Washington. Amidst the increasing military tension and war-like situations between Afghanistan and Pakistan, US President Donald Trump has praised Pakistan’s stance. Trump said Pakistan has every right to defend itself and expressed deep sorrow over the deaths of Pakistani civilians in the recent conflict. He stressed that America’s relations with Pakistan are very close and good. When President Trump was asked about interfering in the ongoing tension between Pakistan and Afghanistan, he responded positively and said that he would definitely like to intervene, but he also made it clear that he has excellent relations with the current leadership of Pakistan. Praising the Pakistani Prime Minister, Trump described him as a great Prime Minister and said that Shehbaz Sharif’s name figures prominently among the two global leaders whom he respects the most.
According to the President, Pakistan is currently doing good work. In the same sequence, Allison M. Hooker, Under Secretary for Political Affairs in the US State Department, also supported Pakistan’s steps and said that whatever Pakistan did was right. Also, in view of this tense situation, America has also issued a security advisory for its citizens living in Afghanistan and Pakistan, in which people living in big cities have been asked to beware of possible terrorist activities. Allison M. Hooker informed that she has had detailed talks with Pakistan Foreign Secretary Amna Baloch and America will continue to support Pakistan while keeping a close eye on the situation. It is noteworthy that America has declared an open war against Afghanistan, amid which Pakistan carried out a massive airstrike on Kabul and two other provinces on Friday. Many people lost their lives in this attack, in response to which Pakistan claimed that 12 of its soldiers were killed in the Afghan attack, while 13 Afghan fighters were killed in retaliation. According to military developments, the Pakistani Army targeted a madrassa in Afghanistan’s Paktika province and a residential house in Bihsud district of Nangarhar province last Saturday night. Seventeen members of the same family, including women and children, were killed in the attack in Bihsud, making the situation more tense. In retaliation, Afghanistan launched strong attacks on Pakistani military posts across the Durand Line on Thursday night.
Meanwhile, internationally, Russia and China have offered mediation. Russia has called on both countries to abandon military confrontation and return to the negotiating table. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters that Russia expects direct military conflict on the Afghan-Pakistani border to end soon. At the same time, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning has also expressed willingness to mediate to calm the growing conflict between the two countries. On the other hand, India has strongly condemned Pakistani attacks targeting innocent civilians including women and children during the holy month of Ramzan. Responding to the attacks, External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said this was just another attempt by Pakistan to shift the blame for its internal failures elsewhere. Presently the tension on the border is at its peak and the eyes of the world community are fixed on the next activities taking place in this area.