I have often heard from the elders that if one truly wishes to eradicate evil, one must strike at its root. Diagnosing the cause of a disease or a problem requires patience, wisdom, and time. Sometimes, the diagnosis itself takes longer than the cure. But once the root is identified, the healing follows swiftly. However, when the diagnosis is incorrect, the consequences are often severe and enduring. Such has been the case with the growing tension between Pakistan and Afghanistan, a crisis whose roots were known to Pakistan from the very beginning, yet whose resolution demanded both endurance and resolve.
Pakistan’s approach has always been cautious, deliberate, and grounded in reality. It recognised early on that the forces behind Afghanistan’s hostility were not merely ideological but strategic, with India’s invisible role exacerbating instability along the western frontier. This mischief, long allowed to grow in the shadows, was finally confronted decisively this May. Yet, habits of deceit and manipulation, once formed, take time to unlearn. Hence, Pakistan had no choice but to apply a firm but measured approach to correct a neighbour that had lost its sense of balance.
The recent border flare-up was neither impulsive nor unjustified. It was the direct consequence of years of cross-border terrorism originating from Afghan soil. The core issue remains Afghanistan’s refusal to dismantle terrorist networks that continue to wage war against Pakistan. From the TTP to the BLA, these groups operate without restraint, their existence and activities verified by numerous international reports, including those from the United Nations.
Pakistan has long exercised patience. It has relied on dialogue, diplomacy, and appeals grounded in brotherhood to encourage Kabul to fulfil its promises. In 2022, Pakistan’s revered ulema, led by Mufti Taqi Usmani, visited Kabul to persuade both the Taliban and the TTP to halt their violence. A tribal jirga followed soon after, and official delegations led by senior ministers continued to travel to Afghanistan throughout 2023 and 2024, each carrying a message of peace and cooperation. Yet the response from Kabul remained indifferent, if not defiant.
It is still not too late. Afghanistan can choose to walk the path of peace, not for Pakistan’s sake, but for its own survival and stability
Despite Pakistan’s goodwill, from facilitating trade and easing visa regimes to lobbying for the unfreezing of Afghanistan’s assets, the interim government in Kabul allowed its territory to become a sanctuary for those who kill Pakistanis. The irony is painful. When the Taliban took Kabul in 2021, Pakistan kept its embassy open while much of the world abandoned Afghanistan. Pakistan ensured the safe evacuation of foreign nationals, advocated for humanitarian aid, and urged global powers to recognise the Afghan government. Yet in return, Pakistan received bullets, bombings, and betrayal.
The truth is now clear. Verified intelligence, corroborated by the UN’s 36th Analytical Support and Sanctions Monitoring Team, confirms that the Taliban regime shelters and funds the TTP and Al-Qaeda. Training camps thrive across Kunar, Nuristan, and Paktika. Thousands of militants cross the border into Pakistan under official protection. Even TTP leaders live comfortably in Kabul, drawing funding that sustains their operations against Pakistan. This is not ignorance. It is complicity. It is, by definition, state-backed terrorism.
Pakistan’s patience, though vast, is not infinite. Every drop of blood shed by our soldiers and civilians demands accountability. For decades, Pakistan hosted over five million Afghan refugees, a gesture unmatched in modern history. It sacrificed socially and economically to keep its neighbour afloat, building hospitals, educating Afghan youth, and supporting reconstruction. But generosity cannot become servitude. The time has come for Afghans to return to their homeland. Their “Islamic revolution” is now five years old, and it is time they rebuild their own country with dignity. Pakistan’s land and resources belong to its 250 million citizens, who have borne enough of the burden.
Pakistan’s efforts to foster economic cooperation have been equally sincere. The Early Harvest Programme reduced tariffs to boost Afghan exports, and the Afghanistan–Pakistan Transit Trade Agreement opened our ports for Afghan goods. Yet, in return, we received cross-border attacks, infiltration, and the martyrdom of our security forces. Pakistan’s sovereignty has limits, and when violated repeatedly, those limits become red lines.
Afghanistan must understand that sovereignty is not merely a slogan. It is a responsibility. One cannot demand respect for borders while exporting terrorism across them. When Pakistan targets terrorist hideouts inside Afghanistan, Kabul accuses it of aggression, ignoring the fact that these targets pose legitimate threats. Terrorists build homes and training facilities inside Afghan cities; their presence is known, tolerated, and often aided. The Taliban’s silence in the face of such open violations of international law is, in truth, an admission of guilt.
Afghan soil has once again become a playground for foreign intelligence agencies. Weapons left behind by NATO, worth billions, now arm the very militants who murder Pakistanis. Afghan nationals, trained and funded, are part of terrorist teams striking Pakistan’s cities and security installations. This can no longer be excused as an internal matter. It is organised aggression.
Pakistan’s restraint should never be mistaken for weakness. We value dialogue and diplomacy, but the protection of our sovereignty and our people is paramount. If attacks continue, Pakistan reserves the right to eliminate terrorist bases wherever they exist. We are a nation of patience, but also of resolve.
For over four decades, Pakistan has stood with Afghanistan through war, famine, and political collapse, guided by faith and fraternity. Yet true brotherhood cannot be one-sided. Afghanistan must now prove that it values this bond by acting against those who misuse its land to shed innocent blood. The Taliban regime must rise above denial, honour its commitments under the Doha Agreement, and take verifiable action against the TTP and its affiliates.
It is still not too late. Afghanistan can choose to walk the path of peace, not for Pakistan’s sake, but for its own survival and stability. History will remember those who sowed division, but it will also honour those who dared to uproot the evil that threatened two nations bound by faith and fate.