Pakistan military’s aggression against Afghanistan that started through unprovoked airstrikes across the border eyeing to create instability in the landlocked country did not meet any objective. Taliban 2.0 led by proud Pashtuns retaliated and inflicted heavy damage on the Pakistan Army.
Being on the receiving end Afghanistan was merely retaliating. What is commendable is the fact that Taliban achieved major success on the battlefield without having a modern military exposing the chinks in the armor of the Pakistan Army. The current events have reached an inflection point and Af-Pak relations may not normalise for a long time to come.
Taliban is humiliating Pakistan openly which was unimaginable even two years back. "Empty trousers, recovered from abandoned military posts of the Pakistani army near Durand Line are displayed in eastern Nangrahar province, Afghanistan," according to Daud Junbish, an Afghan journalist with the BBC.
"If needed, we will also join the Mujahideen and the army of the Islamic Emirate on the battlefield," Mohibullah, a resident of Kandahar, was quoted by Tolo News as saying. The Durand Line, which has bifurcated the traditional Pashtun homeland, has never been accepted by the Pathans on either side.
Though a 48-hour ceasefire is in place, the war between Afghanistan and Pakistan seems to be far from over.
What can further complicate Af-Pak ties is the alliance between Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) and Islamic State Khorasan Province (ISKP), engineered by Pakistan. ISKP trained in camps in Balochistan is being used to target Baloch nationalists and Taliban regime in Kabul and network of ISKP is spreading to Central Asia and Russia.
Afghan Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid recently claimed that the Kerman attack in Iran (Soleimani anniversary) and the Moscow Crocus City Hall massacre were carried out by ISIS-K and “planned, organized, and executed from Pakistani centers.”
The Taliban-Pakistan relationship can be traced back to the Cold War period, when Pakistan, allegedly backed by the United States and Saudi Arabia, played the key role in arming and training mujahideen fighters to resist the Soviet Union in Afghanistan. Pakistan’s Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) deepened its involvement in Afghan affairs, creating anti Soviet networks that would later evolve into the Taliban.
Islamabad viewed the Taliban as a strategic asset to secure "strategic depth" in Afghanistan aimed at countering Indian influence. The U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan in 2021 marked a critical turning point. While Taliban returned to power, Pakistan’s hopes were dashed. Once in power, the Taliban began asserting independence. Rather than act as Pakistan’s proxy, the Taliban leadership displayed a nationalist streak and denied any presence of Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP).
The Durand Line, the disputed border between Pakistan and Afghanistan, has always been a sore point. The Taliban, like previous Afghan governments, refuses to recognise it as an international boundary. Clashes with the Taliban come when Pakistan is fighting with unrest in Balochistan and PoK and even political protests in the Punjab province. This may also complicate US plans in the region that was dependent on the Pakistan Army.
Being on the receiving end Afghanistan was merely retaliating. What is commendable is the fact that Taliban achieved major success on the battlefield without having a modern military exposing the chinks in the armor of the Pakistan Army. The current events have reached an inflection point and Af-Pak relations may not normalise for a long time to come.
Taliban is humiliating Pakistan openly which was unimaginable even two years back. "Empty trousers, recovered from abandoned military posts of the Pakistani army near Durand Line are displayed in eastern Nangrahar province, Afghanistan," according to Daud Junbish, an Afghan journalist with the BBC.
"If needed, we will also join the Mujahideen and the army of the Islamic Emirate on the battlefield," Mohibullah, a resident of Kandahar, was quoted by Tolo News as saying. The Durand Line, which has bifurcated the traditional Pashtun homeland, has never been accepted by the Pathans on either side.
Though a 48-hour ceasefire is in place, the war between Afghanistan and Pakistan seems to be far from over.
What can further complicate Af-Pak ties is the alliance between Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) and Islamic State Khorasan Province (ISKP), engineered by Pakistan. ISKP trained in camps in Balochistan is being used to target Baloch nationalists and Taliban regime in Kabul and network of ISKP is spreading to Central Asia and Russia.
Afghan Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid recently claimed that the Kerman attack in Iran (Soleimani anniversary) and the Moscow Crocus City Hall massacre were carried out by ISIS-K and “planned, organized, and executed from Pakistani centers.”
The Taliban-Pakistan relationship can be traced back to the Cold War period, when Pakistan, allegedly backed by the United States and Saudi Arabia, played the key role in arming and training mujahideen fighters to resist the Soviet Union in Afghanistan. Pakistan’s Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) deepened its involvement in Afghan affairs, creating anti Soviet networks that would later evolve into the Taliban.
Islamabad viewed the Taliban as a strategic asset to secure "strategic depth" in Afghanistan aimed at countering Indian influence. The U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan in 2021 marked a critical turning point. While Taliban returned to power, Pakistan’s hopes were dashed. Once in power, the Taliban began asserting independence. Rather than act as Pakistan’s proxy, the Taliban leadership displayed a nationalist streak and denied any presence of Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP).
The Durand Line, the disputed border between Pakistan and Afghanistan, has always been a sore point. The Taliban, like previous Afghan governments, refuses to recognise it as an international boundary. Clashes with the Taliban come when Pakistan is fighting with unrest in Balochistan and PoK and even political protests in the Punjab province. This may also complicate US plans in the region that was dependent on the Pakistan Army.
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