Ahmad Dawar
For decades, Pakistan has treated Afghanistan not as a neighbor of convenience but as a brotherly nation bound by faith, geography, and shared history. During the Soviet invasion, civil wars, and even under Taliban rule, Pakistan opened its borders, homes, and hearts to millions of Afghans. Today, more than four million Afghan refugees still live, work, and raise their families on Pakistani soil. Yet, despite this long record of hospitality and sacrifice, Pakistan continues to face hostility and terrorism launched from Afghan territory.
This is not a new grievance. Since Pakistan’s creation, successive Afghan regimes — monarchs, communists, republicans, and now the Taliban — have often chosen politics of denial and aggression over goodwill. Islamabad has endured decades of blame, infiltration, and cross-border militancy, while maintaining its commitment to Afghanistan’s sovereignty and stability. But patience has limits, and Pakistan’s security cannot be compromised for the sake of misplaced fraternity.
Pakistan’s political and military leadership, both past and present, have repeatedly urged the Afghan government to restrain the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and prevent it from using Afghan soil to launch attacks across the border. Diplomatic missions, joint committees, and intelligence sharing were all initiated in good faith. Yet, the pleas have fallen on deaf ears. The so-called Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan has allowed these Khawarij elements to operate training camps, conduct attacks, and flee back into safe havens inside Afghanistan — a direct violation of international law and the principles of neighborly coexistence.
It is deeply regrettable that Pakistan, a nation that sheltered millions of Afghans for decades, is now the victim of their silence and complicity. The TTP’s bloodstained campaign against Pakistani civilians and soldiers has crossed all boundaries of tolerance. Islamabad has no intention of waging war against Afghanistan, but no sovereign nation can permit cross-border terrorism to continue unchecked. If Kabul remains unwilling or unable to act, Pakistan will have no choice but to exercise its right to self-defense and launch direct action against terrorist sanctuaries threatening its borders.
Under international law, the Taliban administration is obliged to ensure that Afghan territory is not used for terrorism against any state. The solution lies not in confrontation but in cooperation — in rooting out the militants who are exploiting Afghanistan’s instability for their own violent agendas. The Taliban must choose between being a responsible government or a safe haven for global terrorism.
Pakistan does not wish to fight Afghanistan. It does not seek an inch of Afghan territory. But it will defend every inch of its own soil. Islamabad’s patience should not be mistaken for weakness; unlike distant powers such as the United States or Russia, Pakistan is a neighbor, not an occupier. Its concern is not dominance but security — not aggression but peace.
The people of Pakistan still wish to see Afghanistan as a stable, sovereign, and prosperous Muslim nation. But such goodwill must be mutual. The Taliban leadership should realize that peace in Pakistan is inseparable from peace in Afghanistan. True brotherhood demands responsibility, not betrayal.
It is time for Kabul to act decisively — to dismantle terrorist networks, hand over militants, and prove that Afghan soil will no longer be used to shed Pakistani blood. The message is simple: live and let live. Both nations can coexist peacefully if Afghanistan chooses partnership over provocation, and peace over proxies.
