By Sakib Berjees: (Policy Analyst & Regional Affairs Commentator) “Peace is not built with dollars — it is built with intent.”
The relationship between Pakistan and Afghanistan has always been a paradox — woven with threads of faith, culture, and kinship, yet scarred by mistrust, betrayal, and blood.
It tells the story of two nations that once shared a spiritual bond but have repeatedly fallen victim to political deceit and cycles of violence.
From the Holy Kaaba to Kabul — Promises Made, Promises Broken
In 1991, when the Mujahideen were urged to renounce violence after the Soviet withdrawal, they were taken to the Holy Kaaba in Makkah.
There, before God, their leaders — including Burhanuddin Rabbani — took a solemn oath that they would lay down their arms, unite their people, and rebuild Afghanistan in peace.
But just three years later, in 1994, those same factions resurfaced as the Taliban, seizing power through bloodshed and fear.
The same cycle began again — power through violence, and violence in the name of power.
The Doha Agreement of 2020 was meant to mark a new chapter. The Taliban pledged to end violence, deny sanctuary to terror groups, and respect human rights, particularly women’s education.
Yet, soon after the U.S. withdrawal, Kabul once again fell — not through ballots or consensus, but through bullets.
Once again, promises dissolved into smoke, and history replayed its own tragedy.
Why the Taliban Remain Silent — A Strategy Born of Fear
The Taliban regime today faces a dilemma of survival. Within Afghanistan, multiple militant groups — ISIS-K (Daesh), Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), and other factions — are vying for influence.
The Afghan Taliban know that if they move militarily against the TTP, they risk pushing them into an alliance with ISIS and other transnational terrorist entities.
Such an alliance could then turn against the Taliban themselves — threatening to overthrow their fragile regime.
Thus, what appears as inaction is, in fact, a strategy of fear — an attempt to preserve their own rule rather than establish genuine peace.
Pakistan has repeatedly extended gestures of cooperation. During the tenure of Lt. Gen. Faiz Hameed as Director-General of the ISI, even financial assistance was extended to encourage economic stability and reconciliation.
Yet, violence continued, and reform never materialized.
The lesson is clear:
Peace cannot be bought. It must be built — through integrity, reform, and shared responsibility.
The Border Reality — Peace Beyond the Fence
During General Qamar Javed Bajwa’s tenure, Pakistan spent billions of rupees to build a fence along the Pak-Afghan border, hoping to curb illegal movement and infiltration.
However, after the Taliban takeover, sections of that fence were dismantled from the Afghan side.
The message was unmistakable: security cannot be one-sided; fences cannot hold without trust.
The tribes living along both sides of the border have deep familial, cultural, and economic ties.
For them, the border is not a line of separation — it is a way of life.
Lasting peace in these regions cannot be imposed through drones or patrols; it must emerge from inclusion, development, and mutual trust.
A Regional Responsibility — The Age of Isolation is Over
Afghanistan’s future cannot be decided by one country alone.
It is a regional responsibility, and the entire neighborhood — Pakistan, Iran, China, the Central Asian republics, and even India — must recognize that instability in Afghanistan threatens them all.
Ironically, India, despite not sharing a border with Afghanistan, has recently deepened its engagement with the Taliban, particularly after tensions with Pakistan earlier this year.
This reveals an unavoidable truth: where there is a vacuum, another power will fill it.
If Pakistan withdraws, others will step in — not necessarily for peace, but for influence.
Therefore, any engagement with the Taliban must be principled, conditional, and collective.
Trade, aid, or recognition should come only with demonstrable commitments to women’s education, human rights, and counter-terrorism.
Aid without accountability only strengthens oppression, not reform.
The True Path to Peace — Discipline and Conviction
Peace, prosperity, and progress are not born from slogans — they are earned through sacrifice, discipline, and moral conviction.
Pakistan must defend not only its borders but also its moral clarity.
Afghanistan must free itself from the addiction to violence and fear.
And the region must move beyond blame toward shared security and cooperation.
Conclusion — The Test of History
Today, the Taliban stand at a crossroads:
They can remain prisoners of fear, or they can become architects of reform.
Pakistan, too, must act with realism and principle, avoiding both appeasement and confrontation.
Peace will not come through dollars or drones; it will come through mutual resolve and regional integrity.
The Afghan people deserve freedom, not fear.
Pakistan deserves security, not sorrow.
And our region deserves light — not fire.
The road ahead is indeed difficult, but it is the only road that can lead toward peace, dignity, and a shared future.
