New Delhi: Like in a masterly shuttle diplomacy, Qatar has once more exercised its mediation muscle and brokered a 48-hour ceasefire between Afghanistan and Pakistan by just making timely call.
The brittle truce, coming on the fourth day of mounting border confrontations, highlights Doha’s increasingly potent role as South Asia’s peace broker-in-chief.
The disclosure came out in a statement from Pakistan’s Foreign Ministry that suggested Qatar had played an instrumental role in nudging the latest standoff toward a potential settlement. Qatari diplomats, long-time Taliban benefactors, have hosted the group’s political office since its heyday battling America and Afghan forces — taking a leading role in 2021 Doha Agreement that enabled the spectacular capture of Kabul. For years, Doha has faced accusations of funneling money to the Taliban, which it has neither confirmed nor denied.
Details dribbled out after the announcement: Afghanistan’s spokesman in Zabihullah Mujahid said that Pakistan “asked” for the halt and vowed revenge if attacks resume. Islamabad, in return, described it as a response to Taliban overtures but promised ongoing anti-terror operations. But behind the scenes a “critical call” made by Pakistan’s Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar to his Qatari counterpart, Dr Mohammed Abdulaziz al-Khulaifi.
The conversation? A thinly veiled admonition about regional tensions, punctuated with compliments to Pakistan’s positive peace initiatives. Dar in return expressed gratitude, paving the way for further discussions on a lasting calm.
With neighbours sharing a 2,600-km Durand Line border, the duo’s rancour – centered on terror safe havens and territory disputes — had threatened to erupt into an outright war. What had once been a humiliation for Qatar — the Qatari ambassadors who negotiated with the Americans over Bagram Air Base were widely derided here as hacks — now buys invaluable breathing room. There could be few better endorsements for Weinberg’s thesis than the Qataris’ showdown confrontation and its largely casualty-free outcome: one phone call, no casualties, limitless windfall.