It’s a sad truth that sometimes, the deepest wounds are inflicted by those you’ve helped the most. For years, we in Pakistan have watched with a growing sense of frustration and grief as the very Afghan brothers we sheltered have allowed their soil to be used for attacks against us. The recent border tensions weren’t a sudden outburst; they were a long-overdue response to years of cross-border terrorism that we can no longer ignore.
Let’s be clear about the core issue: the Taliban government in Afghanistan is harbouring groups like the TTP and BLA, using them as proxies against Pakistan. This isn’t just our word; it’s been confirmed by the United Nations and backed by overwhelming evidence. The recent ceasefire is a chance for the Taliban to change course, but it is not a free pass. For this truce to hold any real meaning, the Taliban must definitively break ties with their proxies. This was the central promise of the Doha Agreement that Kabul would stop hosting groups that launch attacks across the Durand Line. Pakistan has tried to balance restraint with diplomacy, but there is only so much patience it can endure. Pakistan’s stance has been clear: if militant strikes continue, Pakistan will have no choice but to target the terror camps and command centres inside Afghanistan, without hesitation.
The recent ceasefire is a chance for the Taliban to change course, but it is not a free pass.
This isn’t just our problem anymore. International mediators in Qatar and Turkey now have a direct stake in holding Kabul to its word. Our ask is straightforward and reasonable: the interim authorities must take concrete action on our security concerns. This means ending cross-border raids, properly managing the border, stopping the flow of anti-Pakistan propaganda to the public, and halting all subversion efforts aimed at destabilising our nation. These are not vague grievances; they are specific, actionable demands that directly impact the safety of Pakistani citizens and the integrity of our state.
What makes this so hard to stomach is how much we’ve tried to build a peaceful relationship. When the world turned its back on the Taliban in 2021, we kept our embassy open. We helped people evacuate. We were the ones arguing at the UN to unfreeze Afghanistan’s assets so its people wouldn’t suffer. We didn’t just talk; we acted. We sent delegation after delegation, our top religious scholars, our tribal elders, our defence ministers, all carrying the same message of peace. The paperwork alone is mind-boggling: hundreds of border meetings, over 800 formal protests. We even changed our trade rules to help their economy.
And what has all this goodwill gotten us? More funerals. A major UN report last year confirmed our worst fears: the Taliban are not just ignoring these terrorist groups; they are actively supporting them, running training camps and providing them with money and weapons. We’ve given them the exact locations of terror camps, and instead of shutting them down, the Taliban have let them grow. The leader of the TTP isn’t hiding in a cave; he’s living comfortably in Kabul, reportedly on a generous monthly salary from his hosts. The proof of his presence was on full display when rumours of an attack on him surfaced. If the TTP leadership wasn’t based in Afghanistan, why did Afghan social media accounts immediately rush to claim he had survived? Why did TTP accounts themselves scramble to clarify he was alive? This frantic digital reaction wasn’t just gossip; it was a public admission that he operates from Kabul under the Taliban’s wing. This is state-backed terrorism, plain and simple.
This pattern of denial is blatant. Every single time our forces are forced to target a terrorist hideout across the border, the Afghan regime rushes to cry ‘civilian casualties.’ Yet, while our military has the courage to publicly release the names and identities of the terrorists we eliminate, Kabul conveniently never mentions the dead militants. What a remarkable coincidence that only ever ‘innocent civilians’ seem to be present in these terror compounds. The reality they refuse to acknowledge is that these terrorists are so comfortably embedded in Afghan cities, especially in the border provinces, that they’ve managed to rent or even build entire housing compounds right under the Taliban government’s nose. This isn’t a hidden insurgency; it’s an open secret, facilitated by the state.
The result is bloodshed in our streets. The suicide bomber who kills our soldiers is increasingly likely to be an Afghan national. We have the names and addresses of hundreds of Afghans who have crossed into Pakistan to commit acts of terror. Sophisticated American weapons left behind in Afghanistan are now being used to kill our people. The Taliban’s claim that they don’t allow their soil to be used against others is a lie, and the list of our dead proves it. This betrayal forces a painful but necessary decision. For over forty years, we have opened our doors to millions of Afghan refugees. It was an act of Islamic brotherhood on a scale the world has largely ignored. But that era is over. Our resources are for our 250 million citizens first. It is time for all Afghans to return to their homeland, which now has its own government.
Our message to the Taliban is final. We still want peace. But Pakistan’s commitment to dialogue cannot be mistaken for weakness. The protection of Pakistani lives is the absolute priority. The next attack launched from your soil will not be met with another diplomatic note. It will be met with a firm and decisive response.
The writer is MS Research Scholar at IIUI, a freelance content writer and a columnist.