Caretaker Foreign Minister Jalil Abbas Jilani hit the bull’s eye when he lamented how TTP was “creating a lot of bad blood” between Afghanistan and Pakistan. Speaking on the sidelines of the ongoing UN session, he implored Kabul for the umpteenth time to fulfil lofty commitments made before the changing of the guard. In stark contrast to what the interim Afghan government had promised the world, terror outfits are unabatedly operating from sanctuaries, brandishing weapons left by American soldiers and making an utter mockery of the Doha Agreement. Hollow denunciations by a few in the leadership, especially when appearing before the international media, where Afghan Taliban discourage members from joining the war against the Pakistani state does nothing other than orchestrating a game of smoke and mirrors, largely because many, many others in the rank and file consider it a key ideological obligation to support the TTP. It has become extraordinarily hard to keep a tab on the organisation that enjoys widespread influence across a friendly border. Repeated warnings by the civil and military leadership in Islamabad about the consequences of these resurging attacks seem to have fallen on deaf ears amid swirling reports of foot soldiers in Afghanistan declaring the fight against Pakistani forces as the next phase of their jihad. Pakistan has tried its best by standing behind the new regime while dissuading the Taliban government from becoming a global pariah. Nevertheless, it cannot continue performing its brotherly duties if its own house is on fire. The state would have to consider policy options that address its own security concerns from the Taliban–good or bad. Since constant deliberations in the immediate neighbourhood in addition to nearly all incentives and even disincentives, in the policy kit, are not eliciting a favourable response, perhaps, it is time to pull out the regional approach. *