Religious Extremism, Militancy In Afghanistan Will Be Counterproductive For Pakistan

Before the fall of Kabul, Pakistan claimed that it lacked influence over the Taliban to force them to agree to a cease-fire and that it favored a political solution in Afghanistan. On August 15, Pakistan's Prime Minister Imran Khan was the first international leader to congratulate the Taliban on their takeover of Kabul. When questioned about the Taliban's planned return on August 16, he said they'd "broken the chains of servitude." This isn't very startling. Pakistan, in addition to playing a significant role in the Taliban's rise to power in the 1990s, was one of three countries that had formal diplomatic ties to them. Even though the US removed the Taliban from power in 2001, Pakistan continued to offer aid to them. According to its strategic calculations, an Afghani state backed by the US and India would be harmful to the country's long-term goals. It served as a haven for the Taliban leadership to regroup and continue their struggle in Afghanistan. It might be claimed that the Taliban's capture of Kabul reflects Pakistan's military establishment's long-term success. Nonetheless, it is much too early to begin rejoicing.