Pakistan and Afghanistan have been neighbors for more than eight decades, but since the inception of Pakistan, their relations have remained in crisis due to the arrogant attitude of the Afghan ruling elite.
Both countries share common culture, religion, language, ethnic affiliations, geography and various other ties, including economic interdependence and regional security interests, though the relationship remains uneasy and complex and can be characterized by significant differences. In fact, the relevance of the bilateral relationship varies as per the realist assumption that nations have interests, not friendships. Thus, each nation does not attach the same significance to the relationship, as Afghanistan represents a piece, albeit a very complex one, of Pakistan’s global and regional affairs. On the contrary, Afghanistan is Pakistan’s most important security concern because the country has provided safe havens to terrorist groups such as Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), born in 2007 as a movement mostly based in the northwest border region, involved in sabotage, killings, property damage and destruction in the provinces of Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, which are strategic assets and the economic lifeline of Pakistan.
Historically, Afghanistan is a landlocked economy, its resources are poor, globally isolated and it is at risk of unwelcome external influence, making the overall situation vulnerable. One-third of its population went into exile and most of the contested countryside is laden with landmines. The state itself has suffered due to internal problems and has been a victim of regional and global politics. During the decade-long Soviet-Afghan war, Pakistan hosted approximately 4.3 million Afghans and the country remains one of the world’s largest refugee-hosting countries in 2025, with some 3.2 million Afghans of various legal statuses residing in different cities. In this situation, Pakistan’s socio-economic and security landscape has remained fragile and challenging, with instances of political unrest and an uptick in security incidents, particularly in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan, affecting the interests of local people who have already suffered the destruction of basic infrastructure along with $180 billion in socio-economic damages.
At this point, Pakistan is at a delicate juncture because the country’s security guardians are worried about the concern that the Taliban harbour extremist violent groups, particularly the Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), who pose a potential threat to Pakistan’s security and stability. This group is involved in violent attacks inside the country while using the shelter or “safe havens” of the Taliban government. They are also well-connected with the Indian RAW, which is providing all facilities to destabilize Balochistan and Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa. There is no doubt that the TTP has been the greatest beneficiary of RAW since 2021, posing a significant threat to Pakistan’s national security. According to United Nations reports, the TTP is one of “the largest terrorist groups” in Afghanistan and receives growing support from the Taliban, who are connected with RAW and conducting cross-border attacks in Pakistan.
The present sensitive situation has emerged after the United States’ departure from Afghanistan and the Taliban’s takeover of the country in August 2021. According to reports, the Taliban have given overwhelming support to the TTP to take control of the tribal belt adjacent to Afghanistan. This focus became clear during peace negotiations in Kabul during 2023–2024 between the TTP and Pakistani officials. The TTP leadership demanded the reinstatement of the semi-autonomous status of the tribal belt (Ex-FATA), the removal of security forces and the implementation of Shariah in the region. The Pakistani government rejected the TTP’s demands, after which they started violent activities, including suicide bombings, sabotage and targeted killings of military forces and Chinese engineers, with the backing of the Taliban—challenging the country’s survival. In this situation, Pakistan decided to take decisive action against the TTP inside the country and Afghanistan. The present government has firmly decided that there will be no soft corner for extremist and anti-state elements, including the TTP, who operate freely in Afghanistan.
It has also been observed that Afghanistan is reluctant to take action against the TTP, despite Pakistan’s repeated requests not to allow Afghan soil to be used for subversive activities inside Pakistan. Kabul must take appropriate action against militants operating from Afghan territory, but in vain. Turkey and Qatar, being friends of both Pakistan and Afghanistan, have offered mediation services, but regrettably, Afghanistan is reluctant to provide written assurance, which means deep mistrust persists between the two countries—an obstacle to stable peace. Moreover, Kabul should avoid adopting Indian lines to pressurize Islamabad, as cordial relations with Pakistan would benefit Afghanistan more than ties with New Delhi. The good beginning thus ended due to the Taliban’s attitude, though new hope remains alive—provided Kabul addresses Islamabad’s long-standing concerns. Afghanistan must remember that providing shelter to terrorists will ruin the country and only peace will bring prosperity, as even the most disadvantageous peace is better than the most just war.
—The writer is a Defence and Security Analyst based in Islamabad.
