SINCE the United States troops’ withdrawal from Afghanistan in August 2021, Pakistan has been persuading the de facto Taliban Government in Kabul to end its patronage of the terrorist organizations and abide by its commitments made in the Doha Agreement about preventing terrorist groups from using Afghan soil for perpetrating terrorist acts in any other country.

Ironically, instead of ending the sanctuaries of the terrorist organization on its territory, the Taliban Government protects, finances and weaponizes the terrorist groups which have been involved in terrorism in Pakistan. The militant policy of the Taliban has driven both sides toward a dangerous war-like posture.

Pakistan and Afghanistan share a 2650-kilometer border that has long been vulnerable to militant activity, smuggling networks and weapon trafficking. Islamabad had approached Kabul many times to resolve the irritants through peaceful means. It also used the good offices of friendly neighboring and Muslim countries to influence the Afghan Taliban to act rationally and terminate their militant strategy. For instance, in October 2025, after intense clashes at the border, Qatari-Turkish mediation produced a ceasefire between Afghanistan and Pakistan.

The Pakistani-origin terrorist groups, with the connivance of the Afghan Taliban, have unleashed violence against the Pakistani law enforcement agencies and innocent civilians in........

© Pakistan Observer