Trump faults Pakistan for Afghanistan border flare-up

Amaravati, October 18, 2025:

U.S. President Donald Trump pinned responsibility on Pakistan for the intensifying skirmishes along the Afghanistan border, describing the dispute as straightforward to address during a lunch with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Friday. "I do understand Pakistan attacked, or there is an attack going on with Afghanistan, an easy one for me to solve if I have to," Trump remarked, underscoring his track record in halting violence.

The comments arrived as Pakistan's airstrikes shattered a 48-hour truce, claiming at least 10 lives in Paktika province and prompting Afghan officials to vow reprisals.

Pakistan's defence minister Khawaja Asif and intelligence head General Asim Malik are set to engage Afghan Taliban representatives in Doha on Saturday, with a Taliban delegation led by Defence Minister Mohammed Yaqub already en route, confirmed by spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid on X.

The escalation follows a week of deadly exchanges that killed scores on both sides.