Abdul Salam Hanafi, the Taliban's Deputy Prime Minister for Administrative Affairs in Afghanistan, has called for a peaceful resolution to the border tensions with Pakistan.
Underlining that the "conflict benefits no side" and "a reasonable and mutually respectful framework" should be formed to resolve the dispute, Hanafi stressed that the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (IEA) prefers to have positive bilateral relations with all nations.
"We have not attacked anyone. But if there is aggression against our land, we reserve the right to defend ourselves — an Islamic, national, and international right," Hanafi stated during a session in Kabul on Wednesday.
Hanafi's remarks come amid a sharp downturn in ties between the Taliban and Pakistan, following last month's deadly clashes at the border, in which dozens of troops from both countries were killed.
In the aftermath of the bloody encounters at the frontier, Pakistan and Afghanistan were engaged in peace talks in Turkiye, but the negotiations eventually collapsed without reaching an agreement.
Subsequently, Islamabad and Kabul blamed each other for the failed peace talks, claiming that neither side committed to taking action against cross-border threats.