Former Pakistani Diplomat: Islamabad’s Security-First Afghanistan Policy Has Failed

DID Press: Former Pakistani ambassador and Georgetown University adjunct professor Touqir Hussain has criticized Islamabad’s decades-long approach toward Afghanistan, arguing that treating the country primarily as a security challenge has failed and contributed to deeper instability and increasingly complex relations between Kabul and Islamabad.

Hussain argued that Afghanistan is fundamentally a political challenge with a military dimension, rather than a purely military problem. He said the country’s ethnic, religious, ideological and social divisions, combined with competition among regional and global powers, have contributed to the continuation of conflict over decades.

He also pointed to the emergence of a war economy, arguing that powerful and corrupt interests benefited from prolonged instability and that these dynamics ultimately contributed to the Taliban’s rise.

According to Hussain, the Taliban were not merely given sanctuary in Pakistan during the conflict but became embedded as a broader sociopolitical force in parts of Pakistani society. He warned that just as Islamabad’s security-centered policy of supporting the Taliban failed to produce the desired outcome, relying exclusively on security measures to confront the Taliban could also fail.

Hussain described Pakistan-Afghanistan relations as critical to the security, economic future and political stability of both countries. He also criticized previous Afghan governments for relying on pressure from the United States and India to counter Pakistan.

The former diplomat recommended that Islamabad adopt a broader strategy combining pressure and incentives, including measures related to border management, refugees, trade, military action and closer coordination with China. He also urged Pakistan to avoid becoming involved in another American war.