Kabul [Afghanistan]: Amid an increase in the Taliban’s offensives, Pakistan and Turkey have agreed to strengthen their defence relations and develop a common approach to tackle the deteriorating condition of Afghanistan. The development came after Turkish Defence Minister Hulusi Akar met Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan to discuss bilateral ties between Islamabad and Ankara, Gulf News reported. “Pakistan will continue to make every effort to help advance the Afghan peace process and to realise a political solution,” PM Imran Khan said on the war-torn situation of Afghanistan. PM’s remarks came soon after Afghan officials have accused Pakistan of extending support to Taliban terrorists and providing a safe haven to the insurgent groups and their affiliates. The Taliban with the help of the Pakistani Army has also intensified attacks in several provinces of Afghanistan. Earlier, Afghan first Vice President Amrullah Saleh had also taken part in a civilian protest against Pakistan and the Taliban in Kabul amid rising violence in the war-torn country. As the Taliban is gaining ground in Afghanistan by capturing many key cities in the country, the terror group is now forcing women to get married to its terrorists, a media report said on Thursday. Afghans are also witnessing the execution of captured soldiers and unprovoked attacks on civilians by the Taliban in its recent captured areas. Afghans pouring into Kabul and those still in Taliban-held areas say they have witnessed unprovoked attacks on civilians and executions of captured soldiers. In addition, they say, Taliban have demanded that communities turn over unmarried women to become “wives” for their terrorists, Wall Street Journal reported on Thursday. Meanwhile, the Taliban have publicly pledged to be magnanimous in victory, assuring government officials, troops, and the people of Afghanistan that they have nothing to fear as ever-larger swaths of the country fall under their control. But their actions say otherwise.
