Addressing the Misguided Criticism of Pakistan’s Strategic Position

Certain Media houses claims Pakistan’s strategy has backfired in Afghanistan, leading to increased border skirmishes and a surge in terrorism by the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), overlooks key developments and misrepresents Pakistan’s position. The assertions about Pakistan’s failed policies in Afghanistan are not only misleading but fail to consider the broader geopolitical landscape, where India’s role and interests are far more destabilizing to the region than suggested.
One of the most critical developments is of India’s increasing engagement with Afghanistan since the Taliban took control in 2021. On one hand, Pakistan is accused of covertly supporting the Afghan Taliban, but on the other hand, India is now openly pursuing development projects in Afghanistan. Indian Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri’s meeting with acting Taliban Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi in Dubai is a clear indicator that India is looking to re-establish its influence in Afghanistan. The Indian government has already signaled its intent to engage in development projects within Afghanistan, a move that is often presented as a benign effort to assist a war-torn country. However, these development projects cannot be separated from the broader geopolitical context in which India seeks to use Afghanistan as a tool to destabilize Pakistan.
India’s involvement in Afghanistan is not a new phenomenon. During the Ashraf Ghani and Hamid Karzai regimes, India maintained consulates along the Pakistan-Afghanistan border, which were widely used as bases for the operations of India’s intelligence agency, RAW. These consulates were implicated in supporting and funding terrorism in Pakistan, with the goal of destabilizing the region and countering Pakistan’s influence. The fact that India is once again eyeing a foothold in Afghanistan raises concerns that the same pattern of destabilizing activities could resurface, especially with the backdrop of increasing tensions between Pakistan and Afghanistan.
India’s intelligence agency, RAW, has a long history of connections with terrorist outfits like the TTP, and these ties should not be ignored. Far from being an independent force, the TTP has often been a pawn in India’s broader strategy to weaken Pakistan. The TTP, emboldened by India’s covert support, has launched a series of terrorist attacks on Pakistani soil, exacerbating the security situation in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan. The resurgence of the TTP in Afghanistan after the Taliban’s return to power in 2021 can be linked to a lack of accountability for foreign-sponsored terrorism, as well as the potential involvement of India in stoking these terrorist activities.
India’s actions in Afghanistan are part of a broader strategy to maintain destabilizing influence in the region. Despite the shifting dynamics in Kabul, with the Taliban refusing to be dictated by any outside power, India’s interest in Afghanistan remains unchanged. Its long-standing efforts to contain Pakistan’s influence in Afghanistan through clandestine support for terrorist groups only serves to undermine peace and security in the region.
The claim that the TTP is solely a result of Pakistan’s “duplicitous” policies is an oversimplification of the situation. The TTP’s rise and its continued operations in Pakistan are, in part, fueled by external support—much of it from India. The recent spike in TTP-led terror attacks serves as a reminder that terrorism in Pakistan has often been fueled by foreign elements, particularly from across the Afghan border. It is well-documented that RAW has historically utilized Afghanistan as a launchpad for its covert operations against Pakistan, a fact that cannot be overlooked when analyzing the situation in the region today.
Another peculiar case of disinformation is the baseless claim about uranium smuggling to Iran. This claim, echoing an article in Hindustan Times and comments by Amjad Ayub Mirza, a known RAW-linked figure, is a textbook example of how misinformation is used to mislead the public. Iran is one of the largest holders of raw uranium reserves globally, and the suggestion that Pakistan is smuggling uranium to Iran is not only unfounded but also absurd. Iran’s vast natural uranium resources make such claims nonsensical.
The fact that this false narrative is being pushed by figures like Mirza, who has little credibility and a history of feeding disinformation, should be a red flag. The claim that Pakistan is somehow involved in smuggling uranium into Iran is part of a broader attempt to paint Pakistan as a rogue state, which is far from the reality.
The attempt to frame Pakistan’s policies in Afghanistan as a failure, while ignoring India’s disruptive role, misses the larger picture. India’s re-engagement in Afghanistan under the guise of development projects is a clear indication of its ongoing strategy to destabilize Pakistan. The TTP’s rise is not a natural consequence of Pakistan’s policies; rather, it is a direct result of foreign interference, particularly by India, which continues to use Afghanistan as a proxy battleground.
The real threat to regional peace comes not from Pakistan’s actions, but from India’s ongoing efforts to sow discord through intelligence operations, support for terrorism, and the manipulation of regional politics. The international community must recognize the dangers posed by India’s activities in Afghanistan and hold it accountable for its role in destabilizing the region. In conclusion, the assertion that Pakistan’s policies in Afghanistan have backfired is not supported by the facts. Rather, it is India’s covert and destabilizing influence that continues to pose a far greater threat to regional peace and stability.