Over the past several months, Pakistan has faced an alarming surge in terrorist attacks targeting military posts, convoys, and police installations.
The perpetrators—members of the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), renamed as Fitna al-Khawarij (FAK)have intensified their assaults across nearly all border districts adjoining Afghanistan. Particularly, Dera Ismail Khan and areas of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa have become recurring targets of these violent operations. In recent weeks alone, numerous Pakistani soldiers, including senior officers, have embraced martyrdom while heroically countering terrorist incursions. In these retaliatory operations, dozens of FAK terrorists were eliminated. However, these attacks continue unabated because the militants enjoy safe havens inside Afghanistan, under the protection and patronage of the Afghan Taliban government.
Evidence gathered through Pakistan’s counterterrorism operations reveals that the Afghan Taliban regime is aiding the FAK (TTP) in four major ways: a) Providing safe hideouts and sanctuaries on Afghan soil, b) Supplying weapons, ammunition, and financial assistance in collaboration with Indian spying network RAW, c) Ensuring logistical support for cross-border terrorist attacks of FAK, d) Reinforcing TTP cadres with trained Afghan fighters of Taliban Militia. Despite Pakistan’s repeated diplomatic engagements urging the Taliban government to act against these FAK terrorists and hand over wanted commanders, Kabul has refused cooperation. This resistance stems from the historical camaraderie between the Afghan Taliban and FAK (TTP); both fought shoulder to shoulder against U.S. and NATO forces during first two decades of 21st century.
While debating the operational evidence of cross-border terrorism, Pakistan’s ongoing counterterrorism operations in Malakand, Bajaur, Zhob, North Waziristan, and other areas have exposed this entrenched nexus. Between April and September 2025, several joint operations revealed the direct involvement of Afghan nationals alongside TTP militants: a) North Waziristan (25–28 April 2025): 71 Afghan-based terrorists killed, b) Bajaur (29–31 July 2025, Operation Sarbakaf): 7 TTP terrorists killed; among them, 4 were Afghan-linked, c) Malakand (16–20 July 2025): 9 terrorists killed; Afghan operatives captured, d) Zhob, Balochistan (7–10 August 2025): 50 Afghan-based terrorists killed, 90% of whom were Afghan nationals, e) Upper Dir (26 August 2025): 9 TTP terrorists killed; cross-border links confirmed, f) Bannu (2 September 2025): 6 soldiers martyred; 1 Afghan suicide bomber identified, g) Sarwakai, South Waziristan (7 September 2025): 7 terrorists killed, including an Afghan explosives expert and h) Bajaur (7 September 2025): 2 killed, 3 injuredamong them, an Afghan national from Logar province.
All these counter terrorism operations confirm that Afghan territory is being used as a launching pad for terrorism against Pakistan.Pakistan Raises Alarm at the United Nations; on 20 August 2025, Pakistan’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations submitted a detailed report to the UN Security Council, highlighting Afghanistan’s continued use as a base for terrorism. The report reaffirmed Islamabad’s warnings that Afghan-based militants pose a persistent global threat. Despite trilateral dialogues between Pakistan, Afghanistan, and China, cross-border attacks have continued, demonstrating the Taliban regime’s unwillingnessor deliberate refusalto rein in these groups.
Independent analyses by international experts also validate Pakistan’s claims.
In a June 16, 2023, report published in the Long War Journal, Bill Roggio—Senior Fellow at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies (FDD)—wrote that “the Taliban, with the help of Al Qaeda, is directly sheltering, supporting, and training the TTP despite claims to the contrary.”Similarly, the UN Security Council’s Analytical Support and Sanctions Monitoring Team in its June 9, 2023 report, confirmed that “the link between the Taliban and both Al Qaeda and Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) remains strong and symbiotic.” The report adds that these groups enjoy freedom of action within Afghanistan, posing a growing threat to Pakistan and regional stability.
After the U.S. and NATO withdrawal from Afghanistan in August 2021—facilitated largely through Pakistan’s diplomatic efforts—the Taliban returned to power. Ironically, Pakistan’s security deteriorated instead of improving after their takeover. The TTP intensified its attacks in a bid to extract political concessions from Islamabad, particularly demanding semi-autonomous control over parts of the former FATA region.
During the U.S.-NATO presence (2004–2021), Pakistan endured enormous sacrifices—both in lives and economy—while acting as a frontline state against terrorism. Yet, the international community offered minimal recognition or compensation for these losses. Despite this, Pakistan ensured a smooth drawdown of foreign forces and supported peace efforts culminating in the Doha Agreement of 2020.However, the post-withdrawal era exposed Pakistan to renewed terrorism, as the Taliban regime prioritized ideological alignment with the TTP over neighborly peace.
Alarmingly, instead of curbing TTP activities, the Taliban regime now seems to be aligning with India, further aggravating Pakistan’s security concerns. The Afghan Interim Foreign Minister’s recent visit to New Delhi reportedly focused on expanding bilateral cooperationan agenda suspected to involve intelligence collaboration against Pakistan. India’s external intelligence agency, RAW, is extending financial and technical support to TTP elements with Kabul’s approval.
The persistence of cross-border terrorism from Afghanistan represents a direct threat to Pakistan’s sovereignty and internal stability. It underscores the failure of the Taliban government to honor international obligations or bilateral assurances. Pakistan must therefore revisit its counterterrorism strategy, adopting a more comprehensive approach that accounts for evolving regional dynamics.
While Islamabad continues to seek cooperation from Kabul, it must also strengthen border management, enhance surveillance, and mobilize diplomatic channels to expose the Taliban’s duplicity at international forums. The time has come for the international community to recognize the Afghan Taliban’s complicity in fostering terrorism and to act decisively before the region is pushed into another prolonged cycle of violence.
— The writer is Professor of Politics and IR at International Islamic University, Islamabad.
