‘They now understand that Pakistan will go after the TTP or any other group wherever it finds them, even inside Kabul’
Pakistani soldiers keep vigil next to the newly fenced border fence along the border of the Afghan Paktika province in Angoor Adda, South Waziristan. Photo: AFP)
ISLAMABAD:
Pakistan’s retaliatory strikes in Kabul last month against senior commanders of the outlawed Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) have created a “new deterrent”, causing unrest within the ranks of the Afghan Taliban and contributing to a notable decline in terror attacks inside Pakistan, official sources told The Express PAkGazette.
The cross-border operation, conducted in the heart of Kabul, was aimed at sending what officials described as an “unequivocal message” to the Taliban regime that Pakistan would no longer restrict its counterterrorism responses to its own soil.
The attack, widely interpreted as Pakistan’s most assertive move since the Taliban’s takeover of Afghanistan in 2021, targeted hideouts and facilitators responsible for orchestrating recent attacks inside Pakistan.
According to officials familiar with the assessment, the Kabul operation has had a “psychological impact” on the leadership and security apparatus of the Afghan Taliban.
“Since the Kabul attacks, there is a clear element of fear and caution within the Taliban ranks,” one official said. “They now understand that Pakistan will go after the TTP or any other group wherever it finds them, even inside Kabul.”
The official said that immediately after the recent terror attack in Islamabad, Afghan Taliban interlocutors privately approached Pakistani authorities asking them to de-escalate tensions and conveyed that they had “no involvement” in the suicide attack outside the court complex.
“This was a very unusual move,” the official said. “In previous incidents, they have dismissed Pakistan’s concerns or placed the blame on TTP factions. This time, they pleaded behind the scenes, insisting that they were not behind the attack.”
The reason was that the Taliban regime feared retaliation from Pakistan. Kabul now understands that Islamabad has the reach and capability to strike targets deep in Afghanistan.
Authorities have seen a decline in the number of terrorist attacks following the Kabul attacks, officials said. While they warn that the threat has not disappeared, the reduction is seen as a direct consequence of the deterrence established by Pakistan’s willingness to attack high-value targets inside Afghanistan.
“After Kabul, they know the cost,” said one official. “For the first time in years, Pakistan’s message has been loud and clear: if you allow your soil to be used against us, there will be consequences and those consequences can be applied inside Afghanistan.”
Officials also believe the attacks disrupted certain TTP networks and forced the group into a defensive posture, limiting its ability to coordinate follow-up attacks.
Sources emphasized that Pakistan’s policy is now unequivocal; Any future attack originating on Afghan soil will receive a “swift and decisive” response.
“Pakistan will not wait for prolonged diplomatic exchanges,” an official said. “Our red line is simple. If there is another attack, we will act immediately.”
Officials also dismissed concerns about a possible international backlash, arguing that the global environment is more accommodating than in previous years. Many senior leaders of the Afghan Taliban remain on UN sanctions lists, and Western capitals have become increasingly frustrated by Kabul’s reluctance to crack down on terrorist groups operating within its borders.
“Pakistan does not expect any significant diplomatic costs,” one official said. “The world has not forgotten who the Taliban leaders are. Countries may want stability in Afghanistan, but no one is willing to defend the TTP or excuse the Taliban’s inaction.”
Islamabad hopes the new pressure will force the Afghan Taliban to reassess its long-standing ties with the TTP. For now, Pakistani officials say they will continue to monitor the security situation and respond “when and where” necessary.
“The Kabul attacks were not an isolated episode,” said a senior source. “They were a sign of a new doctrine. If the Taliban does not act, Pakistan will act.”
