DID Press: A prominent Indian diplomat said relations between Kabul and Islamabad are more defined by conflicting interests than ever, leaving little room for a sustainable partnership.
Shashi Tharoor, former Indian Foreign Minister, said that recent regional developments have placed Afghanistan–Pakistan relations in a position where any prediction of a durable alliance between the two countries is unrealistic.
In his latest analysis, Tharoor noted, “Political and security alliances among nations are always subject to national interests, which is why complete alignment between Kabul and Islamabad will never endure.”
He stressed that “national interests, not political promises or tactical relationships, determine the true direction of a country’s policies.”
“For decades, Islamabad supported the Taliban as a strategic lever against India. However, after the Taliban seized Kabul, the group acted contrary to Pakistan’s expectations, and Afghanistan has now become a challenge for Pakistani policymakers,” said Tharoor, recalling Pakistan’s historical ties with the Taliban.
Tharoor added that multiple examples demonstrate the Taliban’s distancing from Pakistan’s security approach, including the condemnation of the recent Kashmir attack and Kabul’s refusal to cooperate with Islamabad in arresting and extraditing members of Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan.
According to him, “The Taliban today function less as a Pakistani ally and more as an independent actor with their own priorities.”
He warned that growing tensions between the Afghan Taliban and the Pakistani military along shared borders, coupled with the strengthening of Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan, could trigger a new wave of regional security challenges.
Tharoor emphasized that this dynamic not only exposes the two countries to fresh crises but could also have wider implications, affecting the security of regional powers such as India and China.