Explainer-What has turned the Afghan Taliban and Pakistan from partners to foes?
By Asif Shahzad ISLAMABAD, Sept 24 (Reuters) - Pakistan's air force struck 10 locations in Afghanistan on Thursday, its second round of strikes in four days after three months of relative quiet along the two countries' 2,600-km (1,600-mile) border. Islamabad said it struck militant hideouts in retaliation for drones launched from Afghanistan. Kabul denied sending the drones and said the seven…
The Taliban has accused Pakistan of striking Afghanistan to avoid its obligations under the Makkah defence pact, a joint security agreement signed with Saudi Arabia and Turkey. Taliban spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid claimed that Pakistan was using the conflict as a pretext to sidestep its commitments under the pact, which is comparable to NATO's Article 5.
Pakistan, however, maintains that it has conducted strikes against military targets in Afghanistan. The situation has escalated after a recent militant attack on a police facility in northwestern Pakistan, which left at least 24 people dead. Afghanistan's Taliban government alleges that Pakistani air strikes killed four civilians.
The Makkah Joint Defence Agreement, signed by Saudi Arabia, Pakistan, and Turkey, states that an armed attack against any one of the three countries should be considered an attack against all three. Tensions have resurfaced amid renewed hostilities between Saudi Arabia and Iran-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen.
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