Pakistan-Afghanistan peace talks are on shaky ground after a devastating suicide blast in the capital city of Islamabad. The attack, which occurred just hours after a ceasefire agreement was signed between the two nations, has sent shockwaves through the region and raised fears that the fragile peace process could collapse.
Defence Minister Khawaja Asif has described the attack as a "wake-up call" and "a war for all of Pakistan", with Pakistan having the strength to respond. However, analysts say that the chances of a full-scale conventional war between Pakistan and Afghanistan remain slim. Fahad Nabeel, head of Geopolitical Insights, told Al Jazeera that opting for a conventional war would damage Pakistan's positive image and opt-out of violence from its neighbors.
The situation is further complicated by a car blast in New Delhi on Monday that killed at least 13 people, with Indian investigators still investigating the cause of the attack. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has warned that any further attacks on Indian soil would be treated as attacks by Pakistan, straining relations between the two nuclear-armed nations.
Pakistan's Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has accused India of supporting armed groups targeting Pakistan and sheltering them in Afghanistan, a claim India has denied as baseless and unfounded. The dispute over the role of the Afghan Taliban in regional security is complex, with both countries accusing each other of backing proxy groups.
The attack in Islamabad is widely seen as a turning point in the peace talks between Pakistan and Afghanistan. Diplomacy still holds sway, with Turkey and Qatar urging restraint from all parties involved. However, periodic aerial strikes inside Afghanistan remain a plausible military option for Islamabad, according to Fahad Nabeel.
A wider war looms large over the region if diplomatic efforts fail, but most analysts do not believe an all-out conventional conflict is imminent. Instead, they warn of realignment in which Afghanistan becomes central to global power games once again. As tensions simmer in both Islamabad and Kabul, mediators continue to push for restraint from all parties involved, hoping to salvage what's left of the peace process.
Defence Minister Khawaja Asif has described the attack as a "wake-up call" and "a war for all of Pakistan", with Pakistan having the strength to respond. However, analysts say that the chances of a full-scale conventional war between Pakistan and Afghanistan remain slim. Fahad Nabeel, head of Geopolitical Insights, told Al Jazeera that opting for a conventional war would damage Pakistan's positive image and opt-out of violence from its neighbors.
The situation is further complicated by a car blast in New Delhi on Monday that killed at least 13 people, with Indian investigators still investigating the cause of the attack. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has warned that any further attacks on Indian soil would be treated as attacks by Pakistan, straining relations between the two nuclear-armed nations.
Pakistan's Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has accused India of supporting armed groups targeting Pakistan and sheltering them in Afghanistan, a claim India has denied as baseless and unfounded. The dispute over the role of the Afghan Taliban in regional security is complex, with both countries accusing each other of backing proxy groups.
The attack in Islamabad is widely seen as a turning point in the peace talks between Pakistan and Afghanistan. Diplomacy still holds sway, with Turkey and Qatar urging restraint from all parties involved. However, periodic aerial strikes inside Afghanistan remain a plausible military option for Islamabad, according to Fahad Nabeel.
A wider war looms large over the region if diplomatic efforts fail, but most analysts do not believe an all-out conventional conflict is imminent. Instead, they warn of realignment in which Afghanistan becomes central to global power games once again. As tensions simmer in both Islamabad and Kabul, mediators continue to push for restraint from all parties involved, hoping to salvage what's left of the peace process.
I mean, just when you think Pakistan & Afghanistan were on track to make some progress with their peace talks... BAM! Some psycho does a suicide attack in Islamabad and now everyone's like "forget it" 
This is exactly what they didn't need - a major setback at the worst possible time. And then India gets all bent out of shape about some random car blast in Delhi and suddenly it's like Pakistan's to blame 
It's just so frustrating when nations can't even manage to have a calm conversation without resorting to aggression...
I mean, can you imagine if Pakistan and Afghanistan went to war? The world would be like "India, please just take one side already!" 
Meanwhile, we'd all be waiting for the next 'Operation Mango' to break out in the Middle East 
. Seriously though, this peace process is like a game of Jenga – one wrong move and it all comes crashing down 
, i mean pakistan was making progress with afghanistan on a ceasefire and now this happens... it's like the whole region is just waiting for something to go wrong 
. any way, i do hope diplomacy can still prevail here and we don't see a wider conflict 
. it's all so complicated with proxy groups and regional power struggles... fingers crossed that turkey and qatar can keep everyone in check for now 
. this whole thing is just so tense 
the attack in Islamabad was supposed to be a wake-up call for pakistan but now they're talking about going to war which would be bad news for everyone involved 
, but honestly, it feels like a powder keg just waiting to go off 
. And what about India getting involved now? It's like, they're already on high alert 
...this could get messy fast! I'm all for diplomacy & restraint, but at the same time, if Pakistan & Afghanistan can't even keep the peace within their own borders, how can we expect them to work together? 
so yeah, diplomatic efforts are good and all, but I'm not holding my breath 
. It's like, can't we just have a moment of peace around here? 
. It's like, we're all stuck in this cycle of retaliation and violence, and it's getting super complicated 
. Can't we just find a way to work together instead? 
. The fact that a ceasefire agreement was signed just hours before the blast is crazy... it's like the universe is trying to tell us something 
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. Both countries have too much at stake and are too invested in their own narratives to just back down now 
. It's going to take some serious heavy lifting from Turkey, Qatar, and other mediators to get Pakistan and Afghanistan back on track 
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between Pakistan and India as well 
. It's all so complicated with everyone accusing each other of backing proxy groups