The Taliban’s August 15, 2021 return to power was greeted in Pakistan as a chance to stabilize the border and manage refugee flows, but the group’s enduring mistrust—rooted in past arrests and the killing of Mullah Akhtar Mansoor—has translated into a refusal to crack down on Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan and Balochistan Liberation Army bases inside Afghanistan. As a result, cross-border attacks surged: Pakistan saw over 1,000 terrorism-related deaths last year, a 45 percent rise, and suffered the BLA’s deadly train hijacking that killed 50 security personnel.
Rather than addressing these threats, the Taliban deflects blame onto “external elements,” reviving Cold War-style propaganda and ignoring Kabul’s legal obligations to curb militancy. Pakistan’s limited, precision strikes on TTP hideouts—designed to protect its citizens—were met not with cooperation but with denunciations framed as violations of sovereignty, even as militants continue unhindered.
Meanwhile, India’s vocal support for Kabul in international forums and its rapid condemnation of Pakistan’s defensive actions reveal a deeper strategic aim: to counterbalance Pakistan’s influence by nurturing an Afghanistan that tolerates anti-Pakistan actors. Until the Taliban genuinely confronts terrorism within its borders and India abandons opportunistic diplomacy, Pakistan’s security concerns will remain both valid and urgent.
