PAKISTAN and Afghanistan relations have been characterized by over eight decades of intense hostility, irritation and annoyance, except for one decade (1979–1988) of cooperation, when Pakistan supported the Afghan resistance movement against the Soviet invasion to prevent the spread of communism. At that time, Pakistan was declared a “front-line” state and backed Afghan freedom fighters for the restoration of an independent and neutral Afghanistan. The Mujahideen successfully weakened Moscow and history referred to Afghanistan as the Soviet Union’s Vietnam. There is no doubt that it was Pakistan’s diplomatic and material support to freedom fighters that enabled a sustained insurgency to liberate Afghanistan.
After the Afghan war, the United States and Pakistan played a key role in transforming the freedom fighters into the Taliban, in an effort to stabilize Afghanistan. They seized power in Kabul with Pakistan’s backing and began violating human rights while also undermining centuries-old legal and Shariah principles. They devastated people’s lives through forced land seizures, oppression of marginalized farmers and illegal control over public resources. They also provided shelter to terrorist organizations, expanded internal fragmentation and worsened the economy, resulting in a chaotic security landscape that threatened global peace and stability. In this situation, the United States toppled the Taliban government in 2001 and initiated a 20-year military engagement, which ended with a rapid Taliban resurgence. The US withdrew in August 2021 and handed over power to the Taliban, but this created a profound humanitarian crisis. The Taliban imposed severe restrictions on women and provided safe havens to global terrorist groups, including Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), Al-Qaeda and Daesh, thereby creating a volatile security landscape.
In this situation, Pakistan engaged in high-level diplomatic efforts to persuade Kabul regarding deteriorating relations; however, the Kabul government largely ignored these concerns. Ultimately, Islamabad took action against terrorist networks, including Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), which is responsible for deadly terrorist attacks and killings in Pakistan. In this regard, some political observers argue that Kabul’s refusal to engage with Islamabad is intended to please the India-Israel nexus. At present, Pakistan’s relations with Kabul are highly tense and defined by a critical security deadlock. Kabul vehemently denies Islamabad’s claims and insists that the TTP is Pakistan’s internal problem. In this critical situation, Pakistan has conducted targeted military operations against terrorist networks and destroyed Afghanistan-based terrorist sanctuaries, brigade headquarters, ammunition depots, logistics bases, three battalion headquarters and two sector headquarters. As a result, there has been mass repatriation of undocumented Afghan refugees from Pakistan, which has further strained ties and disrupted local border communities and trade. The current situation has also damaged economic activity between the two countries, despite Pakistan remaining one of Afghanistan’s largest trading partners. Moreover, recurrent flare-ups have repeatedly caused the shutdown of vital commercial crossing points such as Torkham and Chaman, severely crippling cross-border trade.
It is also a fact that Pakistan has increasingly shifted away from its earlier policy of “strategic depth” due to changing regional and global dynamics. In the new geopolitical and geoeconomic landscape, Islamabad is actively engaging regional and global powers, including the United States, Russia, China, Iran and Gulf states, to promote trade, attract investment and coordinate a unified approach to pressure Kabul into acting against militant sanctuaries. However, there is strong recommendation from regional powers for Pakistan to adopt a more structured approach with soft diplomacy to improve communication, as the country is already facilitating ceasefire efforts between Tehran and Washington to avoid further escalation.
According to The Washington Post, China is involved in facilitating better relations between Pakistan and Afghanistan, as it views instability in the region—partly influenced by India-Israel cooperation—as a challenge to fostering a stable and cooperative environment. Conversely, Pakistan views Afghanistan as a critical partner in addressing regional security issues, particularly terrorism. Despite its own security concerns regarding Afghanistan, Pakistan seeks to maintain a cooperative relationship and has repeatedly emphasized the importance of dialogue and collaboration to enhance regional stability and address cross-border terrorism. Thus, the Afghan Taliban regime must understand that ongoing instability will harm Afghanistan more and engagement through dialogue can create a better environment. The Taliban must also recognize that prolonged conflict will have unpredictable and potentially devastating consequences. According to analysts and observers, New Delhi and Israel are allegedly using Afghan territory to sponsor terrorism in Pakistan; however, both are unlikely to achieve their objectives. Therefore, the Afghan Taliban must realize that continued geopolitical friction will damage its political and economic interests, while improved relations with Pakistan can serve as a foundation for stability, economic prosperity and lasting peace.
—The writer is a defence and security analyst based in Islamabad.
