Pakistan's Defense Minister Khawaja Asif, alongside intelligence chief Lt. General Asim Malik, is set to travel to Doha for high-level talks with representatives of the Afghan Taliban, according to state media. The meeting follows renewed hostilities between the two countries after Pakistan conducted fresh airstrikes inside Afghanistan, targeting militant hideouts.

Fierce clashes erupted along the Pakistan-Afghanistan border last week, resulting in dozens of casualties on both sides. Pakistan confirmed airstrikes in Kabul and Kandahar, citing security threats. These actions followed a fragile two-day truce that expired on Friday evening, shattering a brief window of calm between the neighbors.

Officials in Islamabad said Friday's "precision aerial strikes" targeted the Hafiz Gul Bahadur faction of the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), a group accused of orchestrating recent suicide bombings and armed assaults. One such attack on a North Waziristan military camp killed seven Pakistani paramilitary soldiers. However, Afghan authorities reported that the strikes also claimed civilian lives, including three professional cricketers.

The Afghanistan Cricket Board confirmed the deaths of the players, initially reporting eight but later revising the toll to three. Their passing has sparked outrage across Afghan sporting and civil circles, adding a new layer of tension to the already volatile situation.

Amid the escalating conflict, international attention has turned toward mediation. U.S. President Donald Trump, in a meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, remarked that resolving Pakistan-Afghanistan hostilities would be "an easy one" for him if intervention became necessary. Although largely symbolic, his comments highlight the concern within global diplomatic circles.

At the heart of the dispute is Islamabad's accusation that Kabul provides safe havens to banned outfits like the TTP and the Baloch Liberation Army (BLA), both of which launch cross-border attacks against Pakistan. Afghan authorities, however, strongly reject these allegations, creating a standoff that peace talks in Doha aim to ease.

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