The Afghan mess

The Afghan Taliban's tendency to blame Pakistan for deteriorating bilateral relations is nothing but an excuse to hide behind political exigency. The fact is that the reclusive regime in Kabul is squarely responsible for looking the other way as terror groups operate with impunity from Afghan soil. This complicity has been documented by the UN and various human rights bodies, which have called upon the militia to act with the decency expected of a sovereign state by shunning radicalism. Thus, the allegations repeated by Taliban spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid - claiming that Islamabad's "wrong policies" prevent a resolution to the conflict - amount to nothing more than sham politics.

For decades, Pakistan has stood at the vanguard of combating terrorism both at home and abroad. It has consistently engaged in every major dialogue process with the Taliban since their return to power in August 2021, driven by the hope that Kabul would commit to normalising bilateral relations. It is deeply concerning, however, that the Taliban regime routinely views non-state actors through a highly politicised lens, choosing to treat them as indispensable allies of the past. This misplaced loyalty lies at the heart of the current friction, providing a free pass to groups like Al-Qaeda, ISKP and TTP to operate with total impunity and launch deadly, cross-border operations.

Islamabad was entirely justified in reminding Kabul that "shifting blame, making hollow assurances, and questioning Pakistan's policies will neither resolve the crisis nor absolve Kabul of its responsibilities." The need of the hour is to view security through a shared prism of regionalism. This demands that Kabul halt cross-border provocations against Pakistani check-posts, cease deploying drones, and stop allowing terror cells to launch deadly rampages across the border. Meanwhile, the assertion by US Secretary of State Marco Rubio that Washington will evaluate the situation and intervene is too little, too late. The region is still reeling from the hasty, chaotic withdrawal of American forces from Afghanistan, an exit that left behind billions of dollars in military hardware and a shattered civil edifice.