Pakistan and Afghanistan started a war. And here's why

An open war has begun between Pakistan and the Taliban Government of Afghanistan. Islamabad believes that the current Afghan leadership has lost its independence and is acting in the interests of India. What are the main reasons for the confrontation — in the material of Izvestia.

The controversy over Durand

• For more than 100 years, tension has persisted on the border of Pakistan and Afghanistan, the so—called Durand Line. The sport around her began in 1893, when the British authorities in India drew the border between Afghanistan and the territories under their control. The agreement was signed by British representative Mortimer Durand with Afghan Emir Abdur Rahman Khan. London needed the line to delineate zones of influence and ensure the security of the colonies without taking into account the interests of the local population.

• The border passed through areas inhabited by Pashtun tribes, dividing kinship communities and disrupting established ties. Because of this, it was initially perceived as artificial and imposed from the outside. After the declaration of independence of Pakistan in 1947, Islamabad recognized the Durand Line as its state border, while Kabul refused to consider it legitimate, stating that the colonial agreement had expired.

• The essence of the conflict lies in the different understanding of the status of this line: Pakistan considers it the official international border, while Afghanistan considers it a temporary and disputed border. This discrepancy, reinforced by weak border controls and the activity of armed groups, has made the Durand Line a constant cause for skirmishes.

"Open war": how the conflict between Afghanistan and Pakistan is developing

Fighting has engulfed the border areas and major cities of Afghanistan.

Clash of interests

Major regional players — Pakistan and India — have been at war since the partition of British India in 1947. Then the borders were drawn hastily, which led to conflicts, violence and dispute over Kashmir. Since then, the countries have fought several times and continue to perceive each other as the main threat to their security.

• India influences the conflict between Pakistan and Afghanistan through its economic and political presence. She cooperates with Kabul, finances projects and maintains contacts with the Afghan authorities. In Pakistan, this is considered an attempt to strengthen Indian influence on its borders and create additional pressure from the West.

• The rivalry between India and Pakistan makes the crisis in Afghanistan part of a broader conflict. Tensions between the two countries complicate the fight against terrorism and increase the risk of new clashes.

Destabilization of the region

• Pakistan accused the Taliban of turning the country into a place of concentration of extremists, contributing to the spread of terrorism outside Afghanistan and violating the rights of its own population. Islamabad believes that the weakness of state institutions has led to the concentration of militants from different countries in Kabul.

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• Pakistan emphasizes that the Taliban are spreading radical ideology beyond Afghanistan, which, according to Islamabad, is destabilizing the entire region. Pakistan also accuses the Taliban of systematically restricting the basic rights of the population, including women's access to education and work, suppression of dissent, strict control over the media and the use of repression. According to the Pakistani side, the Taliban have turned Afghanistan into a closed space where radical elements feel protected, and the consequences of their activities extend far beyond the borders of the country.

• In response, the Taliban accuses Pakistan of harboring militants of the Islamic State (IS, a terrorist organization banned in Russia), hostile to the Taliban, and of carrying out unprovoked airstrikes that target civilians. Pakistan also uses such levers as the closure of key border crossings (for example, Torkham) and the mass deportation of Afghan refugees, which further aggravates bilateral relations.

Tension in the relationship

The reason for the outbreak of the military conflict was the regular attacks from Afghan territory, which, as stated in Islamabad, exhausted the patience of the Pakistani authorities. At the same time, large-scale clashes on the border between Pakistan and Afghanistan occurred even before the official announcement. The escalation began with Pakistani airstrikes in the eastern regions of Afghanistan, where, according to Islamabad, there were bases of radical groups using Afghan territory to prepare attacks. Pakistan claims that it acted on the basis of intelligence and attacked exclusively terrorist targets.

In Kabul, these actions were regarded as a violation of sovereignty and Pakistan was accused of attacks on residential areas, resulting in the deaths of civilians. In response, Afghan forces announced a large-scale operation along the Durand Line, claiming attacks on Pakistani positions and the capture of border posts. In Pakistan, this was perceived as a direct military attack and declared the transition of the conflict into a full-fledged war. At the same time, estimates of the losses of the parties radically differ: Pakistani sources report large losses on the Afghan side, while Kabul calls these data unreliable and claims that Pakistan suffered the main losses.

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Settlement prospects

• Attempts to reach an agreement have been made before. After a sharp escalation in the fall of 2025 (we talked about that conflict in more detail here), with the participation of Qatar and Turkey, a temporary ceasefire was achieved, but a month later the negotiation process actually stopped. By the beginning of 2026, the parties had finally relied on force. Islamabad has taken a tough stance, demanding the immediate elimination of the infrastructure of terrorist groups on Afghan territory, while Kabul rejects the very existence of such bases.

• Despite the declaration of "open war", a number of States continue to put forward initiatives to reduce tension. Russia and Iran are calling for negotiations, citing regional stability. China, having serious economic interests in Pakistan (in particular, the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor) and working contacts with Kabul, is interested in preventing further destabilization. Qatar and Turkey are also considered as possible platforms for resuming contacts due to previous experience.

• A protracted confrontation of high and medium intensity remains the most likely option, especially along the Durand Line. At the same time, border crossings and disruptions in the supply of goods may eventually force the parties to return to the negotiating table. So far, neither Islamabad nor Kabul have shown any willingness to make concessions, and the fighting continues.