Just a pause, not peace: The Pak–Afghan calm will slip again |
Just a pause, not peace: The Pak–Afghan calm will slip again
https://arab.news/rh4w2
A fragile calm has returned along the Pakistan–Afghanistan border, but it feels less like peace and more like exhaustion. After weeks of artillery fire, airstrikes, and drone attacks causing rising civilian deaths, both sides have stepped back; just enough to catch their breath. But even as the guns fall silent for now, distrust has not.
Last month’s strike on what was a drug rehabilitation facility in Kabul according to the Afghan regime, has hardened anger on both sides. Though Pakistan denies it, incidents where civilians are threatened deepen wounds, shape public opinion and close space for dialogue.
The core problem is simple: Pakistan is trying to manage the situation mainly through security, while Afghanistan is responding with denial and claims of sovereignty. Without trust and real cooperation on counterterrorism, this pause will not last.
When the Taliban returned to power in 2021, there was cautious hope in Islamabad. Many believed that a friendly government in Kabul would help contain the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP). But that hope has not been realized. Attacks inside Pakistan have increased. The Durand Line is again a flashpoint. Trade has slowed, and both sides now speak more in blame than in cooperation. In just the past two years (2024–2026), there have been at least four major flare-ups, showing a clear pattern: fight, pause, and then fight again.
At the heart of this........