The rising tensions along the Afghanistan-Pakistan border are not sudden, nor are they without cause. They stem from years of cross-border terrorism launched from Afghan soil, a bitter reality Pakistan has endured with patience and restraint. Islamabad’s concerns are neither abstract nor speculative; they are grounded in years of evidence, intelligence intercepts, and now, international verification. Reports from the United Nations and other monitoring bodies confirm that Afghanistan continues to shelter groups that operate against Pakistan, undermining both regional stability and the spirit of the Doha Agreement.
When the Taliban took over Kabul in 2021, Pakistan stood almost alone in keeping its embassy open while much of the world pulled out in panic. Pakistani officials facilitated the evacuation of foreign nationals, kept communication channels alive, and consistently called for unfreezing Afghanistan’s assets to ease its humanitarian crisis. Pakistan’s efforts extended beyond diplomatic corridors; it raised Afghanistan’s case at the UN, the Economic Cooperation Organization, and other regional forums. Yet, despite such goodwill, Afghanistan has turned into a refuge for militants who have shed Pakistani blood time and again.
The core issue remains the Taliban’s refusal, or inability, to act against the Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA), both of which continue to find sanctuary inside Afghanistan. Islamabad’s stance is simple: the ceasefire and post-Doha peace process can only endure if the Taliban prevents its soil from being used by these groups. The Doha Agreement’s very premise was a commitment by Kabul to end support for terrorist outfits, not to give them breathing space under new names or structures.
Pakistan’s approach has been measured, even conciliatory. Religious scholars, tribal elders, and high-level delegations have made repeated trips to Kabul; Mufti Taqi Usmani’s delegation in July 2022, the 17-member jirga that followed, and subsequent visits by Defense Minister Khawaja Asif and Interior Minister Naqvi all aimed to convince the Taliban to rein in the TTP. In total, since 2021, Pakistan has conducted hundreds of diplomatic exchanges: four foreign minister visits, two defense delegations, five trips by special representatives, and over 800 protest notes. Few countries would maintain such persistence in the face of constant provocation.
Yet the reality on the ground tells a different story. The TTP and allied groups like Fitna al-Khawarij (FAK) now operate more than 60 terrorist camps across Afghan provinces such as Kunar, Nuristan, Nangarhar, and Paktika. According to data from Pakistan’s security agencies, there’s been a 36 percent increase in infiltration attempts this year alone, with thousands of militants crossing into Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan. The 36th UN Analytical Support and Sanctions Monitoring Team Report (July 2025) confirmed what Pakistan has long warned: Afghanistan remains a permissive environment for terrorist groups, including Al-Qaeda and TTP, both of which enjoy operational linkages and logistical support under the Taliban’s watch.
This is not just neglect; it’s complicity. The UN report identifies several Afghan provinces still hosting Al-Qaeda fighters and notes that three new joint training camps have been established. TTP’s chief, Noor Wali Mehsud, reportedly resides in Kabul, drawing funding and protection from elements within the Taliban government. When news broke of an attempted attack on him in Kabul, the flurry of online denials from Afghan-based accounts only confirmed what Pakistan has said all along: these terrorists are living openly, under state protection.
Pakistan’s restraint has limits. While Islamabad continues to advocate for diplomacy and dialogue, it cannot ignore the loss of its soldiers and civilians. Terrorists armed with NATO-grade weapons, M4 carbines, night-vision gear, and thermal optics left behind by US forces now target Pakistani checkpoints and cities. In a recent attack on Frontier Constabulary headquarters in Bannu, three of the six assailants were Afghan nationals. The so-called Tahaffuz-e-Imarat-e-Islami Force, operating under Taliban patronage, carried out a deadly assault on a police training school in Dera Ismail Khan, killing seven officers. These are not isolated incidents but part of a pattern of state-enabled terrorism.
The hypocrisy of Kabul’s narrative is glaring. When Pakistan strikes verified terrorist targets inside Afghan territory, the Taliban government accuses it of violating sovereignty. Yet Afghanistan refuses to acknowledge its responsibility for harboring militants who cross that same border to kill Pakistanis. True sovereignty comes with accountability. You cannot shield terrorists and then claim victimhood when your neighbor defends itself.
For decades, Pakistan has been Afghanistan’s lifeline. It sheltered more than five million Afghan refugees, educated their children, built hospitals, and gave them economic access through the Afghanistan-Pakistan Transit Trade Agreement (APTTA). It reduced tariffs on Afghan exports under the Early Harvest Program and introduced visa facilitation measures for Afghan traders. These are not acts of hostility but of brotherhood. But goodwill cannot be a one-way street. After forty years of hospitality, Pakistan has every right, and obligation, to regulate Afghan nationals within its borders for the sake of national security and economic stability.
Today, the path to peace runs through Kabul, not Islamabad. The Taliban regime must abandon its policy of denial and confront the reality that the TTP and other extremist outfits are undermining both Afghan and regional security. No amount of rhetoric can disguise the fact that Afghan soil is being used by foreign intelligence networks and terrorist groups to destabilize Pakistan. If these attacks persist, Pakistan will have no choice but to strike at terror camps wherever they exist, in Kabul or beyond. The protection of its citizens comes before diplomatic courtesies.
Regional players like Qatar and Turkey, who played mediatory roles in the Doha process, now have a responsibility to ensure Kabul’s compliance. The world must understand that Pakistan’s patience is not infinite. It has exhausted every peaceful avenue, from religious outreach to direct diplomatic engagement, and received only betrayal in return.
Afghanistan must decide whether it wants to be a responsible state or a staging ground for chaos. Its future depends on that choice. Pakistan does not seek conflict but will never compromise on its sovereignty. The message is clear: Islamabad stands for peace, but it will no longer absorb violence imported from across the Durand Line.
Recommendations
- Kabul must take verifiable, time-bound action against TTP and BLA sanctuaries within Afghan territory.
- The Doha Agreement’s security clauses should be re-evaluated with international oversight to ensure compliance.
- Pakistan, Qatar, and Turkey should form a joint security coordination cell to monitor cross-border terrorism.
- The UN and OIC must pressure the Taliban to dismantle terrorist infrastructure and end proxy warfare.
- Pakistan should strengthen border fencing, tighten visa rules, and regulate Afghan presence within its borders.
- Long-term peace requires economic interdependence and transparent intelligence cooperation, not denial or deflection.
