Pakistan’s Strikes in Afghanistan Deepen Tensions with Taliban, Diplomat Says
The American magazine The Diplomat has written in a new analysis that Pakistan’s repeated strikes inside Afghanistan, rather than containing the situation, have intensified tensions with the Taliban authorities and fuelled anti-Pakistan sentiment in Afghanistan.
The publication reported that, alongside efforts to curb Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan, Islamabad is also pursuing a larger goal: regaining its lost influence in Kabul. According to The Diplomat, Pakistan now sees the Taliban authorities, once considered an ally, as being outside its sphere of influence.
The analysis said Pakistan has carried out at least 15 air and drone strikes inside Afghanistan in less than a year, but these attacks have produced no tangible results. The immediate effect of these incidents, The Diplomat wrote, has mainly been seen in sharp responses from Taliban officials, promises of retaliation and cross-border clashes.
The Diplomat also suggested that the continuation of these attacks, especially those directly targeting the Taliban authorities, could deepen internal divisions within the group’s structure and strengthen pro-Pakistan elements. However, the publication added that despite reports of internal disagreements among Taliban circles in Kandahar and Kabul, the movement’s leadership council has retained its control and legitimacy.
Another part of the analysis said Pakistan’s policy toward Afghanistan over past decades has been based on creating a weak and dependent government. The Diplomat stressed that the experience of two decades of US intervention in Afghanistan has also shown that bombing to force the Taliban into submission can be a short-sighted strategy with the opposite effect.
The Diplomat is an American analysis magazine focused on foreign policy and security in Asia that regularly follows developments in Afghanistan, Pakistan and the wider region.
