Every empire learns this lesson. Pakistan didn’t

Afghanistan has resisted control for centuries – and Islamabad is no exception

For more than four decades, Pakistan’s approach toward Afghanistan has been guided by a simple assumption – that Afghanistan’s political trajectory must remain aligned with Pakistan’s security interests. From the Soviet war of the 1980s to the rise of the Taliban in the 1990s and again after the Fall of Kabul, Islamabad has sought influence across its western border.

But today, that longstanding policy is unraveling.

The irony is difficult to ignore. The very militant networks once viewed as useful tools of regional influence have evolved into one of Pakistan’s most serious security threats. Fighters from the Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan have intensified attacks inside Pakistan, creating a crisis that Islamabad now argues originates from Afghan territory.

In response, Pakistan has adopted an increasingly aggressive posture toward Afghanistan, including cross border strikes, heightened military activity, and the mass deportation of Afghan refugees. Yet these measures address symptoms rather than causes.

At the heart of the conflict lies a deeper structural problem: Pakistan has never fully accepted the idea of an independent Afghanistan pursuing its own geopolitical interests. For decades, Afghan leaders across political spectrums have resisted Pakistan’s attempts to shape the country’s internal politics. That resistance is rooted not only in nationalism but also in history.

The dispute over the Durand Line remains a powerful symbol of that history. While Pakistan considers the border settled, many Afghans view it as a colonial boundary imposed during the era of the British Empire. For communities divided by the border, fencing and militarization have only deepened resentment.

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Pakistan’s strategic establishment also fears encirclement by India and has historically viewed Afghanistan through that lens. The idea of ‘strategic depth’ encouraged the belief that Kabul must remain politically aligned with Islamabad. But the reality of Afghan politics has repeatedly disproven this assumption.

Afghanistan has always resisted external domination, whether from empires, superpowers, or neighboring states.

What Pakistan faces today is the predictable outcome of policies built on short term tactical thinking rather than long term regional stability. Influence achieved through proxies rarely produces sustainable security. Instead, it creates cycles of dependency, mistrust, and blowback.

The path forward requires a fundamental shift in perspective. A stable Afghanistan cannot be manufactured through pressure or coercion. It can only emerge from a relationship based on mutual sovereignty and regional cooperation.

Pakistan’s leaders must recognize a reality that history has already made clear: Afghanistan cannot be controlled.

And the sooner that lesson is accepted, the sooner both countries can begin to build a future defined not by conflict but by coexistence.