Indian Diplomat Warns of Unprecedented Rift Between Kabul and Islamabad
Shashi Tharoor, former Indian foreign minister, has analyzed the current state of relations between the Taliban-led administration in Kabul and the government of Pakistan, stating that the divergence of interests between the two sides has reached an unprecedented level. This, he noted, has significantly weakened hopes for a sustainable partnership between Afghanistan and Pakistan.
According to Tharoor, political and security alliances endure only when national interests align. In the case of Kabul and Islamabad’s current ties, no such alignment exists. Instead, conflicting interests have obstructed the path to cooperation.
He emphasized that a country’s national interests — not political promises or short-term tactics — ultimately determine the direction of its government. For that reason, expecting complete alignment between Afghanistan and Pakistan is unrealistic. Recalling Pakistan’s decades-long support for the Taliban, Tharoor noted that Islamabad historically nurtured the group as a means to exert pressure on India and to establish strategic depth. However, since the Taliban took power in Kabul, their actions have not entirely aligned with Pakistan’s expectations and have, at times, posed challenges to policymakers in Islamabad.
Tharoor pointed to several signs of growing strain between Kabul and Islamabad, including the Taliban administration’s condemnation of a recent attack in Kashmir and its refusal to cooperate with Pakistan regarding the arrest of members of Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP). He concluded that the Taliban now acts as a player with its own distinct priorities and can no longer be considered wholly aligned with Islamabad’s agenda.
The Indian diplomat warned that mounting tensions along the Afghanistan–Pakistan border, coupled with the activities of the TTP, could trigger a new wave of instability in the region. He believes that this crisis not only threatens Kabul-Islamabad relations but could also affect the security landscape for regional powers such as India and China.
