Asif Mahmood
In the face of relentless terror attacks inside Pakistan by TTP militants operating from Afghan territory and growing Taliban aggression along the border, Kabul is once again trying to twist the facts. The truth, however, is clear. Pakistan has shown unmatched restraint, generosity, and goodwill toward Afghanistan, only to be repaid with hostility and bloodshed.
The ongoing border tensions are neither sudden nor unjustified. They are the direct outcome of years of cross-border terrorism originating from Afghan soil.
Since the Taliban takeover of Kabul in 2021, Pakistan has remained Afghanistan’s strongest supporter. When the rest of the world abandoned Afghanistan and closed their embassies, Pakistan kept its mission open, facilitated international evacuations, and provided critical assistance during the chaotic transition.
At the United Nations and other global forums, Pakistan repeatedly called for the unfreezing of Afghanistan’s nine billion dollars in assets to help its people. It also used regional platforms such as the Economic Cooperation Organization to lobby for humanitarian and economic relief for Afghanistan.
Pakistan has consistently stood for peace and stability in its neighborhood. Yet, instead of cooperation, Afghanistan allowed its soil to become a sanctuary for TTP and BLA militants who continue to attack Pakistan. Despite countless provocations, Pakistan pursued dialogue and diplomacy.
In July 2022, a respected delegation of ulema led by Mufti Taqi Usmani visited Kabul to urge both the Taliban and the TTP to end violence.
Shortly after, a 17-member tribal jirga travelled to Kabul with the same message of peace.
On February 22, 2023, Defence Minister Khawaja Asif and the then DG ISI led a high-level delegation to discuss security and border management.
In July 2024, Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi led another visit focused on counterterrorism cooperation. Pakistan has done everything a responsible neighbor could do to maintain peace.
Pakistan’s diplomatic efforts were also backed by economic initiatives. The Special Envoy for Afghanistan, Muhammad Sadiq, strengthened trade ties through the Early Harvest Program, reducing tariffs on eight key agricultural items to benefit Afghan traders. Pakistan also implemented the Afghanistan–Pakistan Transit Trade Agreement (APTTA), granting Afghanistan duty-free access to ports and regional markets, along with business visa facilitation and improved border trade mechanisms.
Despite these goodwill gestures, the Afghan regime allowed TTP violence to intensify. The Interim Afghan Government has failed to act against the TTP and BLA terrorists operating freely from its territory.
Since June 2025, Pakistani security agencies have documented a thirty-six percent increase in organized terror networks and a forty-eight percent rise in infiltration attempts, involving nearly four thousand militants crossing from Afghanistan into Pakistan.
Despite Pakistan’s verified evidence of these sanctuaries, Kabul’s silence exposes its complicity and disregard for peace.
No country has done more for Afghanistan than Pakistan. For over four decades, Pakistan has hosted more than five million Afghan refugees, provided education to over sixty thousand Afghan students, built hospitals, and supported reconstruction projects. This level of sacrifice and generosity is unmatched in modern history.
The Pakistan–Afghanistan border, one of the world’s softest, allows Afghans to cross using local permits instead of passports. This openness has been repeatedly exploited by militants while Kabul turns a blind eye.
Pakistan’s role in Afghanistan’s stability is a matter of record. True peace in the region now depends on Kabul matching Pakistan’s goodwill with responsible action.
Pakistan values dialogue and remains committed to a cooperative and mutually beneficial relationship with Afghanistan. But its sovereignty and the safety of its people are non-negotiable. Islamabad had made clear that any future provocation will invite a firm and proportionate response.
The Afghan Interim Foreign Minister’s recent remarks in India may serve temporary political interests, but Kabul should remember that India has always used Afghanistan as a pawn and abandoned it once its objectives were met. Afghanistan must choose between serving others’ interests or building a future of peace and trust with Pakistan.