American Media Warns of High Risk of Escalating Tensions Between Taliban and Pakistan
According to the English section of webangah News Agency, citing Mehr News Agency, the American website Kabul Now published a report titled “The End of Pakistan’s Strategic Depth Doctrine or the Dawn of a More Dangerous Phase.” It stated that conflicts between Pakistan and the Taliban have become a major regional security concern. since these confrontations began, China and Russia have expressed their worries and urged negotiation-based resolutions. however, three rounds of talks have failed to produce any meaningful progress or bring parties closer to a sustainable outcome.
The report noted Pakistan’s extensive support for the Afghan Taliban over recent decades. When Islamabad celebrated the Taliban’s victory, some analysts predicted that this marked an end to their so-called honeymoon period.
Kabul Now underscored the deep ideological and ethnic links between Afghanistan’s Taliban and Pakistan’s Tehrik-i-Taliban (TTP), writing that Pakistan underestimated this connection-one that has empowered TTP into an unprecedented threat against Islamabad.
the Western outlet further explained that few in Islamabad expected the Afghan Taliban to extend safe havens-and even US-supplied weapons-to support TTP. Disputes over the durand Line border also intensified tensions. Pakistan had anticipated a conciliatory stance from kabul’s regime, but such cooperation has not materialized over four years.
Kabul Now observed that some experts considered these frictions superficial and unlikely to escalate as many Taliban leaders maintain family ties, businesses, and assets in Pakistan-factors discouraging outright confrontation with Islamabad. Others contend that as long as TTP remains central to relations with Pakistani authorities-and until either Afghanistan distances itself from them or expels them-the fate of both sides hinges on this insurgent group.
The outlet added: The Taliban now face two perilous paths: severing ties with TTP coudl trigger internal dissatisfaction and fractures among their ranks; maintaining relations increases Pakistani pressure, raising prospects for open conflict.
According to Kabul Now, an immediate resolution to this crisis appears unlikely. consequently, Pakistan cannot control or eliminate TTP without weakening or toppling Afghanistan’s current regime in Kabul. Islamabad requires an Afghan government committed to international law-one preventing TTP militants from using it’s territory as training bases targeting Pakistan. With peace negotiations stalled indefinitely, heightened tensions are probable in coming months.
The American source speculated that Pakistan may contemplate military force aimed at undermining or removing Taliban leadership. Given Afghanistan’s lack of international recognition for its ruling group, Islamabad might face limited external backlash but cannot simply eradicate Taliban ideology.
Kabul Now concluded by questioning whether this marks “the end of a longstanding Pakistani dream” or merely initiates “a new chapter,” affirming only one certainty: Islamabad faces strategic collapse after investing half a century into its approach.
This English-language media assessed current conditions as signaling either prolonged instability ahead-or at minimum-the defeat of Pakistan’s strategic depth doctrine in Afghanistan.
