JUI-F chief calls for ‘restraint and dialogue’ to avoid further escalation between Pak, Afghanistan

Peshawar, Feb 27 (PTI) Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam (JUI-F) chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman on Friday expressed concern over the prevailing situation between Pakistan and Afghanistan, calling for “restraint, dialogue and a diplomatic approach to avoid further escalation”.

In a statement issued here, Rehman said Pakistan’s security concerns are legitimate and must be acknowledged. However, he emphasised that Afghanistan’s sovereignty and its internal challenges should also be respected.

He warned that emotionally driven responses from either side are contributing to increased complications for both countries.

Stressing the need for a balanced approach, the JUI-F chief urged both governments to pursue mutual interests through a credible security framework in line with internationally accepted norms.

Rehman said that proactive diplomatic engagement could help find a sustainable solution to the issue, while unilateral military actions would only deepen complexities rather than resolve them.

He appealed to both countries to “exercise patience, tolerance, and responsibility, and called for an immediate ceasefire”.

The JUI-F chief also expressed hope that well-wishers of both nations seeking peace in the region would play a constructive and diplomatic role to help de-escalate tensions.

Tensions escalated between the two neighbours with Pakistan on Friday saying it considers itself in an "open war" with Afghanistan.

Pakistan claimed that its forces killed more than 130 Taliban fighters in airstrikes in Kabul, Kandahar and Paktia in response to what Islamabad described as the cross-border attack by the Afghan Taliban.

Afghanistan's Ministry of Defence said in a statement that 55 soldiers of Pakistan's military regime were killed in the retaliatory operations by Afghan forces along the Durand Line.

It added that during the operations, two headquarters and 19 check posts of the military regime were captured by Afghan forces.

The 2,611-km-long border between Pakistan and Afghanistan is known as the Durand Line, which Kabul has not formally recognised. PTI AYZ GSP GSP