Editorial
The recent rare visit of Pakistan’s intelligence chief to Tajikistan at the close of 2024 has sparked critical analysis regarding rumors of Pakistan’s military removing Afghan Taliban check-posts in the Wakhan Corridor. While Islamabad has not confirmed the reports, and Kabul has vehemently denied them, the growing pattern of regional shifts suggests there may be truth to the claims. The maneuverings of espionage, sabotage, and shifting alliances signal a new “Great Game,” reminiscent of historical geopolitical struggles.
One clear indicator of changing dynamics is Pakistan’s airstrike in Afghanistan just prior to the alleged removal of Taliban check-posts. The retaliatory actions from the Taliban and the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) imply that the previously strong ties between Pakistan’s military and the Afghan Taliban are fraying. The Taliban’s failure to curb TTP activities across the border is a primary reason for this shift. Pakistan has expressed dissatisfaction with the Taliban’s refusal to rein in the insurgent group, marking a significant departure from their previous alliance.
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In parallel, India’s response to Pakistan’s airstrikes suggests that New Delhi may still consider Afghanistan a key player in its regional strategy. The possibility that Indian intelligence maintained covert ties with the Taliban during the final days of the Ghani administration cannot be ignored, especially given recent reports of Indian involvement in extremist groups along Pakistan’s border. This hypothesis gains weight when considering the increasing attacks by TTP on Chinese workers in Pakistan, a move that could align with US-India efforts to sabotage Pakistan-China relations, particularly the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC).
Finally, the Pakistani intelligence chief’s visit to Tajikistan, a vocal critic of the Taliban and supporter of the National Resistance Front of Afghanistan (NRF), raises further questions about Pakistan’s strategic recalibration. Tajikistan’s opposition to the Taliban regime and its geographic proximity to the Wakhan Corridor add a layer of complexity to the situation, suggesting that Pakistan is repositioning its interests in the region, possibly to counter the growing influence of the Taliban.
As the geopolitical chessboard in Central Asia shifts, the Wakhan Corridor—a historically significant area during the 19th-century Great Game between the British and Russian empires—may once again become a focal point of international rivalry, setting the stage for new power dynamics in the region.
