Washington, August 29: As Pakistan’s diplomatic grip on Afghanistan weakens, the country is reportedly reverting to old strategies. A recent report indicates that Pakistan has devised a plan to tolerate select terrorist groups.
The report highlights that the Islamic State Khorasan Province (ISKP) network remains active in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan provinces. Some of these groups reportedly survive due to support from certain elements within Pakistan’s security apparatus.
The Taliban has accused Pakistan of allowing ISKP to thrive on its territory. Allegations have been made regarding ISKP leader Sanaullah Ghafari’s movements in alleged terrorist camps within Pakistan. According to an article in the online magazine “American Thinker,” the Taliban claimed in June that they conducted attacks in Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa targeting locations linked to ISKP.
The report states, “Pakistan’s long-standing strategy of viewing Afghanistan as part of its own security system has now failed. For decades, leaders of the Pakistani military and intelligence agencies adopted a policy of ‘strategic depth.’ They believed that having a government in Kabul aligned with their interests would provide Pakistan with additional leverage against India and mitigate threats along the western border. This belief has now proven to be misguided.”
The report further notes that when the Taliban returned to power in August 2021, Pakistani leaders hoped for compliance. They wanted the Taliban to recognize the Durand Line, suppress Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), and rely on Pakistani trade routes and support. However, this did not materialize. Instead, the Taliban prioritized its independence. Relations between Islamabad and Kabul have deteriorated, resulting in border skirmishes, airstrikes, economic pressures, and mutual accusations of supporting terrorism.
According to the report, Pakistani officials are now adopting a confrontational stance. In February 2026, Pakistan’s Defense Minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif stated, “Our patience has run out,” indicating that open conflict has begun.
The report emphasizes that ISKP remains the Taliban’s most dangerous jihadist adversary. While the Taliban’s agenda primarily focuses on Afghanistan, ISKP adheres to the international ideology of the Islamic State and considers the Taliban illegitimate.
Since 2021, the Taliban has been conducting aggressive campaigns against this group. Therefore, if Pakistan shows any leniency towards ISKP, it could undermine the Taliban’s counter-terrorism efforts and escalate the threat of a capable regional terrorist network.
“American Thinker” reported that the Wakhan Corridor has become a focal point in this conflict. This narrow strip of land directly connects Afghanistan to China’s Xinjiang region. Kabul is constructing a road towards China, with Afghan officials reporting that approximately 70% of the work was completed by May 2026.
The report concludes that if this corridor becomes operational, Afghanistan could engage in trade and movement of goods with China without relying on Pakistani territory. This would diminish Pakistan’s longstanding dominance over landlocked Afghanistan and potentially reduce the significance of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor for Afghan goods.
Additionally, instability around Afghanistan’s Badakhshan province and the Wakhan Corridor could benefit Pakistan, providing Beijing with a pretext to delay direct connectivity and maintaining Pakistan’s status as China’s primary western ally.
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