Pakistan appeared on the map of the world in August 1947 and new political boundaries were laid down. Our Eastern neighbor was India and in the west it was Afghanistan the brotherly Muslim state that became our new neighbor. Relations with India have been toxic since day one and after three wars and countless skirmishes we are still in a state of daggers drawn with our eastern neighbor. Afghanistan in the west is a different story with whom we have lived a love hate relationship. After over seven decades of independence we don’t have friendly neighbors but no matter what we do it is not possible to change neighbors we just have to live with them. Relations with Afghanistan have never been so ugly or toxic as we have today. There have been border clashes, air strikes and drone attacks on Afghanistan. Pakistan has accused the Afghan Govt. of the Taliban of supporting and helping the Pakistani Taliban to launch attacks on Pakistan from their sanctuaries in Afghan territory. Afghanistan has vehemently denied these charges and accuses Pakistan of violating the territorial integrity of their country and we are now virtually in a state of war with Afghanistan.
The Taliban regime in Kabul has now completed five years in power in August 2026 and as of today relations between Pakistan and Afghanistan are toxic and practically frozen to a standstill. The land border between the two countries has been closed since October 2025. What began in 2021with expectations in Pakistan of a more friendly relationship with Kabul has in fact resulted in a prolonged security and political impasse. Difficulties between the two neighbors go a long way back. Afghanistan was the only country in the world that opposed Pakistan’s entry to the United Nations in 1947 and since 1947 every Afghan Govt. has refused to accept the Durand Line as the international border and have also raised the question of Pakhtunistan claiming all the territory of KPK right up to the margalla pass.
The Soviet invasion of 1979 and the resultant influx of millions of Afghan refugees into Pakistan brought the two nations together for the duration of the Soviet occupation. The war against the USSR was waged with the moral political financial and material help from Pakistan, USA, Saudi Arabia and many other European countries.The war waged against the Soviet invaders was waged relentlessly until the Soviet withdrawal in 1989 and Pakistan was in the eye of the storm during this time. Pakistan was burdened with over six million Afghan refugees and Pakistan was happy to host all these people uprooted from their country. The influx of refugees brought with them the curse of drug addiction and cult of Kalashnikov culture resulting in a lot of pain and misery for the country. After 9/11 Pakistan once again bore the brunt of the American war on terror and the resultant Taliban campaign of suicide bombings in which over eighty thousand Pakistanis lost their lives. After twenty years of occupation the USA has again left Afghanistan and the Taliban are again in control of the country and once again the Taliban regime is daggers drawn with Pakistan.
The second coming of the Taliban in August 2021 resulted in a foreign policy reset by Pakistan. Pakistan welcomed the Taliban when they took control in Kabul and Imran Khan the Pakistani premier remarked that the Taliban “Have broken the chains of slavery” Pakistan hoped for the benefits of strategic depth meaning a friendly and compliant regime on our western borders. The theory of strategic depth does not hold water any more in 2026 because the regime in power in Kabul is anything but friendly or compliant.Attacks by TTP militants in Pakistan have led to dire consequences. The nation has endured significant losses, both in terms of invaluable human lives—civilian and military—and in economic terms. The rising tide of terrorism poses extensive repercussions for Pakistan. Although its international standing has improved recently, these assaults have once again threatened its reputation, resulting in diminished interest from foreign investors. Simultaneously, political instability in the country has created an environment where terrorism can thrive. In response to the terrorist attack in Kalat Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif emphasized that national unity is crucial to confronting the terrorism challenge.The need of the hour is indeed unity and a politically stable country that can focus on counter-terrorism operations and strategies.
A multifaceted approach is required to manage the menace of terrorism in the country. At the diplomatic level, the Pakistani government must increase dialogue with the Afghan government to find common ground for eradicating terrorist groups. At the tactical level, counter-terrorism strategies need to be revised and rebooted according to the asymmetrical strategies of militant groups.
Thorough research and analysis are significant for studying the asymmetrical strategies of the banned groups. Moreover, key regional players in Asia, such as China and Russia, can also play their part in combating and containing terrorism by engaging with Afghanistan. Pakistan is confronting various challenges across economic, political, and social fronts. However, the issue of terrorism must be tackled directly, for without peace, the nation cannot reach its full potential.
—The writer is Professor of History, based in Islamabad
