By Uzma Ehtasham
The latest exchange of accusations between Pakistan and India over military operations linked to Afghanistan is another reminder of how fragile security remains in South Asia. The rhetoric may be familiar, but the underlying challenges have become increasingly serious. Cross-border militancy, competing strategic interests and a deep absence of trust continue to shape relations not only between Islamabad and New Delhi but also between Pakistan and Afghanistan. In such an atmosphere, every military action, diplomatic statement and security incident risks widening an already dangerous regional divide.
Pakistan has forcefully rejected India’s criticism of its recent military operations in Afghanistan, dismissing New Delhi’s allegations as baseless and politically motivated. According to the Foreign Office, Pakistan’s actions were lawful, limited and directed exclusively against terrorist infrastructure that, it says, had been operating from Afghan territory. Islamabad argues that the operations were neither an attack on Afghanistan nor a violation of its sovereignty, but a necessary response to persistent security threats that had crossed its western border.
The official response reflects Pakistan’s long-standing position that terrorism originating from Afghan territory has become one of its most pressing national security concerns since the Taliban returned to power in Kabul. Islamabad maintains that the banned Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) has rebuilt its networks across the border and significantly increased attacks on Pakistani military personnel, border installations and civilians. Pakistani officials say they repeatedly urged the Afghan authorities to dismantle these sanctuaries, arrest militants and prevent Afghan territory from being used against neighbouring countries. According to Islamabad, those requests produced promises but little practical action, leaving Pakistan with few options beyond direct defensive measures.
Pakistan further argues that its military response falls within the recognised principles of self-defence under international law. Officials maintain that when armed groups repeatedly launch attacks from another country’s territory and diplomatic efforts fail to remove the threat, states retain the inherent right to protect their citizens through proportionate action. From Islamabad’s perspective, this principle formed the legal basis for its operations against what it describes as terrorist infrastructure inside Afghanistan.
Adding another layer to the dispute is Pakistan’s allegation that India has played an active role in exploiting Afghanistan’s unstable security environment. Islamabad has repeatedly claimed that New Delhi supports anti-Pakistan militant groups operating from Afghan territory, particularly after the military confrontation between the two countries last year. Pakistani officials argue that these proxy networks have sought to undermine national security by encouraging attacks inside Pakistan, including assaults on security personnel and strategic installations. In Islamabad’s assessment, India’s criticism of Pakistan’s military operations ignores what it considers New Delhi’s own destabilising activities across the region.
Pakistan also argues that India’s criticism sits uneasily alongside its own policies in Indian-administered Kashmir. Islamabad has long maintained that restrictions on political freedoms and the continued denial of the Kashmiri people’s right to self-determination undermine India’s moral authority when invoking international law. From Pakistan’s perspective, raising concerns about another country’s security operations while facing persistent criticism over Kashmir reflects a contradiction that weakens New Delhi’s diplomatic arguments.
Beyond the political exchanges lies a sobering reality that Pakistan has paid an exceptionally high price in its fight against terrorism. Over more than two decades, thousands of civilians, soldiers, police officers and other law enforcement personnel have lost their lives in terrorist attacks. Entire communities have been displaced, major infrastructure has been damaged and the national economy has absorbed losses amounting to billions of dollars. Few countries have experienced such a sustained campaign of violence while simultaneously undertaking large-scale military operations against extremist organisations.
Islamabad argues that these sacrifices deserve greater international recognition. Pakistani officials maintain that despite facing repeated terrorist attacks, the country has consistently supported the goal of a peaceful and stable Afghanistan. They emphasise that Pakistan’s security concerns should not be viewed in isolation but in the wider context of its long struggle against terrorism and its repeated diplomatic engagement with successive Afghan authorities. According to Islamabad, respecting Afghanistan’s sovereignty has always remained an important principle, but sovereignty also carries the responsibility of ensuring that national territory is not used to launch attacks against neighbouring states.
Pakistan has therefore repeatedly urged the Afghan interim authorities to honour commitments made during bilateral discussions by preventing militant organisations from operating freely inside Afghanistan. Given the close historical, cultural, religious and geographical links between the two countries, lasting peace cannot be achieved through confrontation alone. Stable relations require practical cooperation, intelligence sharing, stronger border management and mutual confidence. Without these foundations, mistrust will continue to fuel instability that benefits only extremist organisations.
Islamabad has also called upon the international community to examine the situation with fairness and balance rather than through the lens of political rivalry. Pakistani officials argue that the country’s role in the global campaign against terrorism has often been acknowledged internationally and that its security concerns deserve objective consideration. They further contend that regional stability will remain elusive unless every state, without exception, denies safe havens to terrorist organisations and rejects the use of militant proxies as instruments of foreign policy.
Ultimately, South Asia cannot afford another cycle of escalating confrontation. The region already faces enormous economic, humanitarian and developmental challenges that demand cooperation rather than perpetual hostility. Pakistan maintains that peace remains its preferred objective, but insists that protecting its sovereignty and the safety of its citizens cannot be compromised. At the same time, durable regional security will depend not only on military responses but also on sustained diplomacy, responsible statecraft and a genuine commitment by all parties to eliminate terrorism in every form. Until trust replaces suspicion and cooperation prevails over accusation, the hope of lasting peace will remain frustratingly out of reach.
(The writer is a public health professional, journalist, and possesses expertise in health communication, having keen interest in national and international affairs, can be reached at uzma@metro-morning.com)
