| Syllabus: GS- II Subject: International Relations Topic: India and its neighborhood Issue: Border skirmishes between Pakistan and Afghanistan |
Context: Pakistan and Afghanistan carried out retaliatory airstrikes against each other.
- Pakistan alleged it struck the Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) in response to terror attacks.
- The Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan(Pakistani Taliban) is a militant group with the goal to overthrow the Pakistani government and establish a strict Islamic state.
Pakistan’s historic support to Afghanistan:
- Pakistan historically supported the Taliban against U.S. backed Afghan governments.
- Pakistan expected to strengthen its strategic presence through a client regime in Kabul after the Taliban’s return but faced setbacks.
Key concerns in Pakistan Afghanistan relation:
- The Durand Line, a contested border, between Afghanistan and Pakistan.
- The Taliban’s return has strengthened the TTP security concern for Pakistan.
- Taliban and TTP share Pashtun ethnicity and Deobandi interpretation of Islam.
