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OPINION JULY 31, 2026 | The Indian Eye 10

Graveyard of Empires:

Afghanistan’s

Pakistan Problem

Pakistan has always tried to influence the internal situation in Afghanistan

to suit its strategic objectives. Islamabad’s security-centric approach has dented

Afghanistan’s political system and inhibited its political growth

PRIYANKA SINGH

fter several months of ten-
sions, the Pakistan–Afghani-
Astan standoff seems far from
abating. In the latest round of hostili-
ties at the end of June 2026, Pakistan
conducted airstrikes on the Samkhani
district of the south-eastern province
of Paktia. Dozens were killed and
hundreds injured in these airstrikes,
along with considerable damage to
infrastructure. Afghan Interior Min-
ister Sirajuddin Haqqani visited the
families of the deceased and paid
condolences.
The recent strikes are part of
Pakistan’s series of operations that
started around the time of the Afghan
Foreign Minister’s trip to New Delhi
(October 2025). They peaked at the
time of the US–Israel attacks on Iran
towards the end of February 2026 and
have continued intermittently since
then. Pak–Taliban contentions stem
from the former’s discontent over
the Taliban government’s reticence in For nearly three decades of its existence, Pakistan has been directly involved in wars in Afghanistan under the US’s aegis (File photo)
containing the Pakistani Taliban, also
known as the Tehrik-e-Taliban Paki-
stan (TTP). who remained in Pakistan formed the ticularly the West, looks the other tactics, including a trade and transit
At the heart of the present Af- TTP. The residual Taliban pursued way, New Delhi has issued consistent blockade, which has only worsened
ghanistan–Pakistan hostilities has Pakistan to implement Sharia law in condemnations of Pakistan’s indis- the situation concerning the forceful
been the TTP, Pakistan’s biggest al- the country, and they did so by using criminate strikes against Afghanistan. expulsion of Afghan refugees across
batross on the internal security front. violence against Pakistan’s security The escalation of fighting has caused the Durand Line and, at the same
Post-9/11, the Taliban fighters took apparatus. Since the return of the Af- loss of lives and livelihoods, targeting time, led to financial losses of up to
refuge in Pakistan’s then FATA (Fed- ghan Taliban, Pakistan has remained women, children, and mostly hapless US$ 850 million.
erally Administered Tribal Areas) hopeful that they will stop providing civilians. The worst collateral impact Few salient realities that char-
region. Later, as the US war effort material and moral support to the Pa- has been the forceful deportation of acterize the dilemma of Afghanistan
began to stretch, especially after the kistani Taliban, their sibling faction. Afghan refugees, which Pakistan has and Pakistan can be described under
opening of another war in Iraq in Given the US–Iran hostilities, used as a punitive measure to deter the following heads. Some of these
2003, the Taliban started to return the renewed Pakistan–Afghanistan and punish the Taliban government in are part of the broad inherent prob-
to Afghanistan to build resistance tensions have remained overshad- Kabul. Apart from airstrikes, Pakistan lems that have long existed and are,
against the US-NATO forces. Those owed. As the rest of the world, par- has unleashed a string of pressure Continued on next page... >>

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