Afghanistan Is Pakistan's Strategic Quigmire, Says Shashi Tharoor

Shashi Tharoor, former Deputy Secretary-General of the United Nations, has remarked on the declining influence Pakistan holds over the Taliban, a shift that has led to increasing tensions between the two entities. In his recent article published by Project Syndicate on May 5th, Tharoor, a member of India's parliament, stated that Pakistan, which had once viewed the Taliban as a strategic tool to counter India, now faces difficulties controlling the group after its victory in Afghanistan.

For decades, Pakistan provided financial and logistical support to the Taliban, seeing them as a means to establish“strategic depth” in Afghanistan and to exert influence in the region, particularly against India. However, Tharoor argues that, as is often the case with the“monsters” one creates, Pakistan's control over the Taliban has faltered, with the group moving further from Islamabad's influence.

The recent Taliban condemnation of the attack on tourists in Kashmir exemplifies the growing distance between the Taliban and Pakistan. Tharoor pointed to the rising tensions between the two countries, which have escalated over the past year, citing border skirmishes and diplomatic strains as signs of the diminishing Pakistani leverage over the Taliban.

Tharoor emphasized that while Pakistan's Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) had long seen the Taliban as an extension of its power in Afghanistan, this relationship has been strained. The Taliban's ideological rigidity and desire for autonomy have made it an uncontrollable force, and even Pakistan's celebration of the Taliban's capture of Kabul in August 2021 now appears shortsighted.

The situation has escalated to the point where some Pakistani officials have suggested seeking U.S. assistance to target militant positions in Afghanistan using drones. Tharoor finds this ironic, noting that Pakistan's policies in Afghanistan, which were anti-American, have led to the current situation where it may need to rely on the very powers it once opposed.

Tharoor concludes that Afghanistan has become a strategic quagmire for Pakistan. The ideological links between the Taliban factions in Afghanistan and Pakistan, particularly the Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), pose a significant threat to Pakistan's sovereignty and stability. The growing friction between the two countries signals a shift in regional dynamics, which will need careful monitoring by India and other stakeholders in the region.

As the relationship between Pakistan and the Taliban continues to deteriorate, Pakistan may find itself in an increasingly precarious position, with Afghanistan no longer serving as a strategic asset but instead becoming a burden. The future of this relationship could have far-reaching implications for the broader geopolitical landscape in South Asia.

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