Why Pakistan Turned on the Taliban (and Vice Versa) — The Diplomat

On the night of February 21, 2026 Pakistan launched air and missile strikes on three border provinces in Afghanistan. What was Pakistan bombing? Suspected camps of the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan – the TTP for short – and the Islamic State of Khorasan Province. The Taliban regime in Afghanistan retaliated by hitting Pakistani border posts. Pakistan then upped the ante. Its military launched Operation Ghazab Lil-Haq — which means Righteous Fury — against Afghanistan. “Our patience has now run out. Now it is open war between us,” Pakistan’s defense minister said on February 27. Pakistan and Afghanistan have engaged in numerous strikes and counter-strikes in the months since. While these have declined in frequency and magnitude, thanks to mediation efforts by China, the military strikes were still happening into September 2026. TTP attacks in Pakistan have also continued. Few would have expected Pakistan and the Afghan Taliban to turn on each other. They had been close allies for over 30 years – through the Taliban’s entire existence. When the Taliban captured power in Kabul in August 2021, Pakistan celebrated. So why did Pakistan declare “an open war” against its one-time protégé? Is there more to Pakistan’s military strikes on Afghanistan than taking out TTP camps? And can the Afghanistan-Pakistan relationship be salvaged? Subscribe today and join thousands of diplomats, analysts, policy professionals…