Pakistan Strategic Dilemma

Pakistan Strategic Dilemma 21 Oct 2025

Pakistan Strategic Dilemma

Recently, clashes erupted between the Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and Pakistan’s armed forces along the 2,600 km-long Pakistan–Afghanistan border.

Historical Background: Pakistan’s Strategic Depth Policy

  • Pakistan’s Geostrategic Objective: Pakistan’s primary goal has always been to achieve Strategic Depth in Afghanistan.
    • Due to its narrow geography, Pakistan feared that in case of an Indian attack, its forces would need Afghan territory to retreat, regroup, and counterattack.
  • Need for a Puppet Regime: Achieving strategic depth required a government in Kabul that would follow Pakistan’s directions and align with its regional interests.
  • Soviet Intervention and Proxy War (1979–1989)
    • In 1979, the USSR intervened and installed a Communist regime under Babrak Karmal.
    • Pakistan, a US ally, opposed this regime and sought to install a friendly Islamist government.
    • The Proxy War (1979–1989): The US (Operation Cyclone), Pakistan’s ISI, Saudi Arabia, and the Mujahideen fought the Soviet-backed Afghan government.
  • Post-Withdrawal Civil War: After the USSR’s withdrawal (1989), Mujahideen factions fought among themselves.
    • Pakistan initially supported Gulbuddin Hekmatyar as its preferred warlord.

Emergence of the Taliban (1994)

  • Formation: The Taliban, formed from Pakistani madrassas with Saudi funding, rose to power in 1994, promising Sharia law.
  • Pakistan’s Stance: Pakistan shifted its support to the Taliban, viewing them as a more reliable ally.

Issues During Taliban Rule (1996–2001)

  • Durand Line Dispute: The Taliban refused to recognize the Durand Line as the official border.
    • Pakistan remained insecure about Afghan claims since Pashtuns live on both sides.
  • Rise of Afghan Nationalism: Pakistan’s interference fueled Afghan nationalism and anti-Pakistan sentiment.

The “Good Taliban / Bad Taliban” Policy

  • Dual Policy Post-9/11: After 9/11, Pakistan publicly joined the US-led War on Terror but secretly continued aiding Taliban factions in Afghanistan.
  • Differentiation:
    • Good Taliban: Those fighting US forces in Afghanistan.
    • Bad Taliban (TTP): Those fighting for Sharia law within Pakistan.
  • Policy Backfire: The approach backfired as the Afghan Taliban’s resurgence strengthened the TTP within Pakistan.
  • Collapse of Pakistan’s Strategy: By 2021, when the Taliban regained power, they refused to follow Pakistan’s directives.
  • Post-1989 Shift: After the Soviet defeat, Pakistan concluded that using Mujahideen against a superior military could work in Kashmir.

Challenges of Pakistan’s Internal and Regional Security

  • Rise of TTP and Taliban Nexus: The Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), sharing ideological and operational ties with the Afghan Taliban, aims to impose Sharia law within Pakistan. 
    • This has created internal instability and mirrored the same cross-border terrorism problem that Pakistan earlier directed toward India.
  • Escalation of Armed Clashes: Pakistan’s airstrikes inside Kabul triggered retaliatory attacks from the Afghan Taliban on Pakistani border posts
    • These clashes have led to casualties on both sides, worsening bilateral tensions and fueling deep anti-Pakistan sentiment in Afghanistan.
  • Internal Security Crisis: Pakistan is simultaneously confronting multiple insurgent threats — particularly from the TTP in the northwest and Baloch separatists in the southwest , weakening its security apparatus thin and weakening state control in border regions.
  • Global Security Threat: The possibility of the TTP gaining influence or control over Pakistan’s nuclear arsenal poses a severe international concern, as it could destabilize not just South Asia but the wider global security environment.

Way Forward For India

  • Strengthening Border Vigilance: India must maintain robust surveillance along its western borders and adopt a proactive defensive posture to deter infiltration and terror threats emanating from unstable Pakistani territories.
  • Deepening Strategic Partnership with Afghanistan: India should build strong political and developmental ties with the Afghan government to prevent Pakistan from re-establishing strategic depth in Kabul and to promote regional stability.
  • Enhancing Counter-Terror Preparedness: India must remain prepared for swift and decisive retaliation against cross-border attacks, as seen in Operation Sindoor 2.0, ensuring that any act of aggression carries immediate punitive consequences.
Mains Practice

Q. The recent Pakistan–Afghanistan border clashes highlight the fragility of regional security in South Asia. Discuss how the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) factor continues to destabilize bilateral relations and complicate counterterrorism cooperation. (10 Marks, 150 Words)

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UDAAN PRELIMS WALLAH
Comprehensive coverage with a concise format
Integration of PYQ within the booklet
Designed as per recent trends of Prelims questions
हिंदी में भी उपलब्ध
Quick Revise Now !
UDAAN PRELIMS WALLAH
Comprehensive coverage with a concise format
Integration of PYQ within the booklet
Designed as per recent trends of Prelims questions
हिंदी में भी उपलब्ध

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