Taliban’s “Fatwa” may Become Strategic Weapon against Pakistan Airstrikes

DID Press: Amid escalating Pakistani airstrikes along Afghanistan’s eastern provinces, the Taliban’s most potent tool may not be leftover NATO weaponry but the ideological leverage of a religious fatwa. A decree of “defensive jihad” by Sheikh Hibatullah Akhundzada could shift the regional balance of power irreversibly, mobilizing ideological supporters on both sides of the Durand Line.

The Taliban, having emerged from decades of strategic reliance on Pakistan, now face an Islamabad that underestimated Kabul’s assertiveness. While Pakistan claims its recent airstrikes target Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan hideouts, civilian casualties suggest a punitive strategy that risks provoking more severe responses.

Issuing a fatwa would transform the conflict from a conventional border skirmish into a religious and ideological mobilization, undermining Pakistan’s military legitimacy domestically. It could also facilitate TTP coordination, establishing a “buffer war zone” along the border and forcing Pakistan to either maintain costly troop deployments or face strategic setbacks.

Additionally, Kabul’s potential use of suicide squads and asymmetric attacks against Pakistani military and economic targets represents a threat that conventional air defenses cannot easily counter. This combination of religious legitimacy and operational capability could neutralize Islamabad’s air superiority and expand the conflict from border regions into major urban centers.

Analysts warn that any attempt by Pakistan to revert to proxy strategies or a counter-insurgency approach risks entering a lose-lose scenario. Afghanistan’s terrain, tribal complexity, and the Taliban’s operational experience suggest that a renewed proxy war would not weaken them but strengthen their resolve against external pressure.

The emerging confrontation between Pakistani air power and Taliban religious mobilization carries the potential to ignite a large-scale security crisis, with destabilizing consequences that could ripple across South Asia. Any miscalculation could turn the Durand Line into a flashpoint far more destructive than in past decades.

By Sayed Baqer Waezi — DID Press Agency