By Ajmal Farid
If one examines nearly half a century of the formation and continued existence of Pakistan, Afghanistan’s neighbor, it becomes clear that this state has rarely acted with good intentions toward Afghanistan or any of its other neighbors. Throughout its history, it has repeatedly violated the principles of good neighborliness and sought to advance its own strategic ambitions at the expense of regional stability.
Equally troubling is the fact that Pakistan has never shown a genuine willingness to hear the concerns of its own people or address their legitimate aspirations. Today, the Pashtuns and the inhabitants of Pashtunkhwa, who are deprived of fundamental rights and live under the shadow of military repression, are not alone in this suffering. Other non-Punjabi ethnic groups also face systematic discrimination and are denied basic rights and privileges.
Pakistan has long been dominated by the military, with governments functioning under the control of corrupt generals. These rulers have sent their soldiers to fight on behalf of foreign occupiers and hostile powers in exchange for money and political bargains, showing little regard for the lives of their own troops. At the same time, they carry out superficial measures to present themselves as a victimized nation and claim a national character that does not reflect reality. Unfortunately, Pakistan is now engulfed in scandal after scandal, with its reputation deteriorating almost daily.
To impose their illegitimate agenda, pressure neighboring states, and manipulate political conditions across the region, Pakistan’s military authorities have repeatedly supported Khariji militant groups. Meanwhile, they label the legitimate struggles of their own people as terrorism, a pattern that is evident across several cases.
ISIS
ISIS represents a modern global menace, one that was originally nurtured by intelligence agencies such as the CIA with the aim of tarnishing the name of Islam and distorting the principles of Sharia. The group now operates from Pakistani territory, occasionally launching attacks on Afghanistan and other countries. Pakistan’s intelligence services have trained ISIS fighters and used them as instruments to advance their own strategic goals. By presenting ISIS as a threat to neighboring states and the wider region, Pakistan secures international funding and political support under the guise of fighting a danger it helped create.
A recent example was the killing of a senior ISIS leader in Peshawar named Nusrat, known as Musa Pahlawan, who oversaw a terrorist center called Pahlawan. Time and again, ISIS militants have been transported from Pakistan’s heavily controlled security zones into Kabul and surrounding regions with the assistance of Pakistani military and intelligence agencies, and official Pakistani documents have been seized from them.
Israel
In terms of strategic behavior and political mentality, the Pakistani military regime bears notable similarities to the Zionist government of Israel. The treatment of civilians in Gaza mirrors, in many respects, the oppressive tactics used in parts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. Pakistan has also sought closer relations with Israel in order to strengthen its ties with the United States.
During the recent seventy-eighth session of the United Nations General Assembly, when the Israeli Prime Minister addressed the gathering, delegates from numerous Muslim and non-Muslim countries walked out in protest. The Pakistani representatives, however, remained seated, appearing approving, effectively signaling acceptance of Israel’s actions in Gaza. To this day, Pakistan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs has not issued even a symbolic denunciation of Israeli violence nor offered a message of solidarity with the Palestinian people. It is possible that, through American mediation, ISIS fighters may be offered to Israel as a mercenary force, a pattern previously observed in Syria, with multiple reports indicating that Mossad has provided support and resources to ISIS in several instances.
The Baloch
The uprising of Baloch freedom groups, including the Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA), is not a recent development. This movement grew from decades of abuse, repression, and discriminatory treatment inflicted upon the Baloch people by Pakistan’s military government. Eventually these conditions compelled them to take up arms. Today they remain a formidable force and have inflicted significant losses on the Pakistani army.
Their demands are clear and rooted in basic justice. They seek control over their own land and natural resources, sincere attention to their longstanding grievances, and genuine efforts to improve the condition of Balochistan. Instead of addressing these concerns, Pakistan’s military regime has consistently treated them as adversaries, and the situation has now deteriorated to a point where the regime’s authority in Balochistan is increasingly contested.
TTP
The Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan represents another undeniable reality. Like the Baloch, part of their struggle revolves around the issue of autonomy over their territories and resources. At the same time, the TTP is a religious movement seeking the implementation of Islamic Sharia and the establishment of a governance system grounded in those principles.
This demand is legitimate. Throughout their struggle they have inflicted heavy losses on Pakistan’s military, while also enduring tremendous sacrifices themselves. Pakistan’s repeated requests that the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan restrain the TTP, even within negotiation frameworks, reflect an attempt to shift responsibility elsewhere. The Pakistani military has never genuinely examined the TTP’s stated demands nor shown real willingness to pursue reconciliation.
As a result, the TTP continues to grow stronger, expanding its operational abilities and building broad popular support within Pakistan. The country’s military rulers must accept the difficult reality before them, enter into sincere dialogue, and stop placing blame on Afghanistan. The Islamic Emirate remains committed to its pledge that Afghan soil will not be used against any nation.
Afghanistan
Afghanistan holds both grievances and a measure of gratitude toward Pakistan from the era of the Soviet invasion and later during the American occupation. The grievance is that it has never respected Afghanistan’s struggle for independence, but has tried to achieve its own goals, despite publicly claiming to support a stable Afghanistan. Yet Pakistan also hosted large numbers of Afghan refugees and extended hospitality during difficult years, which earned it a measure of Afghan appreciation. For this reason Afghanistan treated Pakistan as a brotherly state and prioritized trade and economic relations with it above all others.
Afghanistan’s recent decision to reduce its reliance on Pakistani goods and transit routes is a direct consequence of Pakistan’s damaging policies and its concealed hostility toward the peace Afghanistan currently enjoys. Since the return of the Islamic Emirate, Afghanistan has experienced a profound transformation. After nearly forty years, the war has ended and Afghans are beginning to live with peace and stability once again. This should have been the moment when Pakistan’s long-standing claim that Afghanistan’s stability ensures Pakistan’s stability finally proved true. Instead, Afghanistan’s newfound stability has unsettled Pakistan’s military establishment, prompting several attacks on Afghan territory and drawing proportional responses in return.
Pakistan must understand that such malicious policies will never succeed. They only deepen the country’s isolation, weaken its international standing, and further erode its reputation across the region and the world.
In conclusion, Pakistan must reconsider its foreign policy and adopt a more respectful and constructive approach toward its neighbors. The era of investing in militant proxies and relying on hollow rhetoric must finally come to an end. Afghans now understand that their unity and support for their current system are essential to protecting the country from undue pressure from Pakistan and other states.
The IEA, through its focus on economic diplomacy and balanced international engagement, seeks relations built on mutual respect. This presents Pakistan with an opportunity to abandon a language of force and intimidation and instead embrace genuine diplomacy. During the recent meetings in Qatar and Turkey, the Afghan delegation addressed all concerns raised by the Pakistani side. Pakistan’s decision to withdraw from the talks revealed once again that the civilian government holds little authority and that real power lies with a small circle of military generals.
If Pakistan continues along this path, it risks losing whatever international credibility it still possesses and alienating its own people under the growing burden of debt and deepening economic turmoil.
