The discussions for peace between Pakistan and Afghanistan, which followed weeks of intensified conflict, concluded with minimal documented outcomes. However, two significant disclosures from behind the scenes have raised concerns. Firstly, it was revealed that the United States has been conducting drone strikes within Afghanistan, utilizing Pakistani airspace, with Islamabad claiming it is powerless to intervene. Secondly, according to officials from the Afghan Taliban, Pakistan’s influential Army, under the command of Field Marshal Asim Munir, has been circumventing Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s civilian government to incite discord with Kabul.
The friction between Pakistan and Afghanistan is currently at its peak in years. Earlier this month, Pakistan executed airstrikes and artillery bombardments deep within Taliban-controlled Afghanistan. Reports indicated that locations on the eastern outskirts of Kabul and parts of Paktika province were targeted, resulting in the deaths of numerous civilians, including women and children. More than 250 individuals have died in the conflict occurring between September and October. The hostilities led to several days of cross-border exchanges before both parties convened for negotiations in Qatar and subsequently in Turkey.
However, these initiatives have so far produced little more than a tense silence and the acknowledgment that Pakistan’s military has, as expected, sidelined Shehbaz Sharif’s civilian government to maintain escalated tensions with Kabul for its own purposes. Thus, the two revelations are particularly noteworthy—firstly, that the US is utilizing Pakistan’s airspace for drone operations in Afghanistan, and secondly, that it is the military, not Shehbaz Sharif’s administration, directing policy.
<pIn addition to PM Sharif, Army Chief Munir has been present during meetings with US President Donald Trump in Washington, DC. This raised eyebrows since Trump invited a military leader to discussions that also included the nation’s civilian head.
The assertions made by the Afghan Taliban regarding US drone strikes and the military establishment of Pakistan ignoring civilian leadership come at a critical moment when Trump has sought operational control over the strategically significant Bagram airbase in Afghanistan.
IS PAKISTAN’S CIVIL-MILITARY DIVIDE EXPOSED OVER AFGHANISTAN?
The claims made by the Taliban administration regarding Pakistan highlight a recurring feature of the nation. Civilian governments have frequently been overshadowed by the military’s strategic objectives. While the Prime Minister’s office engages in diplomatic dialogues, the army continues its operations that perpetuate regional tensions.
Zabihullah Mujahid, spokesperson for the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan, stated that American drones are entering Afghan airspace via Pakistani territory, and also suggested that “a specific military faction in Pakistan may be receiving support from global powers aiming to heighten tensions between Kabul and Islamabad,” as reported by TOLO News, based in Kabul on Sunday.
Just days prior, Mujahid, in an interview with Khyber TV, asserted that factions within Pakistan’s military were intentionally working to undermine relations between the two nations.
Mujahid contended that while Pakistan’s civilian authorities were keen on fostering relations with Afghanistan grounded in mutual interests, the military obstructed these efforts.
“Pakistan’s special envoy for Afghanistan, Sadiq Khan, engaged in constructive discussions in Kabul with Afghan officials, yet concurrently, Pakistan launched assaults on Afghan territory. The civilian government is intent on relationship building, but the military undermines those efforts,” Mujahid told Khyber TV.
Mujahid also reflected on the state of Afghanistan-Pakistan relations during the tenure of former Pakistani PM Imran Khan, noting that relations were strong, with most initiatives proceeding smoothly.
Imran Khan led the civilian government from 2018 until 2022. He was ousted through a no-confidence vote, marking the first removal of its kind in Pakistan’s history. Following his ousting, Khan was arrested in May 2023 on corruption allegations, which he and his supporters claim are politically motivated actions by the military establishment. Khan faced resistance from the power centers within the Pakistani military for asserting the democratic mandate bestowed upon him by the populace.
UNWANTED INTRUDERS IN AFGHANISTAN: US DRONES THROUGH PAKISTAN
In the wake of the recent peace talks, a new complication has escalated the situation between Pakistan and Afghanistan. This involves the unauthorized drones that have been entering Afghan airspace from Pakistan, which the Taliban claimed were American.
<pZabihullah Mujahid revealed that American drones frequently cross into Afghanistan from Pakistani territory, a situation that Kabul has long condemned. Afghan officials previously indicated that Islamabad claimed it was unable to prevent the drones due to an "agreement with a foreign power."
The escalating tensions between Afghanistan and Pakistan are merely the latest chapter in a protracted history of distrust. The origins can be traced back to 1947 when the Durand Line effectively divided Pashtun tribes, creating decades of friction.
In the 1980s, Pakistan supported Afghan mujahideen against the Soviets, backed by US aid, only to later face repercussions from terrorists, including the Taliban. Following the events of 9/11, Pakistan found itself in a precarious position, publicly aligning with Washington while providing shelter to Taliban leaders.
Currently, Islamabad accuses Kabul of providing refuge to Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) militants responsible for numerous attacks within Pakistan. In turn, Afghanistan points to Pakistan’s expulsion of 1.7 million Afghans and repeated airstrikes, including those in March and December 2024 that resulted in civilian casualties. This cycle of hostility persists.
At the heart of this is the civil-military divide in Pakistan. As Mujahid claimed, the military under Munir is steering the course, effectively sidelining Shehbaz Sharif’s civilian administration, which itself is supported by the military establishment. This pattern is all too familiar.