Reference: The Hindu
UPSC Relevance:
– GS Paper II: India & Neighbourhood, International Relations
– GS Paper III: Internal Security, Terrorism Cross-Border Dynamics
– Essay: Foreign Policy Contradictions
Pakistan initially celebrated the Taliban’s return to power in Afghanistan (August 2021), assuming it had regained strategic leverage. But Taliban’s victory emboldened the Tehrik-e Taliban Pakistan (TTP) — a militant outfit ideologically aligned with the Afghan Taliban but targeting the Pakistani state.
Result: Unprecedented spike in terrorist attacks inside Pakistan, especially in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP).
- 2,414 people killed in 2025 alone in militancy-related violence (Islamabad-based think tank).
Tensions exploded in October 2025, when Pakistan bombed Kabul targeting TTP. This triggered week-long cross-border retaliation, before a Qatar-brokered ceasefire.
Why Did Pakistan’s Strategy Backfire?
| Pakistan’s Expectation | Ground Reality |
|---|---|
| Taliban would remain a loyal proxy | Taliban now behave like a sovereign state, not a client |
| Taliban would control/suppress TTP | They shelter TTP, viewing them as ideological brothers |
| Strategic depth against India | Instead TTP used Afghan soil to attack Pakistan |
| Deporting refugees = pressure tactic | Backfired → further angered Kabul |
| India would have zero influence in Kabul | India built diplomatic presence, shocking Pakistan |
Key Flashpoints
- TTP demands: Imposition of strict Sharia, rollback of FATA-KP merger, release of prisoners — mirroring Afghan Taliban’s success.
- Durand Line dispute: Kabul refuses to recognise it; border skirmishes intensify.
- India factor: Pakistan alarmed by India–Taliban diplomatic outreach.
- Pakistan now using a doctrine similar to India — bombing foreign territory to deter terror camps.
Core Problem — Pakistan’s Contradictory Policy
For decades, Pakistan followed a “good terrorist vs. bad terrorist” duality:
- Backed Afghan Taliban & anti-India terror groups, hoping for strategic depth.
- Fought TTP, who now target Pakistani state.
This duplicity has collapsed — Pakistan is facing blowback from its own proxies.
Conclusion
Pakistan’s belief that air strikes on Kabul will fix its internal security is flawed. The root cause is its own decades-long patronage of jihadist groups. Continued escalation will only fuel further chaos and insurgency rather than stability.
