Pakistan faces its worst fears as the Taliban, a force it once supported, now targets it directly. The message from Kabul is stark: Pakistan is slated for conquest and destruction. Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) chief Noor Wali Mehsud has announced that Afghan Taliban leader Hibatullah Akhundzada has ordered a full-scale invasion of Pakistan. This declaration follows a deadly border clash where five Pakistani soldiers were killed, escalating tensions significantly.
Once a strategic asset for Pakistan, the Taliban has now turned on its creator. Afghan Taliban fighters are launching attacks from across the border, while TTP militants operate with impunity within Pakistan, severely challenging General Asim Munir’s military. TTP leader Noor Wali Mehsud has been seen openly issuing ‘conquest’ orders within Pakistani territory, specifically in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, indicating a severe loss of control for Islamabad.
Peace talks in Istanbul aimed at curbing militant activity failed when the Afghan Taliban refused to act against the TTP and other groups operating from Afghanistan. Instead, they suggested Pakistan negotiate directly with the TTP, a proposal Pakistan rejected. This signifies Afghanistan’s unwillingness to assist Pakistan in controlling the militant groups it fostered.
Evidence of disintegrating military authority is mounting, with TTP fighters reportedly seizing Pakistani military vehicles and establishing checkpoints in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, functioning as a de facto parallel government. Adding to Pakistan’s security concerns, a former CIA officer has suggested that Pakistan does not fully control its nuclear weapons, with launch codes potentially held by American generals due to fears of the arsenal falling into terrorist hands. Facing attacks from the west, internal insurgency, and external doubts about its nuclear control, Pakistan is in an unprecedented existential crisis.