Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Turkey Attempting To De-Escalate Pakistan-Afghanistan Conflict: Report
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Last Updated:February 27, 2026, 22:24 IST
The diplomatic initiative by Qatar, Turkey and Saudi Arabia came after Pakistan declared an "open war" against Afghanistan and bombed several major Afghan cities.
resetRapid ReadRapid ReadSummarized by AI.+Saudi, Qatar, Turkey mediate Pakistan-Afghan tensionsPakistan bombed Afghan cities after declaring "open war"Diplomatic talks aim to prevent further escalation More Rapid Read Like this summary?Share Your Feedback
Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Qatar are engaged in efforts to halt the deadly fighting between Afghanistan and Pakistan, a source familiar with the talks told AFP on Friday, after Islamabad declared “open war" against Kabul and bombed major Afghan cities.
“Saudi Arabia, in coordination with Qatar, is making efforts to reduce tensions between Pakistan and Afghanistan," said the source, requesting anonymity to discuss sensitive matters. The goal is to “de-escalate the situation and prevent it from spiralling out of control," they added.
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Pakistan’s Defence Minister Khawaja Asif declared an “open war" with Afghanistan’s Taliban government on Friday, marking a dramatic escalation in tensions between the neighbouring countries after the Taliban launched retaliatory attacks on Pakistani military facilities along the Durand Line.
Pakistan carried out airstrikes targeting Afghan cities, including Kabul, Kandahar and Paktia, after a fresh round of clashes between the two sides. The Taliban government confirmed Friday’s air strikes, with spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid saying Afghan forces killed 55 Pakistani soldiers. However, Pakistan said it had killed 274 Taliban fighters for the loss of 12 Pakistani troops.
Turkey Also Mediating Talks
Acting Afghan foreign minister Mawlawi Amir Khan Muttaqi on Friday called Qatar’s chief negotiator Mohammed Al-Khulaifi, while Saudi Arabia’s foreign minister, Prince Faisal bin Farhan, also spoke with his Pakistani counterpart, Ishaq Dar, according to separate statements.
“Riyadh and Doha have been in contact at the highest levels with both sides, and we hope the confrontation will end as soon as possible," the source told AFP.
Meanwhile, Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan also launched a diplomatic initiative, holding phone calls with his counterparts from Pakistan, Afghanistan, Qatar, and Saudi Arabia to address armed clashes along the Pakistan-Afghanistan border.
Fidan spoke with Pakistani Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar, Afghan Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi, Qatari Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, and Saudi Foreign Minister Faisal bin Farhan to defuse the situation, as per local reports.
This came after Pakistan’s Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi described the military action as a “befitting response," saying Pakistan’s armed forces acted after Afghan forces allegedly attacked Pakistani border troops. Later, Pakistan’s President Asif Ali Zardari mentioned, “Pakistan will not compromise on peace and territorial integrity."
Prior to Pakistan’s bombardment, Afghan officials claimed the operations targeted Pakistani military installations along the Durand Line, the disputed border separating the two countries.
Heavy fighting broke out along the mountainous frontier after Afghan forces opened fire on Pakistani positions, triggering more than two hours of clashes before Pakistani troops retaliated. Both sides claimed to have destroyed or seized opposing military posts.
In a statement, Pakistan’s Information Ministry said its forces delivered an “immediate and effective response" to what it described as “unprovoked fire" from Afghan forces and vowed that “all necessary measures" would be taken to protect the country’s territorial integrity and citizens.
(with inputs from agencies)
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