Pakistan’s Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar received a phone call from Qatar’s Deputy Foreign Minister Mohammed bin Abdulaziz Al-Khulaifi on Thursday, as fresh border clashes erupted between Pakistani and Afghan forces.
According to Pakistan’s Foreign Office, the two diplomats discussed bilateral relations and exchanged views on regional and international matters of mutual interest. It remains unclear whether the latest cross-border fighting was addressed during the conversation.
There was no immediate statement from Doha regarding the call.
Earlier in the day, Pakistan’s Foreign Office spokesman Tahir Andrabi confirmed that regional issues, “including possibly Afghanistan”, had been discussed during Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s recent visit to Doha.
The diplomatic exchange comes against the backdrop of renewed military tensions along the Pakistan–Afghanistan border.
Afghanistan said on Thursday it had launched retaliatory strikes targeting Pakistani military centres and installations along the frontier. Pakistan confirmed Kabul had initiated military operations, describing them as “unprovoked action” and stating they were met with an “immediate and effective” response.
Both sides reported casualties, though Anadolu was unable to independently verify the claims.
The latest escalation follows Pakistan’s announcement last Sunday that it had carried out airstrikes inside Afghanistan, killing 70 “terrorists.” Afghan officials disputed that account, saying dozens of civilians were killed and vowing retaliation. The United Nations mission in Kabul later reported that 17 civilians had died in the strikes. Islamabad denied targeting civilians.
Tensions between the neighbours have intensified amid a surge in militant violence inside Pakistan. Islamabad attributes many recent attacks to the Pakistani Taliban and banned Baloch separatist groups, accusing the Pakistani Taliban of operating from Afghan territory, an allegation the Taliban-led government in Kabul has repeatedly rejected.
In a separate statement earlier on Thursday, Qatar’s Foreign Ministry condemned attacks across Pakistan this week that killed at least nine police officers.
The situation remains fluid as diplomatic contacts continue alongside ongoing security tensions along the border.
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