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Pakistan's Afghan Policy Backfires as TTP Attacks Escalate Into Open War

A report reveals that Pakistan's long-standing policy of supporting the Taliban to gain strategic depth against India has catastrophically backfired. The Taliban's takeover in 2021 failed to curb the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), which launched devastating attacks from Afghan sanctuaries, leading to escalating military clashes and airstrikes between Pakistan and Afghan Taliban forces. Concurrently, Pakistan's mass deportation of over 1.5 million Afghan refugees has exacerbated the humanitarian crisis and potentially boosted TTP recruitment. The report concludes that Pakistan's coercive tactics have yielded severe blowback, urging de-escalation, multilateral talks, and refugee safeguards to prevent a wider regional conflict.

Key Points: Pakistan's Afghan Policy Backfires, Sparks Open War with Taliban

  • Pakistan's Taliban strategy backfired
  • TTP attacks ravage Khyber Pakhtunkhwa
  • Border clashes and airstrikes escalate conflict
  • Mass deportation of Afghans fuels crisis
  • Report calls for de-escalation and talks
2 min read

Pakistan's Afghan policy has backfired: Report

Report details how Pakistan's Taliban strategy backfired, leading to TTP attacks, border clashes, mass deportations, and a declared "open war."

"Pakistan midwifed the Taliban's rise... betting on a friendly Kabul to neutralise militants and counter India. - One World Outlook report"

Washington, March 14

Pakistan's Afghan policy, long driven by the pursuit of "strategic depth" against India, has evolved into a declared "open war" as TTP flourishes, Afghan refugees flee in large numbers and global criticism intensifies.

According to a report in 'One World Outlook', Pakistan's gamble of nurturing the Taliban to ensure compliance has backfired. Moreover, claims of sovereignty by the Taliban and its association with Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) have further strained relations.

"Pakistan midwifed the Taliban's rise, sheltering its leaders and betting on a friendly Kabul to neutralise militants and counter India. The 2021 takeover promised payoff, until the TTP, ideological cousins, exploded from Afghan sanctuaries. By 2025, TTP attacks ravaged Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, killing scores; 37 strikes hit nine districts in early 2026 alone. Taliban inaction, viewing TTP as Pakistan's mess, prompted coercion: border closures gutted Afghan trade, while February 22 airstrikes targetted seven TTP/ISKP camps in Nangarhar and Paktika, claiming 80 militants dead," the report mentioned.

"Civilian toll, 18 killed, including children, ignited fury. Afghanistan retaliated on February 26 with drone strikes and clashes across Kandahar to Nuristan, seizing outposts and killing 55 Pakistanis, per Kabul. Pakistan's Operation Ghazab Lil Haq followed: 46 airstrikes hit Kabul, Kandahar, and Paktia, capturing 32 square kilometres in the Ghudwana enclave," it noted.

Pakistan's Defence Minister Khawaja Asif declared an "open war", as clashes continued into March, with drones reportedly shot down and around 150 Taliban forces killed amid the escalating hostilities.

"Parallel to the blitz, Pakistan's deportation drive, which has expelled over 1.5 million Afghans since 2023, has supercharged the crisis. Targetting 1.4 million PoR holders, it features raids, bribes, and camp razings, slamming returnees into Taliban peril. Amnesty International decried the 'unlawful' push in January 2026, noting 115,000 arrests; Human Rights Watch highlighted persecution risks amid Afghanistan's repression", the report detailed.

"Escalation worsens it: strikes displace thousands in border provinces, with the UN logging 110 civilian deaths by March 4. Deportees fuel TTP recruitment, draining Pakistan's labour pool and hiking costs in a teetering economy," it added.

The report further said, "Islamabad must de-escalate: multilateral TTP talks, refugee safeguards, and economic ties. Coercion yielded blowback; realism beckons before the frontier ignites regionally."

- IANS

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Reader Comments

S
Sarah B
The real tragedy here is the civilians caught in the crossfire, especially the children. 18 killed in airstrikes? That's heartbreaking. Deporting 1.5 million people is also creating a massive humanitarian crisis. Both governments need to show restraint.
A
Arjun K
The report's conclusion is spot on. Islamabad's obsession with "strategic depth" against India has completely blinded them to the long-term consequences. You can't nurture extremism for geopolitical gains and expect it to stay neatly contained. It was always going to blow back.
P
Priyanka N
As an Indian, our primary concern is stability. A volatile and radicalized neighborhood directly impacts our security. While the report criticizes Pakistan's policy, I hope the international community also holds the Taliban accountable for harboring TTP. This is a regional problem now.
M
Michael C
The economic angle is crucial. Expelling Afghan refugees who form a core part of your labour force while your economy is already struggling? That seems incredibly short-sighted. It's a self-inflicted wound on top of a security disaster.
K
Kavya N
It's a sobering lesson for any nation that thinks it can use religious extremism as a strategic weapon. The ideology doesn't recognize borders drawn by men. The people suffering the most are ordinary Pakistanis and Afghans. Very sad situation.

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