For over seven decades, Pakistan’s Afghan policy has oscillated between misplaced fraternity and strategic necessity. Today, as Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir’s words echo through GHQ — that any violation of Pakistan’s territorial integrity will be met with a decisive response — one truth stands unmistakably clear: Pakistan must redesign its Afghanistan policy from emotional engagement to strategic realism.
Pakistan has sacrificed over 95,000 lives in the war on terror, and the blood spilled is a grim reminder that goodwill gestures toward Kabul have rarely been reciprocated. Since 2006, Pakistan has been under asymmetric assault — not from a traditional enemy on the eastern border, but from sanctuaries nurtured across the western frontier.
-
Recognizing the Nature of the Threat
Afghanistan today, under the Taliban regime, is not merely a difficult neighbor; it has become, as UN reports confirm, a launchpad for global terrorism.
The banned Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), officially termed Fitna al-Khawarij by Pakistan, operates from over 60 camps spread across Kunar, Nuristan, Nangarhar, and Paktika. These groups, aided by external sponsors — primarily India — infiltrate Pakistan to attack civilians and soldiers alike.
As journalist Naveed Hussain revealed in The Express Tribune, cross-border infiltrations have increased by 36% since mid-2025. Even more troubling, former Afghan intelligence chief Masoud Andarabi told the BBC that India is using the Afghan Taliban as a proxy to bleed Pakistan — a chilling confirmation of what Islamabad has long alleged.
Expert Voices — What Must Change
Lt. Gen. (Retd.) Nasir Khan Janjua, an experienced hand in countering Indian-sponsored terrorism in Balochistan and KP, offers a sobering solution:
“If the Afghan Taliban are sincere, their Ameer, Hibatullah Akhundzada, must issue a Fatwa declaring attacks on Pakistan as un-Islamic.”
He rejects endless demands for extradition of TTP elements, arguing instead that Pakistan should compel Kabul to host these militants permanently while Pakistan secures its borders with force and vigilance.
Prof. Dr. Akhtar Sandhu, historian and author, places the crisis in historical context:
“Afghanistan’s claim that the Durand Line is disputed is a political gimmick to rally its fractured factions.”
He asserts that Pakistan must abandon restraint, act decisively against internal collaborators, and cut off trade and transit concessions that empower Kabul’s leverage.
Dr. Shazia Anwer Cheema, foreign affairs expert, challenges Pakistan’s traditional “emotional” approach toward Afghanistan:
“Afghans have historically weaponized chaos and terrorism as a business model. Pakistan must stop treating Afghanistan as a special brother and start treating it as any other foreign state.”
Dr. Cheema highlighted two key flaws in pro-Afghanistan narratives. First, that cultural and historical ties make it impossible for Pakistan to distance itself. “By that logic, should we also open our borders for Indians (at least for Indian Muslims) with whom we share language, culture, and pre-partition history?” she asked rhetorically. Second, that ethnic Afghans live on both sides of the border, which supposedly makes strict border control impractical. “Afghan-Uzbeks, Afghan-Tajiks, and Afghan-Iranians also live across borders — yet those countries enforce documentation, visas, and work permits,” she noted.
She concluded that “such shallow, illogical arguments in favor of serving Afghan interests must be rejected and thrown into the dustbin of history.”
Prof. Dr. Taimoor ul Hassan reminds us that Afghanistan’s instability is now a regional problem involving India, China, Iran, and Central Asia. For Pakistan, the challenge is existential — it’s not just border insecurity, but economic and strategic survival.
“Pakistan’s response must be a mix of diplomacy, intelligence, and decisive force. It cannot remain a perpetual target under the guise of neighborly restraint,” he emphasizes.
Meanwhile, Agha Iqrar Haroon provides a historian’s caution:
“Afghanistan’s antagonism toward Pakistan is not a phase; it is a structural feature of its statecraft.” Haroon stresses that Pakistan’s new policy must acknowledge historical reality and stop expecting reciprocity where none exists.
Policy Redesign — From Sentiment to Strategy
Pakistan’s new Afghan policy must be anchored in five core principles:
- Strategic Containment, Not Emotional Engagement
Pakistan must treat Afghanistan as a foreign sovereign state, not an extension of ethnic or religious fraternity. Trade and travel must be based strictly on reciprocity and documentation — passport, visa, and verification.
- Border Fortification and Zero Tolerance
The Pakistan–Afghanistan border must be transformed into a regulated security zone, equipped with fencing, electronic surveillance, and counter-infiltration protocols. Ceasefires, like the one signed in Doha, should be tactical pauses — never substitutes for vigilance.
- Diplomatic Isolation of Terror Sponsors
Pakistan must use its diplomatic capital with Qatar, Türkiye, China, and the OIC to expose and isolate the Afghan regime’s duplicity. The Doha and upcoming Istanbul rounds provide leverage to demand verifiable action against TTP camps.
- Economic Leverage and Refugee Reassessment
The “refugee card” must no longer be a tool of Afghan blackmail. Humanitarian obligations aside, any Afghan national involved in anti-state activities should face repatriation or legal sanction. Trade concessions and border privileges must be linked to measurable counterterrorism cooperation.
- National Cohesion and Internal Cleansing
Pakistan’s internal political divides — especially in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa — weaken counterterrorism consistency. A unified National Counterterrorism Framework must ensure that political expediency does not undermine national security.
Reading the Regional Chessboard
From refusing to recognize Pakistan in 1947 to sponsoring ethnic separatism in the 1960s and harboring anti-Pakistan proxies today, Kabul’s hostility is cyclical and ideologically rooted.
The Way Forward — Strategic Realism
Redesigning Pakistan’s Afghan policy means shedding illusions — of brotherhood, shared faith, or gratitude. It means accepting that Afghanistan will continue to act in ways that preserve its internal power, even if that means exporting instability.
Pakistan’s strength lies not in retaliatory fury alone but in strategic patience backed by credible deterrence.
The Army Chief’s warning — that Pakistan’s territorial integrity will be defended “firmly and decisively” — reflects a new doctrine of calibrated assertiveness. Diplomacy and deterrence must move hand in hand, guided by facts, not sentiment.
For too long, Pakistan’s Afghan policy was built on emotion. The time has come to build it on memory, data, and deterrence.
Afghanistan may remain an unpredictable neighbor, but Pakistan can choose to be a predictable and strong state — one that protects its borders, defines its interests clearly, and deals with others from a position of strength.
The era of illusion is over — the era of realism must begin.
Note: This monologue is derived from an AI-assisted review of seven expert analyses on Pak-Afghan relations published between October 17 and October 21, 2025.
Source:https://dnd.com.pk/monologue-redesigning-pakistans-afghanistan-policy/327906/
