‘Such wars benefit no one,’ says Bangladesh FM on Pakistan-Afghanistan clash

Khalilur says Dhaka is asking Pakistan and Afghanistan to exercise restraint amid growing border clashes

Bangladesh has not issued a formal statement on the conflict between Pakistan and Afghanistan, but is trying to persuade both sides as a friendly state, according to Foreign Minister Khalilur Rahman.

Returning from a special session of the OIC Executive Committee on Israel’s occupation of Palestinian territories in Jeddah, he spoke to journalists at Shahjalal International Airport on Friday night.

Commenting on the Pakistan-Afghanistan conflict, he said: “It is a regrettable situation. We are not speaking publicly on the matter, but we are quietly trying to explain to our friends that such wars are in no one’s interest.”

During a break in the session in Jeddah, the Foreign Minister met his Pakistani counterpart, Ishaq Dar, though the Ministry of Foreign Affairs did not reveal if the ongoing clashes were discussed in detail.

The tensions between the two neighbours flared following Pakistani airstrikes on Afghanistan’s Nangarhar and Paktika provinces on the night of Feb 22.

Sporadic border clashes erupted on Feb 24, culminating in a full-scale face-off along the Durand Line.

By Thursday night, the conflict intensified with both the Pakistani military and Afghan Taliban forces deploying heavy artillery, multi-barrel rocket launchers, and armoured convoys.

Both sides have claimed to have inflicted significant casualties on the other, with Pakistan's defence minister declaring that the country is now in an "open war" with its neighbour.

Several friendly countries have called on both sides to step back and exercise caution, while Afghanistan has indicated it is willing to enter negotiations.