Islamabad accuses Kabul of ‘instigating Pashtunism’ in Pakistan amid heightened tensions

• Tensions have been high between Pakistan and Afghanistan in recent years, with Islamabad accusing Kabul of harboring militant groups
• Clashes erupted between the neighbors on Oct. 11 after Pakistan conducted airstrikes in Afghanistan against what it called militant targets

ISLAMABAD: Islamabad on Friday accused the Afghan Taliban government of “instigating Pashtunism” in Pakistan, amid heightened tensions between the neighbors over a surge in militancy in Pakistan.

Tensions have been high between Pakistan and Afghanistan in recent years, with Islamabad accusing Kabul of harboring militant groups like the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and the Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA). Kabul has consistently denied this.

Clashes erupted between the neighbors on Oct. 11 after Pakistan conducted airstrikes in Afghanistan against what it said were TTP-linked targets. The two sides reached a ceasefire in Doha on Oct. 19, but two subsequent rounds of talks in Istanbul failed to firm up the truce.

Speaking at a weekly press briefing in Islamabad, Pakistani foreign office spokesman Tahir Andrabi said some elements within the Afghan Taliban have made an attempt to “instigate” Pashtun sentiment in Pakistan. He did not offer any evidence, while Kabul did not immediately respond to the comment.

“It is a historical fact that Pashtuns in Pakistan are a vibrant part of our society and the state, holding leadership position across the spectrum of public life and civil society. More number of Pashtuns live in Pakistan than in Afghanistan,” Andrabi told reporters on Friday.

“Therefore, instead of instigating Pashtunism in Pakistan, it would be wise for Taliban regime to look into its own credentials of inclusivity across all segments of this population in its governance structure.”

Pashtunism, often framed in political discourse as Pashtun nationalism, refers to the idea of uniting Pashtun-speaking communities under a shared ethnic, cultural or political identity. While Pashtuns constitute one of the largest ethnic groups in both Pakistan and Afghanistan, they have been divided by the 2,600-kilometer border, known as Durand Line, named after British diplomat Sir Mortimer Durand who drew the boundary in the late 19th century with the agreement of Afghan authorities of the day.

The Taliban government, like many previous Afghan administrations, does not recognize the border known as the Durand Line and describes it as “imaginary.” Pakistani officials maintain that Kabul’s rhetoric on Pashtun unity have occasionally been deployed to stir sentiment within Pakistan, particularly during periods of strained bilateral relations.

The Pakistani foreign office spokesman once again blamed the rise in militancy in Pakistan on Afghanistan-based militant groups.

“With evidence-based and well-documented sharp rise in terrorism emanating from Afghanistan into Pakistan after August 2021, the Taliban regime can neither deny the reality nor absolve itself of this responsibility,” Andrabi said.

He, however, reiterated Pakistan’s commitment to resolution of bilateral differences through dialogue: “Pakistan’s core concerns, that is terrorism emanating from Afghanistan, need to be addressed first and foremost.”