The internal security situation in Afghanistan continues to change rapidly as the Taliban make advancements across different parts of the country. The fighting has also reached Kandahar airport as it was reported that the insurgents launched three rockets overnight to thwart the air strikes being conducted by the ANSF. While no casualties have been claimed yet, the rocket attacks did force the authorities to suspend all flights as the runway was partially damaged.

This level of violence is unsustainable for Afghanistan due to the loss of lives and serious damage to infrastructure. In light of this untenable situation and the slow progress of intra-Afghan talks, Russia, Pakistan, the US, and China are meeting on August 11 in Doha to explore avenues of reducing violence and to find a durable political settlement. This meeting could not have been more timely as all of the four countries are coming up with their proposals on how to accelerate the stalled peace process.

Given the importance of this meeting, Pakistan must ensure that it raises all of its concerns because of how it is disproportionately impacted by the ongoing situation. Sources reveal that the Pakistani delegation is expected to take up the issue of India’s involvement in Afghanistan including the use of Indian defence equipment. In addition to this, Islamabad should address the potential refugee crisis as it will pose significant security, administrative, and economic challenges.

The NSA Moeed Yusuf has rightly stated that it is the responsibility of the international community, particularly the US, to create a secure area inside Afghanistan for displaced Afghans instead of pushing them into Pakistan. Pakistan’s capacity is already limited considering how the violence spillover has begun with attacks targeting security forces in the border areas. Given the hasty nature of the US withdrawal, DC should take more ownership of the resulting fallout.