US war in Afghanistan: Why is Pakistan getting "concerned" with its peace, security

By Syed Mujtaba*
A war extending almost two decades led by US in Afghanistan has implications for the entire region. Pakistan has been a major stakeholder in the war, and now feels it was dragged into it. Undoubtedly, it played the most significant role in in this war, for which it has also paid a price higher than any other nation involved.
Roots of the US war on terror originate in Afghanistan following the Russian withdrawal from Afghanistan in late 1980s. Pakistan was then a military ally of US, which forced the former Soviet Union make its soldiers return to their barracks.
It is well known how US was responsible for launching the mujahedeen to fight Soviet presence. Osama bin Laden emerged as a prominent figure of the mujahedeen, and became the chief of AI-Qaeda. Tables turned, however, when AI-Qaeda, led by bin Laden, hijacked four passenger aircrafts from four different airfields and crashed them into the World Trade Center in New York on September 11, 2001 resulting in 2,977 casualties.
This, no doubt, was a huge security lapse and heated things inside US. It led US to launch operation 'Enduring Freedom' against the accused bin Laden and his group. The then mujahedeen turned into terrorists in US books. US set its foot on Afghan soil again on October 7, 2001 and the war on terror was “realized”.
US called the war on terror as the need of the time. It was able to gather international support on this, as terrorism had already become a matter of global concern.
US counted on Pakistan support its war in Afghanistan, but the support made it suffer more than any other US ally. Together with US, NATO forces and the Afghan army, Pakistan fought Taliban by providing regional support. This made Taliban to begin targeting Pakistan in attacks on various fronts. These included suicide attacks killing hundreds, instilling fear among the masses.
In a report issued by the Pakistan Ministry of Finance, the country suffered a loss of 123.1 billion US dollars from 2001 to 2017 as a result of this war. Further, about 75,000 Pakistani civilians have lost their lives because of Pakistani involvement in the Afghan war. Meanwhile, US continued to aid Pakistan for its cooperation by providing 33.4 billion dollars from 2002 to 2016.
The consequences of this involvement of Pakistan have been massive, affecting its stability and security. Pakistan is now facing the aftermath of this war on multiple grounds, and has deteriorated its standing in the international community.
According to reports, the Trump administration has been continuing to put pressure on Pakistan, alleging that the latter is harbouring and supporting insurgents in Afghanistan. A similar statement was issued by NATO in 2006, but was reverted, as no “tangible” proof could be found. The government and the army of Pakistan have, of course, denied such accusations time and again. Pakistan has insisted, it wants peace in Afghanistan and seeks political support to end the Afghan war.
The US-Pakistan bilateral ties, in fact, started to tumble in 2011 after a surprise raid in Abbottabad killing Osama bin Laden, and touched the lowest in January 2018, when Trump suspended US security assistance to Islamabad on claims that Pakistan is not cooperating with US against militant groups.
Reflecting to this claim, Pakistan asserted that peace and stability in Afghanistan is a mutual responsibility and it had done everything in its capacity for the stated cause. Indeed, peace in Afghanistan is directly associated with peace in Pakistan and other countries in the neighourhood. Not without reason, Pakistan wants a peaceful Afghanistan.
After Imran Khan became Prime Minister, his narrative on Pakistan on the US-led war became even clearer. He rejected as “unsubstantiated” all rhetoric against Pakistan facilitating terrorism. He stated that Pakistan would not carry the blame of US failures.
Angered at the tweet of Trump targeting Pakistan for “not doing a damn” and “just getting financial assistance of war from US”, Khan retorted, “Trump needs to be informed about historical facts. Pakistan has suffered enough fighting US's war. Now we will do what we think is best for our people." Soon thereafter, Pakistan foreign office registered a strong protest against the allegation.
Imran Khan's stand confirmed that Pakistan, in this region, is too important to ignore.
---
*Socio-political observer based in Jammu & Kashmir

Comments

Academics urge Azim Premji University to drop FIR against Student Reading Circle

By A Representative A group of academics and civil society members has issued an open letter to the leadership of Azim Premji University expressing concern over the filing of a police complaint that led to an FIR against a student-run reading circle following a recent incident of violence on campus. The signatories state that they hold the university in high regard for its commitment to constitutional values, critical inquiry and ethical public engagement, and argue that it is precisely because of this reputation that the present development is troubling.

Was Netaji forced to alter face, die in obscurity in USSR in 1975? Was he so meek?

By Rajiv Shah This should sound almost hilarious. Not only did Subhas Chandra Bose not die in a plane crash in Taipei, nor was he the mysterious Gumnami Baba who reportedly passed away on 16 September 1985 in Ayodhya, but we are now told that he actually died in 1975—date unknown—“in oblivion” somewhere in the former Soviet Union. Which city? Moscow? No one seems to know.

UAPA action against Telangana activist: Criminalising legitimate democratic activity?

By A Representative The National Investigation Agency's Hyderabad branch has issued notices to more than ten individuals in Telangana in connection with FIR No. RC-04/2025. Those served include activists, former student leaders, civil rights advocates, poets, writers, retired schoolteachers, and local leaders associated with the Communist Party of India (CPI) and the Indian National Congress.

The ultimate all-time ODI XI: A personal selection of icons across eras

By Harsh Thakor* This is my all-time best XI chosen for ODI (One Day International) cricket: 1. Adam Gilchrist (W) – The absolute master blaster who could create the impact of exploding gunpowder with his electrifying strokeplay. No batsman was more intimidating in his era. Often his knocks decided the fate of games as though the result were premeditated. He escalated batting strike rates to surreal realms.

Swami Vivekananda's views on caste and sexuality were 'painfully' regressive

By Bhaskar Sur* Swami Vivekananda now belongs more to the modern Hindu mythology than reality. It makes a daunting job to discover the real human being who knew unemployment, humiliation of losing a teaching job for 'incompetence', longed in vain for the bliss of a happy conjugal life only to suffer the consequent frustration.

Aligning too closely with U.S., allies, India’s silence on IRIS Dena raises troubling questions

By Vidya Bhushan Rawat* The reported sinking of the Iranian ship IRIS Dena in the Indian Ocean near Sri Lanka raises troubling questions about international norms and the credibility of the so-called rule-based order. If indeed the vessel was attacked by the American Navy while returning from a joint exercise in Visakhapatnam, it would represent a serious breach of trust and a violation of the principles that govern such cooperative engagements. Warships participating in these exercises are generally not armed for combat; they are meant to symbolize solidarity and friendship. The incident, therefore, is not only shocking but also deeply ironic.

The kitchen as prison: A feminist elegy for domestic slavery

By Garima Srivastava* Kumar Ambuj stands as one of the most incisive voices in contemporary Hindi poetry. His work, stripped of ornamentation, speaks directly to the lived realities of India’s marginalized—women, the rural poor, and those crushed under invisible forms of violence. His celebrated poem “Women Who Cook” (Khānā Banātī Striyāṃ) is not merely about food preparation; it is a searing indictment of patriarchal domestic structures that reduce women’s existence to endless, unpaid labour.

Asbestos contamination in children’s products highlights global oversight gaps

By A Representative A commentary published by the International Ban Asbestos Secretariat (IBAS) has drawn attention to the challenges governments face in responding effectively to global public-health risks. In an article written by Laurie Kazan-Allen and published on March 5, 2026, the author examines how the discovery of asbestos contamination in children’s play products has raised questions about regulatory oversight and international product safety. The article opens by reflecting on lessons from the COVID-19 pandemic, noting that governments in several countries were slow to respond to early warning signs of the crisis. Referring to the experience of the United Kingdom, the author writes that delays in implementing protective measures contributed to “232,112 recorded deaths and over a million people suffering from long Covid.” The commentary uses this example to illustrate what it describes as the dangers of underestimating emerging threats. Attention then turns...

India’s foreign policy at crossroads: Cost of silence in the face of aggression

By Venkatesh Narayanan, Sandeep Pandey The widely anticipated yet unprovoked attack on Iran on March 1 by the United States and Israel has drawn sharp criticism from several quarters around the world. Reports indicate that the strikes have resulted in significant civilian casualties, including 165 elementary school girls, 20 female volleyball players, and many other civilians.

Search This Blog