A war may conclude with a troop withdrawal, but its weapons often continue fighting long after soldiers leave the battlefield. August 2021 departure of US and NATO forces from Af-ghanistan left behind defence equipment worth an estimated 7 billion dollars. Originally supplied to the Afghan National Defence and Security Forces, this military inventory was seized by the Afghan Taliban. A significant portion has since flowed into the hands of anti-Pakistan militant groups, most notably Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and the Baloch Liberation Army (BLA), creating a grave security threat across the border.

The sheer volume of hardware left behind in 2021 remains striking. According to official SIGAR reports, NATO and US forces left behind over 167,550 rifles, 41,500 machine guns, 265 mortars and more than 40,000 military vehicles, including 12,000 Humvees. SIGAR’s final oversight report detailed further equipment that fell under Taliban control, including 78........

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