This piece stems from my last column, “When Pigs Fly”, published on October 25, 2025. After hosting thankless and ever-exploiting Afghans for over 40 years at a very heavy political, economic, security, and socio-psychological cost, and enduring their ever-increasing shifting-sands-like hired-guns role inside and outside Pakistan, it was concluded: “With Chinese-like firmness, Pakistan’s leadership needs to bury the useless clichés of Muslim brotherhood, friendship and neighbourhood, and speak purely in terms of national interest — which is the comprehensive security and well-being of the Pakistani people. One should expect loyalty and friendship from Afghan rulers only when pigs fly!”. The tumultuous history of Afghanistan has seldom seen peace for a host of internal and external reasons, and modern Afghanistan has remained a battlefield for the great powers. Nevertheless, whenever the Great Game gave respite, Afghans’ internal power play always ensued due to sub-nationalist, ethnic, sectarian, inter- and intra-tribal feuds. Since 1947, the main fallout, whether because of foreign aggression or internal strife, has been endured by Pakistan due to porous borders, misplaced ethnic affinity, misuse by religious or sectarian cults, and the financial interests of powerful mafias running a parallel economy by exploiting the most controversial Afghan Transit Trade — besides indulging in the smuggling of drugs, weapons and........

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