Recently, there have been a series of firefights between Pakistan and Afghanistan on the border, and it is worth noting that the initial incident occurred in the Chaman area, resulting in the death of one Pakistani border guard officer and the wounding of two.
First of all, it needs to be clear that the location of the exchange of fire between Baa and Afghanistan this time is very sensitive. Because Balochistan province, where Chaman is located, is a necessary place for the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor, and Chaman itself is an important transit point for bilateral trade and transit trade between Pakistan and Afghanistan.
[Pakistani and Afghanistan exchange of fire on the Chaman border]
This reminds us that before the Pakistani Prime Minister visited China, the China-Pakistan Joint Statement also confirmed that it will be committed to extending the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor to Afghanistan. It is conceivable that if the Pakistani government and the Afghan Taliban cannot properly handle this exchange of fire, it will not only affect the relations between the two countries. It will also have an impact on the strategic pattern of Afghanistan's docking with the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor.
[Chaman is the only way for Bao-Azerbaijan economy and trade, and its importance can be seen]
After the exchange of fire, the Pakistani side reacted very toughly and closed the crossing point of Chaman at the first time. Only stranded Afghan and Pakistani personnel are allowed to return to their respective countries, but trucks carrying goods are not allowed to cross the border. In a statement, the Chaman district administration said the crossing point is now closed indefinitely for trade and all other activities. Until the Afghan Taliban hand over the killers, the border will not be opened again.
It can be seen that the Pakistani side attaches great importance to the exchange of fire. Not only because of the casualties on their own side, but also because the incident itself is quite suspicious. The video shows the attackers suddenly approaching Pakistani border guards and quickly pulling out their weapons and opening fire, followed by gunfire around the crossing and an exchange of fire between security forces on both sides.
[During the exchange of fire, people around the border crossing point look for shelter]
As for the authenticity of the video, it was also confirmed by Pakistani security service personnel. However, it is not clear whether the cause of this incident was a verbal and physical altercation between the two sides, or whether it was planned for a long time. Atta also did not comment on the incident. The Pakistani response was not optimistic, with local officials saying that Pakistan tried to solve the problem through negotiations, but the efforts did not produce results. The implication may be that the two sides broke up unhappily.
Another doubt is that there are also contradictions in the news released by the Afghan Taliban about the whereabouts of the murderer. Some sources in the interim government said that the killer, who had recently joined the Afghan border security service, had been arrested; But others revealed that the whereabouts of the killer are still being found. Obviously, there is no specific clue within the Atta Provisional Government about this incident.
It is not difficult to see that what happened on the Pakistan-Afghanistan border, the water may not be ordinarily deep, and people can't help but sweat for the relationship between the two countries. After all, the Taliban's main source of finance, facing Western economic sanctions, is agricultural exports to China on the one hand, and bilateral trade with Pakistan on the other. Once the Chaman exchange of fire is not properly resolved and the border crossings are closed for a long time, Pakistan's economic and trade relations with Afghanistan are bound to begin to decline.
[After the exchange of fire, the Pakistani side closed the border crossing]
What is more worrying is that behind this incident, the current security situation in Afghanistan is also reflected, which is still not optimistic. Although the Afghan Taliban has long made security commitments to neighboring countries, including China and Pakistan, it seems that it is still far from being realized. This poses unpredictable risks to the plan to extend CPEC to Afghanistan.
Especially considering the series of tough reactions of the Pakistani side and the many doubts in the exchange of fire, we cannot rule out the possibility that some people in the Atta Interim Government do not appreciate the help extended by China and Pakistan to Afghanistan, and try to sabotage it. And because China can't afford to offend, it will first create friction with Pakistan.
You know, within the Afghan Taliban, it is not monolithic. Since the formation of Atta's provisional government, he has simultaneously engaged with China, the United States and Russia. The group of members responsible for engaging with the United States are based in the Middle East and have long been separated from the Taliban group in Afghanistan. These people have considerable say in the Atta interim government, but due to their long-term dealings with the United States, their understanding of the particularity of Afghanistan-China-Pakistan relations may not be deep enough.
【Truck stranded at the Pakistan-Afghanistan border】
So, will the exchange of fire on the Pakistan-Afghanistan border have an impact on the bilateral relations between Pakistan and Afghanistan, and even the overall situation of the construction of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor?
This depends on whether the Atta government can reach a broad internal consensus and try to get rid of the infiltration influence of extraterritorial forces. In this way, Atta's security commitment to neighboring countries can be better fulfilled. Otherwise, it would be impossible to extend the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor livelihood project to Afghanistan.