PAKISTAN, historically a key supporter of the Taliban, now attributes its security challenges to the assistance provided by the group in Afghanistan, despite two decades of international forces’ presence since the September 11 attacks. As both countries face internal crises, their relationship is marked by increasing friction, contrasting the initial perception that a Taliban victory in Afghanistan would be synonymous with Pakistan’s triumph.

How has the Afghan Taliban-Pakistan relationship evolved against the backdrop of geopolitical changes in the region, and why are the two erstwhile friends at loggerheads now? Terrorists targeting Pakistan receive support from Afghan Taliban, who are at the helm of affairs since the withdrawal of international forces in August 2021. Pakistan could not anticipate Afghan Taliban hidden enmity for Pakistan. Taliban arrival in Kabul was considered synonymous with Pakistan’s victory owing to the historical convergence of interests between the two. Some in the policy corridors believed it was Pakistan that had actually triumphed in Afghanistan. Following the Taliban taking over Kabul, Pakistan’s then Premier Imran Khan said that the people in Afghanistan had broken the shackles of slavery, eulogizing Taliban. Pakistan has long been seen as not only sympathetic toward Taliban in Afghanistan but also the group’s........

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