As someone who has spent decades in the trenches of Pakistani journalism, I have witnessed the heavy price our country pays for the instability across our western border. While we spent today, March 10, celebrating a massive milestone with our 5G spectrum auction, a much grimmer reality was confirmed yesterday by the United States. Secretary of State Marco Rubio’s decision to designate Afghanistan as a State Sponsor of Wrongful Detention is a move that is as necessary as it is long overdue. For a veteran like myself, this feels like a moment of global validation for the frustrations Pakistan has voiced for years.

For far too long, Pakistan has tried to stabilize a neighbor that refuses to join the modern world. While we are busy building digital corridors and inviting the world to invest in our 5G future, the Taliban regime is busy practicing what the US rightly calls hostage diplomacy. It is impossible to ignore the contrast here. On one side of the Durand Line, we have a nation focused on 2026 and the technology of the future. On the other side, we have a regime using the same kidnapping and terrorist tactics they have used for decades. The US designation of Afghanistan as a Wrongful Detention Country is exactly what the region........

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