The re-establishment of the Taliban as the governing party in Afghanistan upon the departure of the United States in 2021 left a political void in which the various Pashtun and non-Pashtun groups that contend for gaining influence began to rebel against Taliban rule. The Afghanistan Liberation Movement (ALM), ISKP, the Afghanistan Freedom Front (AFF), and the National Resistance Front (NRF) are the major ones among the anti-Taliban groups. Shortly following the Taliban takeover, these groups and fronts learned that a transition of power in Afghanistan was also ineffective. Amongst these groups, the National Resistance Front (NRF) has recently emerged as the overt anti-Taliban resistance group, launching a direct offense against the Taliban.

Pakistan has continuously tried its best to reconcile with the current Taliban government, but all in vain. Now Pakistan faces a policy dilemma: should Pakistan support the NRF as it has done in the past decades with other anti-Taliban groupings, or should it remain neutral and take unilateral coercive measures against the Taliban? In order to critically assess this situation, this article examines the NRF’s current activities in Afghanistan and expert opinions on Pakistan’s realignment. It concludes with some tangible policy recommendations preserving the national interest of Pakistan.

The NRF is an anti-Taliban resistance and guerrilla group that emerged during the first rule of the Taliban in Afghanistan during the 1990s. During that time, it was led by Ahmed Shah Massoud, who was publicly known as the “Lion of Panjshir.” He became the most significant enemy of the Afghan Taliban but was assassinated by Al-Qaeda just a day before 9/11. After his death, his son, Ahmed Massoud, is leading the NRF. The International Crisis Group (ICG)

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