Pakistan's Blunder: Miscalculating the Taliban's Grip on Power
Pakistan underestimated the Taliban's control in Afghanistan, leading to cross-border clashes and a state of open war. Read about Islamabad's miscalculation and the blurred distinction between 'good' and 'bad' insurgents.
Pakistan's patience has finally run out after badly miscalculating its relationship with the Taliban in neighboring Afghanistan. For years, Islamabad had reckoned that the 'good' Afghan insurgents were separate from the 'bad' Pakistani insurgents, but this distinction has now become increasingly blurred.
Just days after the Taliban swept to power in 2021, Pakistan's then intelligence chief, Lt Gen Faiz Hameed, appeared in Kabul on what looked to many like a victory lap. Sipping tea in the lobby of the Afghan capital's fanciest hotel, he confidently told reporters:
Source: The Guardian
