Ceasefire talks between Pakistan and Afghanistan, mediated by Türkiye and Qatar, may offer temporary calm, but the deep historical mistrust, ethnic entanglements, and political manipulation that define the two nations’ relationship make peace a distant prospect. The recent clashes along the Durand Line-one of the world’s most contentious borders-show that the “shared war” between Kabul and Islamabad is not only about territory, but about identity, ideology, and the ghosts of history that refuse to die.

The border skirmishes that erupted in October along the 2,640-kilometer Durand Line once again revealed how volatile relations between the Taliban-ruled Afghanistan and Pakistan have become. Although Türkiye and Qatar succeeded in brokering a short-lived ceasefire agreement on October 18-19, renewed fighting just a week later claimed lives on both sides.

Ankara, a veteran mediator in Afghan peace processes, is determined to sustain the ceasefire. A high-level meeting between the two sides, scheduled for November 6, is expected to finalize mechanisms for monitoring the agreement. Pakistan’s defense minister, Khawaja Muhammad Asif, has made it clear that Islamabad’s cooperation depends on “clear, verifiable, and effective action” from Kabul against militants using Afghan territory to attack Pakistan-specifically, the Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP).

But such expectations are detached from reality. The Taliban, now in power in Kabul, are unlikely to take military action against the TTP, a group that shares their ideology, ethnic base, and history. Zabihullah Mujahid, spokesperson for the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan, stated that the Taliban “desire good relations with neighbors” but deflected responsibility by insisting that discussions would continue on “outstanding issues.”

The outstanding issue, of course, is that Afghanistan and Pakistan are bound together by........

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