The Complex Landscape Of Afghan Factions

Afghanistan has been a battleground for various factions for centuries. The country has been invaded by the Persians, Alexander the Great, the Maurya Empire, Arab Muslims, the Mongols, the British, the Soviet Union, and a US-led coalition. The Taliban, an Afghan militant movement, ruled approximately three-quarters of the country from 1996 to 2001, before being overthrown following the American invasion. The Taliban recaptured Kabul in 2021, and currently controls all of the country.

The Taliban's relationship with Pakistan

Historical Context

The Taliban, or more specifically, the Afghan Taliban, have had a long and complex relationship with Pakistan, dating back to their emergence in the early 1990s. The movement was initially comprised of local bands of religious students who joined the anti-Communist uprising of Afghan religious scholars. These students captured branches of some Pakistan-based religious resistance parties and formed separate "fronts" inside Afghanistan. Over time, the Taliban's reliance on Pakistan for support, such as recruitment and establishing command centres, opened them up to Pakistani influence.

Strategic Asset

Pakistan's security establishment has long viewed the Taliban as a valuable strategic asset in its anti-India policies. Pakistan has provided various forms of support to the Taliban, including soliciting funding, providing diplomatic support, arranging training for fighters, and even directly supporting combat operations. Pakistan's intelligence services, particularly the Inter-Services Intelligence Directorate (ISI), have played a significant role in bolstering the Taliban's military capabilities.

Border Disputes and Clashes

However, the relationship between the Taliban and Pakistan has also been marked by border disputes and clashes. The Taliban's refusal to accept the Durand Line as the international border between the two countries has been a key point of contention. Clashes along this disputed border have become more frequent since the Taliban took over Afghanistan in August 2021, with both sides accusing each other of targeting civilian populations.

Ideological Connections

The ideological connection between the Taliban and Pakistan's security establishment has been instrumental in Pakistan's control over the Taliban. However, this has also contributed to the growing Islamist radicalization within Pakistan itself. Islamist and jihadist forces in Pakistan are increasingly invoking Islam to pressure the government to assert the country's Islamic character, rather than solely focusing on opposition to India.

Changing Dynamics

With the Taliban now in control of Afghanistan, the dynamics of their relationship with Pakistan are changing. The Taliban's victory has inspired those seeking to impose Sharia law in Pakistan, including the Pakistani Taliban or Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP). The TTP has launched an escalating terror campaign inside Pakistan, straining the relationship between the Afghan Taliban and Pakistan.

Future Prospects

The future of the Taliban-Pakistan relationship remains uncertain. Pakistan's unpopularity in Afghanistan has made the Taliban cautious about being perceived as Islamabad's puppet. At the same time, Pakistan's leadership had hoped that the Taliban would help control the TTP, but this has not materialized. Pakistan's influence over the Taliban may be waning, and the Taliban are sending signals that they are less amenable to receiving instructions from Pakistan.

In conclusion, the Taliban-Pakistan relationship is multifaceted and evolving. While there have been historical connections and mutual interests, particularly in terms of security and ideology, the dynamics have shifted as the Taliban gained control of Afghanistan. Border disputes, ideological differences, and the rise of extremist groups continue to challenge the relationship between the two.

The Taliban's relationship with al-Qaeda

The Taliban and al-Qaeda have a long history of cooperation. The Taliban, which is predominantly Pashtun, is an Islamic fundamentalist group that returned to power in Afghanistan in 2021 after waging an insurgency against the US-backed government in Kabul since 2001. The Taliban's relationship with al-Qaeda dates back to the 1990s when al-Qaeda provided material and manpower assistance to the Taliban as it waged a civil war against the Northern Alliance. In return, the Taliban provided hospitality to al-Qaeda.

Al-Qaeda's leader, Osama bin Laden, swore an oath of allegiance to Mullah Omar, the leader of the Taliban, calling him the "commander of the faithful". However, after the 9/11 attacks, the Taliban's biggest setback was when they were swept from power by a US-led operation in Afghanistan. This was a direct result of an operation conducted by al-Qaeda.

Despite this, the Taliban and al-Qaeda continue to maintain close ties. Analysts are concerned that the Taliban could provide al-Qaeda with a safe haven and allow it to launch international terrorist attacks from Afghan soil. In 2022, a US drone strike killed al-Qaeda leader Ayman al-Zawahiri in Kabul, suggesting that al-Qaeda leaders are based in the country.

Overall, the Taliban and al-Qaeda have a complex and intertwined history, and their relationship continues to be a source of concern for international observers.

The Taliban's relationship with the Islamic State

The Taliban and the Islamic State (IS) are rivals with a hostile relationship. The two groups have clashed over control of territory in Afghanistan, and IS has targeted and assassinated Taliban members. The enmity between the two groups is largely due to their differing ideologies. The Taliban subscribe to the Hanafi madhhab school of Sunni Islamic thought, while IS follows the Jihadi-Salafist ideology. IS views the Taliban as irreconcilable enemies that must be defeated, and the Taliban see IS as an existential threat.

IS was formed in 2014 by Taliban defectors who had grown dissatisfied with the leadership of Mullah Mohammed Omar. IS has a more extreme interpretation of Islam than the Taliban, and its goals are more ambitious. While the Taliban largely focus on Afghanistan, IS aims to establish a "pure" Islamic system across the world, ridding it of the threat posed by Western culture. IS has used social media to spread its message and recruit followers internationally, while the Taliban have relied on guerrilla warfare.

IS has carried out numerous high-profile attacks in Afghanistan, including the 2021 bombing of Kabul airport, which killed over 170 civilians and US soldiers. The Taliban have also targeted IS, and in 2017, the US military dropped the "mother of all bombs" on an IS hideout. Despite their rivalry, there have been instances of collaboration between the two groups, and some analysts believe that IS includes defectors from the Taliban.

The US has worked with the Taliban to fight IS, but this cooperation has been unofficial and limited. The Taliban takeover of Afghanistan in 2021 has given IS the opportunity to gain support from anti-Taliban and Taliban-disillusioned Islamist constituencies. IS prisoners have also been released from Afghan prisons, allowing them to rejoin the group. The Taliban now face the challenge of countering IS without US support, and it remains to be seen whether they can effectively police and counter IS insurgencies.

The Taliban's relationship with the Pakistani government

The Pakistani Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) agency has been a key supporter of the Taliban, providing money, training, and weaponry. The ISI also has strong ties with the Pakistan-based Haqqani network, a militant group closely associated with the Taliban. The Taliban's leadership has also found refuge in Pakistan, and the group receives large donations from private individuals in the country.

Pakistan's support for the Taliban stems from several strategic interests. Firstly, Pakistan sought to establish a Pakistan-friendly government in Afghanistan to counter Indian influence in the region. Secondly, Pakistan wanted to contain Pashtun nationalism and prevent the emergence of a Pashtun state that could threaten its territorial integrity. Finally, Pakistan aimed to promote Islamic nationalism in the region, which aligned with the Taliban's ideology.

However, the relationship between Pakistan and the Taliban has not always been smooth. There have been tensions over border disputes, and the Taliban's refusal to recognize the Durand Line as the official border between the two countries. Additionally, the Taliban's rise to power in Afghanistan has inspired Islamist and jihadist forces in Pakistan, causing concerns about blowback and increasing religious radicalization within Pakistan itself.

Despite these challenges, Pakistan remains a crucial player in the region, and its influence over the Taliban cannot be overlooked. Pakistan's role in the US-led war in Afghanistan and its complex relationship with the Taliban highlight the complex dynamics at play in South Asia.

The Taliban's relationship with the Pakistani military

The ISI trained Mullah Omar, the founder of the Taliban, in the 1980s at one of its training camps for the mujahideen that fought the Soviet occupation of Afghanistan. Pakistan was one of only three countries that recognised the Taliban's Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan as the legitimate government of Afghanistan in the late 1990s.

Pakistan has provided the Taliban with military and logistical support, including training, arms, and expertise. Pakistani officers have been killed on the battlefield in Afghanistan while operating under cover with Taliban forces. Pakistani private actors have also been involved in arms procurement for the Taliban.

The relationship between the Taliban and the Pakistani military is not without tensions, however. The Taliban has defied Pakistan, its main state benefactor, by challenging the status of the Afghan-Pakistan border and providing a haven to the anti-Pakistan insurgent group, the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP). The TTP has carried out numerous terrorist attacks inside Pakistan and seeks to establish a Taliban-style, Sharia-compliant state in the country.

Frequently asked questions