Pakistan vs Afghanistan war: Taliban attack Pakistan, capture two posts of Pakistan Army, kill 19 soldiers. The attack come days after the Taliban pledged retaliation for Pakistan air strikes inside Afghanistan.
Afghan Taliban forces have targeted “several points” in neighboring Pakistan, Afghanistan aircraft carried out aerial bombardments inside the country. The statement from the defence ministry on Saturday did not directly specify that Pakistan was hit, but said the attacks were conducted. “Beyond the hypothetical line”. An expression used by Afghan authorities to refer to a border with Pakistan that they have long disputed.
Some Key reason between Afghanistan vs Pakistan war:
1.The Durand Line Dispute: The primary source of tension is the border issue. The Durand Line, drawn in 1893 by the British colonial authorities, separates Afghanistan from Pakistan and runs through Pashtun-majority areas. Afghanistan never formally recognize this border. Which it views as an artificial boundary that divides the Pashtun people, who live on both sides of it. The lack of agreement over the Durand Line has been a significant source of conflict between the two countries.
2. Pashtun Nationalism: Both Afghanistan and Pakistan have large Pashtun populations. And Pashtun nationalism play a crucial role in the dynamics between the two nations. Many Pashtun groups, especially in Afghanistan, view the Durand Line as an illegitimate boundary and advocate for a “Greater Pashtunistan”. That would unite Pashtun areas across both sides of the border. Pakistan views this as a destabilizing factor, fearing that it could encourage separatist movements in its own Pashtun regions.
3. Support for Militants and Insurgents: Over the decades, both countries have accused each other of supporting insurgents and militants operating across the border.
- Pakistan’s support for the Taliban: Pakistan has been accused of supporting the Taliban regime in Afghanistan, especially during the 1990s. Some factions of the Taliban still operate with perceived support from Pakistani intelligence agencies (ISI). Pakistani believes a friendly government in Afghanistan can act as a strategic ally, especially in countering India.
- Afghanistan’s support for Baloch separatists: Afghanistan has been accused of providing refuge and support to separatists groups from Pakistan’s Balochistan province, which has led to tensions.
4. Impact of the war on Terror: After the 9/11 attacks in 2001, the U.S. led invasion of Afghanistan and the subsequent war on terror exacerbated relations between Afghanistan and Pakistan. Pakistan became a key ally of the U.S. In its efforts to combat al-Qaeda and the Taliban. But it also faced accusations of supporting the Taliban insurgency in Afghanistan as a strategic counterbalance to India’s influence in the region. Afghanistan, on the other hand, blamed Pakistan for not doing enough to eliminate the Taliban and other militant groups operating from Pakistani soil.
In summary, the conflict between Afghanistan and Pakistan is complex mix of Historical grievances, territorial disputes, ethnic tensions, and geopolitical rivalries. Compounded by the ongoing instability in Afghanistan and regional power struggles.
