By: Sadaf Noreen Awan
Since the creation of Pakistan in 1947, the border shared with Afghanistan, known as the Durand Line, has been one of the most contentious frontiers in South Asia. The two nations have long been divided not just by geography, but by politics, ethnicity, and historical mistrust. Afghanistan was the only country to oppose Pakistan’s admission to the United Nations, arguing that the Durand Line, drawn during British rule in 1893, unfairly divided the Pashtun tribes. This dispute laid the foundation for decades of tension and sporadic conflict that continue to shape relations between the two neighbours today.
In the decades following independence, Pakistan’s western border remained porous and largely ungoverned. The Soviet invasion of Afghanistan in 1979 changed everything. Millions of Afghan refugees fled into Pakistan, and Islamabad became a key staging ground for the anti-Soviet jihad. During this time, Pakistan supported Afghan mujahideen groups, hoping to maintain influence over its western neighbour. When the Soviet Union withdrew, Islamabad’s strategic calculus shifted again, and it sought a friendly government in Kabul that would prevent India from gaining a foothold there. This led to Islamabad’s backing of the Taliban movement in the 1990s, a relationship that would later come back to haunt both countries.
After the U.S.-led invasion of Afghanistan in 2001, Pakistan became a key ally in the “war on terror,” even as militant groups began using the rugged tribal regions as bases to attack both U.S. and Pakistani forces. Many Taliban fighters retreated into Pakistan’s borderlands, while splinter groups such as the Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) emerged and began attacking Pakistani targets, accusing Islamabad of betraying Islam by siding with the West. From 2007 onward, the TTP carried out bombings, assassinations, and ambushes that killed thousands of Pakistanis. Pakistan responded with large-scale military operations, such as Zarb-e-Azb (2014) and Radd-ul-Fasaad (2017)which drove many militants across the border into Afghanistan.
After the Taliban returned to power in Kabul in August 2021, Pakistan initially hoped for improved security cooperation. It expected that the new Taliban government would curb the TTP, which shares ideological and tribal ties with Afghan Taliban fighters. However, those hopes quickly faded. The TTP not only found refuge inside Afghanistan but also intensified attacks inside Pakistan, launching deadly cross-border assaults on military posts and convoys. Afghan border guards, too, occasionally exchanged fire with Pakistani forces over fencing disputes and territorial patrols.
Throughout 2023 and 2024, the border saw repeated skirmishes. Afghan forces fired on Pakistani troops, constructing new fences; Pakistan retaliated with artillery strikes. Each side accused the other of aggression, but both stopped short of full-scale confrontation. By mid-2025, however, violence had reached alarming levels. Afghan-based militants carried out coordinated raids into North Waziristan, Bajaur, and Orakzai, killing dozens of Pakistani soldiers. Islamabad warned Kabul that if it failed to rein in the TTP, Pakistan would act unilaterally.
The breaking point appears to have come in early October 2025. Following an ambush that left eleven Pakistani soldiers embraced Shadat near the Afghan border, Islamabad reportedly launched a series of retaliatory airstrikes. On the night of October 9–10, explosions shook Kabul. Regional media and intelligence sources claimed Pakistan had targeted senior TTP figures, possibly including the group’s leader, Noor Wali Mehsud. While Islamabad has not officially confirmed the operation, most analysts believe it was a calculated strike aimed at sending a clear message to the Taliban: Pakistan will no longer tolerate militants using Afghan soil as a sanctuary.
The incident is significant not only for its scale but also for its symbolism. Never before has Pakistan been accused of striking targets in the Afghan capital itself. It signals a profound shift in strategyfrom border containment to direct intervention.
Diplomatically, for Afghanistan, the situation is equally perilous. Any escalation with Pakistan could isolate Kabul diplomatically at a time when it desperately seeks international recognition and economic support. Border violence could also strengthen hardline elements within the Taliban who favour a more confrontational stance toward Pakistan, weakening moderate voices that advocate cooperation. Moreover, if cross-border strikes become routine, Afghanistan could face further destabilization, as rival factions use the conflict to expand their influence.
Regionally, the growing hostility threatens to undo efforts by neighbouring countries such as China, Iran, and the Gulf states to promote trade and stability in South and Central Asia. Both Pakistan and Afghanistan are critical to major infrastructure projects, including the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) and various energy pipelines. Continued violence along their border could jeopardize these projects, discourage investment, and push the region toward renewed instability.
At a press briefing following the incident, Director General of Inter-Services Public Relations (DG ISPR), Lt. Gen. Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry, clarified Pakistan’s position on the reported strikes and the broader security situation. He reiterated that Pakistan “has no aggressive designs” against Afghanistan and views it as a “brotherly, Islamic neighbor.” However, he warned that Islamabad “cannot and will not allow any terrorist group to use Afghan soil against Pakistan.” The DG ISPR said that Pakistan had repeatedly provided evidence to the Afghan interim government about the presence of TTP sanctuaries inside Afghanistan and that Islamabad had exercised “maximum restraint” despite continuous provocations. He emphasized that any measures taken by Pakistan were purely in self-defense, intended to safeguard its citizens and protect its territorial integrity. “Our patience should not be mistaken for weakness,” he added, underscoring that Pakistan’s security forces would respond firmly to any threat emanating from across the border.
To conclude, Pakistan’s recent actions and the firm statements from the DG ISPR reflect a decisive shift in Islamabad’s security policy toward Afghanistan. As he reaffirmed, in the press conference, that while Pakistan continues to view Afghanistan as a brotherly nation, it cannot compromise on its sovereignty or security. The general underscored that Pakistan has repeatedly shared concrete evidence with Kabul about the presence and movement of terrorist groups operating from Afghan soil, warning that tolerance has limits. His remarks came amid reports of an Afghan minister’s visit to India and discussions of New Delhi reopening its embassy in Kabuldevelopments viewed by Islamabad as part of a broader regional realignment that could further complicate peace and security along the western frontier. Pakistan remains cautious but resolute: while it desires stable and cooperative relations, it will not accept any hostile nexus that threatens its internal stability or disrupt the regional balance.
The message from Pakistan to the world is unambiguous. No country, including Afghanistan, will be allowed to use its territory for terrorism or aggression against Pakistan. Over the past two decades, Pakistan has paid an immense human and economic price in the global war on terrorlosing more than 80,000 innocent civilians and soldiers. The state’s patience and sacrifices should be recognized, not exploited. Islamabad’s actions are driven by the imperative of national defense, not hostility, and it continues to urge the international community to play its part in ensuring that Afghan soil is not turned into a sanctuary for militants. Peace in South Asia cannot be achieved through proxy wars or external manipulation; it requires mutual respect, genuine cooperation, and a shared commitment to counterterrorism. Pakistan’s message is clear: it stands for peace, but it will defend its people and its borders with unwavering resolve.
