Pakistan facing complex reality along Durand Line: Report

Washington, Nov 3 (IANS) Growing dissatisfaction over the military's prominent role and perceived security shortcomings are testing the limits of public patience in Pakistan, a report highlighted on Monday. Highlighting the escalating conflict along the Durand Line, it mentioned that what was originally intended as a strategy to secure a stable western border — commonly referred to as the doctrine of strategic depth — appears to have had quite the opposite outcome.

The Durand Line continues to remain a contested boundary that Afghanistan has never formally recognised, causing period instability in the region, a report in US-based Eurasia Review highlithed. Several reports have indicated that Pakistan has carried out air operations targetting sites around Kabul, an action that has caused escalation in cross-border hostilities. In response, Taliban reportedly carried out retaliatory strikes, resulting in armed exchanges between forces of two nations.

The report stated that Pakistan was among the earliest states to extend diplomatic recognition to the first Taliban regime in the 1990s, reflecting Islamabad’s political alignment with the movement that had emerged as a dominant force in Afghanistan. When the Taliban regained control of Kabul in 2021, Pakistan again publicly welcomed the development, framing it as a potential strategic gain that could enhance regional stability and strengthen Pakistan’s influence along its western frontier.

"However, in the ensuing years, this perceived asset has increasingly come to be viewed as a source of growing security concerns for Pakistan itself. Analysts have characterized this reversal as a classic example of strategic blowback, whereby policies intended to secure geopolitical advantages eventually produce unintended and adverse consequences. In this context, the Taliban, once supported as a strategic partner, have evolved into a complex and, at times, adversarial actor, underscoring the inherent volatility of Pakistan’s regional security calculus," the report stated.

It mentioned that, for decades, Pakistan appears to have been playing a strategic “double game” in its policy towards Afghanistan and militant groups operating within the region. Pakistan’s policy in Afghanistan was based on publicly expressing support to the US in its fight against terrorism, while secretly assisting the Taliban to further its own security objectives. Pakistan's longstanding support for Taliban was aimed to enhance its influence in the region and establish a cooperative government in Kabul. However, Taliban, in recent years, has become increasingly independent and its priorities no longer align with Pakistan.

Analysis suggests that Pakistan currently faces significant challenges from forces it once sought to influence.

"The consequences are considerable and multifaceted. Pakistan’s military resources are strained, the economy faces pressures, and major initiatives including the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) in Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) are at risk. Moreover, this situation demands diverting attention and resources from Pakistan’s primary eastern front with New Delhi, even as it observes its regional rival strengthen diplomatic ties in Kabul. Domestically, these challenges contribute to growing public dissatisfaction with the military’s prominent role and perceived security shortcomings, testing the limits of public patience," the report emphasised.

--IANS

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