Pakistan and the Afghan Taliban
A Crisis That We Cannot Afford
Note: This is a guest essay by a concerned resident of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
As a resident of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, living in the shadow of conflict for decades, I watch with growing dread as our region is once again being pushed toward the edge of an unjust and alarming war. The relationship between Pakistan and the Afghan Taliban, once seen as a strategic maneuver, has now become a nightmare for us, the people caught in the middle of violence, displacement, and death. The resurgence of the Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and the Taliban’s indifference to our suffering have made it clear: we, the people of KP and Balochistan, are the ones who will pay the ultimate price.
The TTP, operating freely from Afghan soil, has turned our homes into battlegrounds. Attacks on security forces and civilians alike have increased at an alarming rate, making daily life a constant gamble with death. In 2024 alone, more than 2,500 of our own, our fathers, sons, daughters, were lost to terrorist violence. Security personnel are being killed at an average rate of seven per day, a number that reflects the sheer brutality we are living through. And while we cry out for peace, Islamabad and Kabul continue their dangerous game of blame and inaction.
The Afghan Taliban, instead of helping to curb this menace, allows the TTP to operate unhindered. We have pleaded, protested, and warned, yet our voices are drowned out by political maneuvering. The Taliban fears a backlash from its own fighters, many of whom see the TTP as brothers in ideology. But what about us? What about the communities being ravaged by bombings, kidnappings, and the fear of another military crackdown?
As frustration mounts, Pakistan has resorted to military airstrikes against TTP hideouts in Afghanistan. In December 2024, our government carried out attacks across the border, killing militants, but also drawing fierce condemnation from Kabul. The Afghan Taliban accused Pakistan of violating sovereignty, but what about our sovereignty? What about our right to live without fear? Their warnings of retaliation bring back painful memories of past wars, wars that devastated our lands, uprooted our families, and turned our people into refugees in their own country.
We are on the brink of a dangerous escalation. If the Afghan Taliban retaliates, what will happen to the Pashtun and Baloch people living on both sides of the Durand Line? Will we be dragged into yet another war, where our villages will be bombed, our children will be buried, and our youth will be lost to yet another cycle of violence? The prospect of more military operations in our region is terrifying, not just because of the militant threat, but because we know that once again, it will be our homes turned into war zones.
The truth is, both Pakistan and Afghanistan have failed us. Our so-called leaders, sitting in Islamabad and Kabul, make decisions that send waves of destruction through our lives. The Afghan Taliban refuses to act against the TTP, fearing internal divisions. Meanwhile, Pakistan continues to use our region as a buffer, ignoring the fact that we are the ones living through the horrors of this failed policy.
We, the people of KP and Balochistan, are not pawns. We are not numbers on a battlefield. We are families, traders, students, and workers who simply want to live in peace. Yet, every time a new war brews, it is our homes that burn, our markets that empty, and our dreams that shatter.
If Pakistan continues down this path, if airstrikes continue, if the Afghan Taliban retaliates, we will be the ones to suffer. The time for diplomacy is now, before it’s too late. Islamabad must demand action from Kabul, but not through bombs and bullets, through strategy, dialogue, and real pressure. The Afghan Taliban must realize that protecting the TTP will not lead to stability but rather to more bloodshed on both sides of the border.
We have had enough of war. We have had enough of being collateral damage in a game we never chose to play. The people of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan deserve a future, one that is not dictated by endless cycles of war and destruction. The choice is clear: either our leaders act wisely to prevent another disaster, or we brace ourselves for yet another tragedy, one that we cannot afford to endure.