Pakistan's relationship with the Afghan Taliban has entered a dangerous new phase. For months, Islamabad has been warning the Taliban regime that it cannot allow Afghan territory to be used by terrorist groups targeting Pakistan. There have been diplomatic contacts, warnings, mediation efforts and repeated assurances. None of that appears to have worked. Pakistan is now relying increasingly on military force, carrying out strikes deep inside Afghanistan against what it says are terrorist hideouts and infrastructure. But perhaps more significant than the strikes themselves is the language coming out of Islamabad.

The latest Corps Commanders Conference, chaired by Field Marshal Asim Munir on Friday, strongly backed the military's strategy. The statement issued by the ISPR, however, contained a phrase that perhaps best captures how far relations with Kabul have deteriorated. The military leadership referred to the "delusional Taliban leadership" and its main backer, India, as being responsible for the rise in........

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