Editorial
The Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) problem, once confined to the Pak–Afghan border, has now expanded into a larger regional challenge. What was earlier viewed as a bilateral security concern between Islamabad and Kabul is rapidly transforming into a proxy arena involving India. Intelligence and policy circles in Islamabad increasingly believe that New Delhi is exploiting Afghan soil to destabilize Pakistan through covert networks and militant linkages.
For decades, Pakistan has sought stability on its western frontier, investing heavily in humanitarian and political engagement with successive Afghan regimes. Yet, the post-2021 Taliban government has failed to curb the TTP’s cross-border terrorism. Now, with Indian intelligence footprints emerging in Afghan territory, the situation has become even more volatile. India, long frustrated by Pakistan’s strategic influence in Afghanistan, appears to be reasserting itself through indirect means — funding, training, and logistical support for groups hostile to Pakistan.
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This development makes normalization of Pak–Afghan relations far more difficult. The presence of a third actor, driven by regional rivalry rather than reconciliation, undermines dialogue and trust between Islamabad and Kabul. For Pakistan, countering this multi-layered threat requires both diplomatic agility and internal unity. Political divisions and inconsistent messaging only embolden adversaries. The country’s political leadership must rise above partisanship and reaffirm a single national stance on border security and counterterrorism.
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Pakistan’s western policy now stands at a crossroads. It must manage a turbulent Afghanistan, contain TTP militancy, and counter India’s covert interference — all at once. The path forward demands national consensus, regional coordination, and a realistic understanding that peace in Afghanistan cannot exist without Pakistan’s security being guaranteed. The Afghan front, once peripheral, has now become central to Pakistan’s strategic survival.
