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Province's Torkham Border Crossing, which was then closed -- reportedly stranding thousands with many goods. There were no reported casualties, and initially local government officials indicated that it was not clear who initiated the engagement. It was later asserted by Pakistan that Afghan forces attempted to establish a check post in an area where both parties had agreed to not do so. Therefore, Pakistan objected, and the Afghans opened fire in retaliation. Talibani officials have still not confirmed what they found to be the source of the clash, so at this moment only one-side of the story is available. However, it may be that Pakistan's allegations are correct because just earlier today, the Pakistani Taliban (Tehrik-e Taliban Pakistan / TTP) surprisingly launched a mass-invasion of Chitral, an area in the same region. Apparently, the TTP has acquired high-quality abandoned U.S. arms, likely from the Afghan Taliban. On the backdrop of historical tensions, territorial disputes, and Pakistan's chaotic condition, it seems that a critical period in Afghan-Pakistani relations has arrived. We can only hope for peace to endure, although this possibility seems to wane with every coming day. #pakistan #afghanpakistan #afghan #talkdiplomacy #upsc #css #currentaffairs #afghanpakistanrelations #peace #khyberpakhtunkhwa #torkham #bordercrossing #foreignaffairs #geopolitics #internationalrelations #afghanforces #taliban #tehriketalibanpakistan #ttp #usarms #northwesternfrontier #afghantalibàn #pakistantaliban #chitral #politicaldrama #southeastasia #territorialdispute #upscmotivation #upscaspirants #csstricks