When the Taliban took power in Afghanistan in August 2021, Islamabad warmly welcomed it. In the initial phase, many delegations were sent by Pakistan to Afghanistan, some reports have claimed that Pakistani army officers also participated in the intelligence meetings of Taliban. While from outside this love of two neighboring Muslim countries was visible, there was a bigger meaning behind this love of Pakistan. Pakistan hoped that Taliban would help it in curbing Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), an organization spreading terrorism on its soil. Pakistan believed that friendship with the Taliban would protect Afghan soil from being used against Pakistan. But Pakistan's dreams were dashed when TTP became stronger after Taliban came to power. This Tehreek-e-Taliban organization is also the reason for the recent increase in tension between the two countries.
Both countries are standing on the verge of war today. In 2001, when the US invasion after 9/11 toppled the Taliban government in Afghanistan, the top leadership of Taliban took refuge in Pakistan and today the same Taliban is accused of giving shelter to the enemies of Pakistan. There is tension on the border and it is not known when this tension will turn into war, but now the questions are that if there is a war, who will have the upper hand, what power does Taliban have with the help of which it is threatening a powerful army like Pakistan, What is the reason for the recent stress? Let us try to find answers to these questions.
On 16 March, a suicide bomber detonated a truck packed with explosives at a Pakistani military post in North Waziristan, killing seven soldiers. Pakistan had held TTP responsible for this attack. In retaliation, Pakistan entered Afghanistan and carried out airstrikes, after which the Taliban reacted strongly, calling these attacks a threat to the sovereignty of the country. In response, the Taliban fired several shells on the Pakistan border, in which there was also news of the death of a soldier. The situation is still tense and the cause of tension is TTP, before proceeding further let us know who this TTP is.
Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan, also known as the Taliban of Pakistan, is a coalition formed in 2007 against the Pakistani military by combining several smaller radical Islamic organizations under the leadership of Baitullah Mehsud. Whose objective is to establish Khilafat rule in Pakistan and replace Pakistan law with Sharia law. This organization has carried out many major attacks in Pakistan from 2007 to 2014. TTP also claimed responsibility for the fatal attack on Malala Yousafzai in 2012. In late 2014 the TTP attacked a military school in Peshawar, killing more than 130 schoolchildren. After which the Pakistani Army conducted large-scale operations, as a result of which the strength of this organization was reduced by more than 50 percent.
But as soon as Taliban came to power in 2021, this organization started flourishing again. However, the Taliban always denies that Tehreek-e-Taliban has received any support from it. But experts say that there is ideological similarity between Taliban and TTP, even if the top leadership of Taliban denies it, but there are people within Taliban who have a soft attitude towards TTP.
What will happen if there is a war between Afghanistan and Pakistan?
There is no doubt that Pakistan is a nuclear power, Pakistan's army is the 9th most powerful army in the world. Its strength is impressive in all three fields, Air Force, Army and Navy. Taliban seems to have no competition with Pakistan in terms of numbers, but after Pakistan's attack, Taliban had said, “We have long experience of fighting for our independence from the superpowers of the world. We will not tolerate any attack on our country.”
But experts believe that even though Taliban has driven out big powers like Russia, Britain and America from their country. But they have no experience of fighting on the border, Taliban can definitely defeat any superpower in the conditions inside their country. But Pakistani Army has long experience of carrying out attacks outside the border. Pakistan has fought 4 wars with India, apart from this, Pakistani Army has also carried out many operations in Gulf countries outside the country.
How can Taliban be defeated?
The Taliban may not have an air force and a large number of tanks and weapons, but they have suicide bombers and proxies inside Pakistan. Due to which the already bad situation of Pakistan can become even worse. Although the Taliban has nothing to lose, fighting another war amid Pakistan's economic and political crisis seems unlikely.
Such situations have arisen many times in the past but both the countries have resolved the issue through dialogue. In a recent interview given to a media outlet, Pakistan Defense Minister Khawaja Asif said, “His country does not want to get involved in armed conflict with neighboring Afghanistan.” But this time Taliban seems to be more angry with this action of Pak Army. There is already a war going on in two parts of the world, now it has to be seen at what point this tension will go.