By M Burhanuddin Qasmi

Following the “absolutely not” stance of Pakistan’s democratically elected and widely admired former Prime Minister Imran Khan — who refused to allow the United States to use Pakistani airspace and bases against Afghanistan after America’s humiliating withdrawal in August 2021, the country’s deep state — the military establishment, appears to have taken a supari (contract) from Washington against its western neighbour — Afghanistan.

For over four decades, Pakistan has received billions of US dollars under various pretexts — hosting Afghan refugees, fighting terrorism, and providing logistical support to NATO and US forces. Yet, the underlying pattern has remained constant: Pakistan has monetized Afghanistan’s misery to sustain its own ruling elite and military-industrial complex.

Now that Afghanistan has succeeded in crafting an independent and sovereign foreign policy — free from Islamabad’s manipulative influence — the Munir regime seems once again to have accepted a new assignment from Washington. Under the guise of combating terrorism, Pakistan is using the Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) — ironically, a monster of its own making — to destabilize Afghanistan. TTP, originally a Pakistani proxy meant to pressure the US following the 2001 invasion, has become a severe headache now for Islamabad itself. Yet, in the name of fighting TTP, Pakistan is actively attempting to halt Afghanistan’s progress as a nation and block its international recognition as an agent of the USA.

Donald Trump’s repeated invitations to Pakistan’s generals and political dynasties — notably the Munirs and Sharifs — along with his orchestrated hostilities toward India, are not without purpose. The objective is to keep Pakistan chained as a loyal US subordinate — a willing regional instrument whenever Washington needs a pliant Muslim-majority partner to counter freedom in Palestine and Afghanistan.

Behind closed doors, Pakistan has already bartered away its sovereignty. Reliable reports suggest that during recent peace negotiations in Istanbul (28 Oct. 2025), a single phone call from an undisclosed “power center” to an ISI operative — who was leading the so-called “civil ceasefire” dialogue with Afghanistan — instantly sabotaged the talks. The Pakistani side allegedly admitted that they had “a deal with a foreign country,” which they could not violate. They further conceded that they could neither halt the use of their airspace and bases by the US nor fully control the operations of ISIS-K from their land. Notably ISIS has been an Isreal-US proxy in the middleast to stop genuine uprising from Arab masses against US-Isreal and their loyal Arab dictators. Here ISIS-K is apparently a Pak-US proxy to check China, Russia and Afghan proximity.

This is the real context behind the ongoing AfPak tensions. The narratives of fighting terrorism through TTP, BLA, or alleged Indian proxies in Pakistan are mere façades — convenient smokescreens for Pakistan’s deep state to justify perpetual instability, crush dissent, and keep the dollars flowing from Washington. The casualties, as always, are ordinary Pakistanis, while the generals and politicians grow richer under the pretext of national security.

History offers painful reminders. From General Musharraf’s betrayal of Afghanistan in 2001 to the ISI’s creation of Mujahideen during the Soviet war, and the subsequent US training of al-Qaida — which later turned its guns on both its patrons, Washington and Islamabad — the chain of hypocrisy remains unbroken. Today, Pakistan is merely reaping the bitter fruits of its own poisonous past.

The current friction between Afghanistan and Pakistan is neither natural nor inevitable; it is the direct consequence of Pakistan’s decision to remain a US proxy in the region. One should not be surprised if, in the near future, the Pakistani army is deployed under the banner of “peacekeeping” in Gaza, perhaps replacing Turkey — aligning itself neatly with the geopolitical agenda of the US, Israel, Saudi Arabia, and Egypt.

Since its birth in 1947, Pakistan — mockingly referred to as NaPakistan — has been a source of internal disunity and regional instability. It has mastered the dark craft of division, fueling sectarian hatred among its citizens, perpetuating poverty and illiteracy, and, above all, perfecting the shameful art of US bootlicking.

(The author is editor, Eastern Crescent, Mumbai)