New York Times: Pakistan contacts anti-Taliban factions to discuss possible support

The U.S. New York Times, citing multiple sources, reported on Thursday that Pakistani military and intelligence officials made contacts with leaders of armed factions opposed to the Afghan Taliban to discuss the possibility of providing support, at a time when relations between Islamabad and Kabul are experiencing rising military and security tensions.

The paper added, citing informed sources, that those sources included a Pakistani intelligence official, a former security official and a member of one of the anti-Taliban factions, noting that the contacts discussed forms of potential support but did not confirm that Pakistani authorities had made an actual decision to carry it out.

Ibrahim, an expert at the International Crisis Group, warned of the risks of widening the confrontation between the two countries, saying that enlisting armed factions could turn the conflict into a proxy war that would be difficult to contain.

These developments come amid ongoing reciprocal border tensions and mutual accusations between Islamabad and Kabul over sheltering and supporting armed factions, while regional mediation efforts continue and have so far failed to produce a settlement to halt the confrontations between the parties.