Afghanistan Peace Campaign
Pakistani media reported that officials in Islamabad have hinted at widening air operations deeper into Afghanistan territory if militant attacks continue, heightening fears of escalation.
Pakistan’s relations with Afghanistan’s Taliban authorities have sunk to a new low, with Islamabad voicing alarm over Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) militants operating from Afghanistan soil.
According to Dawn, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif told Kabul to “choose between Pakistan and the TTP,” warning that Islamabad would not accept further cross-border attacks from Afghanistan.
The statement followed Taliban allegations that Pakistani airstrikes in Nangarhar and Khost killed civilians. Islamabad rejected the claims, describing them as an effort to conceal Afghanistan’s own security failings.
Since the Taliban’s return to power four years ago, Pakistan has faced a sharp surge in TTP violence. Despite repeated calls, Kabul has failed to disarm or detain TTP leaders sheltering on its territory.
Dawn reported that Islamabad has grown increasingly frustrated after a year of diplomatic outreach, including high-level visits to Kabul, yielded no meaningful action from Kabul administration.
Pakistan has already carried out cross-border strikes against TTP hideouts, tightened restrictions on Afghan transit trade, and accelerated deportations of undocumented Afghan migrants. These steps underline what Dawn described as Islamabad’s “harder line” toward Kabul.
The newspaper also noted that officials in Islamabad have hinted at expanding the scope of air operations deeper into Afghanistan territory if militant attacks persist, raising fears of further escalation.
Analysts say the current tensions represent a “new low” in bilateral relations, with security concerns overshadowing trade and diplomatic ties between the two neighbors.
While dialogue channels remain formally open, mistrust is growing. Commentators warn that without tangible action from Kabul, Pakistan may be forced to escalate militarily, further straining an already fragile relationship.