Washington, Nov 3 —
Pakistan’s public patience is wearing thin as the military’s heavy hand and the country’s shaky border security fail to calm rising tensions across the Durand Line.
The Durand Line, a 2,900‑km boundary that Afghanistan has never formally accepted, remains a flashpoint. Recent U.S.‑based reports say Islamabad has carried out air raids targeting sites near Kabul. Those strikes have sparked counter‑attacks from the Taliban, turning a quiet border into a theater of cross‑border fighting.
Pakistan was one of the first countries to recognize the Taliban’s 1990s regime and again welcomed the group’s return to power in 2021. Islamabad viewed the Taliban as a strategic partner that could make the western frontier more stable and boost Pakistani influence. But the Taliban’s ambitions have increasingly diverged from Islamabad’s interests. Analysts call this a “strategic blowback” – where a policy intended to secure gains ends up creating new threats.
For decades, Pakistan has walked a fine line in the region. It publicly backs the United States in its fight against terrorism while quietly supplying arms and training to the Taliban to protect its own security interests. The Taliban’s growing independence now turns it into a rival rather than a partner.
The fallout is spilling over into Pakistan’s economy and politics. The military’s stretched resources are being pulled away from the crumbling eastern front with India, while the China‑Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) projects in Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa face new risks. Domestic critics are quick to point out how the military’s high‑profile role and visible security gaps are pushing the public to the brink.
In short, Pakistan’s attempts to secure its western border with the Taliban have backfired, leaving the country choosing between managing cross‑border violence, safeguarding ambitious infrastructure projects, and facing growing public dissatisfaction with the army’s performance.
Source: ianslive
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