The Neighbourhood Scope | The Durand Churn: Reassessing Afghanistan-Pakistan Relations | This event is part of the series “The Neighbourhood Scope,” a monthly feature of the Strategic Studies Programme that intends to rekindle key conversations, questions, and debates concerning India’s neighbourhood.

Tensions are flaring up on both sides of the Durand Line once again. Pakistan’s decision to evict undocumented immigrants from the country and the resultant surge in militant attacks inside Islamabad has aggravated already fraught ties between Afghanistan and Pakistan. The Taliban has also hardened its position by criticising the decision as ‘unjust’ and ‘un-Islamic.’ More than two years since the group returned to power in Afghanistan, Pakistan’s expectations of reaping the dividends of an Islamic Emirate in its neighbourhood have come to naught with the current caretaker Prime Minister declaring how ‘peace’ in Afghanistan has become a nightmare for Pakistan. Since August 2021, the country has seen numerous suicide attacks by the TTP, which enjoys the Afghan Taliban’s support. Its efforts to convince the Taliban to act against the TTP have failed to materialise as the former deny any leverage that they have over the group. 

As the situation further deteriorates, what shape will the bilateral relationship take? Will these pressure tactics by Islamabad nudge the Taliban to act against the TTP? What about the fate of refugees that have been caught in this crossfire and how has the Taliban been dealing with their return? How is the region perceiving these differences between the two countries?

Speakers:

Javid Ahmad, Non-resident Senior Fellow, Atlantic Council   
Ayesha Siddiqa, Senior Fellow, King’s College London  
Kamran Bokhari, Senior Director, New Lines Institute for Strategy and Policy
Shivam Shekhawat, Junior Fellow, Observer Research Foundation 

Moderator: 

Sushant Sareen, Senior Fellow, Observer Research Foundation