Who Are the Taliban and Why Are They Clashing with Pakistan?
News Summary
Presented after review.
- The Taliban ruled Afghanistan from 1996 to 2001 and regained power in 2021, currently governing under strict Sharia law.
- Escalating tensions have emerged between the Taliban-led Afghanistan and Pakistan as Pakistan intensifies efforts to deport 1.7 million Afghan refugees and tighten border controls.
- The conflict between Afghanistan and Pakistan threatens not only the two countries but also the stability of the entire South and Central Asian region.
Kathmandu. The roar of Pakistani combat aircraft and the sound of Taliban artillery on Afghan soil have shattered peace in South Asia. Intense Taliban attacks on Pakistani military bases are ongoing in the eastern provinces of Nangarhar, Paktika, and Khost.
Following Pakistan’s official declaration of ‘open war,’ the border region has turned into a battlefield. According to the United Nations, over 6,600 Afghan civilians were displaced in the last week of February 2026 alone.
Geopolitical analysts point to the Taliban as the central figure in this devastating conflict. The group, once Pakistan’s strategic asset, has now become its greatest challenge.
This report documents the historical and political trajectory from the Soviet invasion and U.S. withdrawal to the rise of Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and the ongoing conflict.
How Did the Taliban Originate?
The term ‘Taliban’ originates from the Pashto word ‘Talib,’ meaning ‘student.’ It is a fundamentalist Islamic militant group that ruled Afghanistan from 1996 to 2001 and retook power in August 2021. Their ideology combines a strict Deobandi interpretation of Islam with Pashtun traditions (Pashtunwali).
The roots of the Taliban were planted during the 1979 Soviet invasion. When the Soviet Union sent troops to support Afghanistan’s communist government, the Mujahideen launched resistance efforts. Pakistan’s President Zia-ul-Haq and U.S. intelligence agencies provided substantial weapons and training to these fighters.
What was once Pakistan’s strategic weapon has now turned against it.
The Pakistani intelligence agency Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) controlled this support. After the Soviet withdrawal in 1989, infighting among Mujahideen factions led to civil war and chaos.
Amid this power vacuum, Mullah Mohammad Omar founded the Taliban in Kandahar in 1994. A former Soviet-era fighter himself, Omar united Pashtun students studying in Pakistani madrasas under the Taliban banner.
They promised security and Sharia law, capturing Kabul in 1996 and declaring Afghanistan the ‘Islamic Emirate.’ However, in 2001, the U.S. ousted them for harboring Al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden. The Taliban regrouped in Pakistan over the next 20 years and returned to power in 2021.
Internal Politics: Sharia Rule and the Crisis of Women’s Rights
Since 2021, the Taliban have reinstated the ‘Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan.’ Supreme leader Hibatullah Akhundzada rules from Kandahar through decrees. The parliament and constitution have been dissolved, and the judicial system is entirely based on Sharia.
Women’s conditions are dire. The new criminal code issued in January 2026 completely restricts women’s freedoms, banning secondary and higher education, government employment, and even public protest.
The international community condemns these measures as gender discrimination. Economically, Afghanistan faces crisis: foreign aid has been halted and $7 billion in bank reserves frozen, forcing reliance on opium trade and mineral exports.
Global and Geopolitical Dynamics
The Taliban’s global image is now at a turning point. In 1996, only Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, and the UAE recognized their regime. However, on July 3, 2025, Russia formally recognized the Taliban while China has accepted their ambassador.
Geopolitically, Afghanistan remains a focal point in the ‘Great Game.’ China is attracted to the country’s lithium and copper mines as part of its Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), while Russia is strengthening partnerships to secure its security and trade routes.
Meanwhile, the Durand Line border demarcation, created by the British in 1893, continues to strain relations between Afghanistan and Pakistan.
Pakistan’s Headache: The Blowback of Its ‘Strategic Depth’ Policy
The group Pakistan once regarded as a strategic asset now poses a significant threat. The Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), formed in 2007, is a coalition of Pakistani militants that have declared war on the Pakistani state.
TTP shares ideological and ethnic ties with the Afghan Taliban. After the Taliban’s return to power in 2021, TTP attacks within Pakistan intensified. Pakistan pressured the Taliban to suppress TTP, but the Taliban have provided refuge under the banner of ‘Pashtun brotherhood.’
In response, Pakistan intensified deportations of 1.7 million Afghan refugees and tightened border controls, escalating tensions to the brink of war.
The Open War of 2026 and the Taliban’s Role
Conflict escalated after Pakistan conducted an airstrike in Kabul targeting TTP leader Noor Wali Mehsud in October 2025. Further Pakistani attacks in Nangarhar and Khost in February 2026 led the Taliban to declare a major offensive.
On February 26, the Taliban claimed to have killed 110 Pakistani soldiers and captured 27 border posts. Pakistan retaliated with heavy bombardments in Kabul and Kandahar under ‘Operation Ghazab Lil Haq.’ The Taliban have not only mobilized TTP fighters but also displaced Afghans to confront Pakistan.
History shows that groups born from external powers and strategic interests can ultimately challenge their creators. Pakistan’s dream of ‘strategic depth’ has become a deep wound.
This conflict threatens not only Afghanistan and Pakistan but also the entire peace and stability of South and Central Asia. Until the Durand Line dispute and TTP issue are resolved, restoring peace in the region will remain a significant challenge.