Pakistan, Jan. 21 -- Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif's declaration that Pakistan was "forced" to halt all trade with Afghanistan over Kabul's failure to act against terrorists hits at the heart of Islamabad's strategic dilemma. The blockade, imposed after deadly border clashes and fruitless counter-terrorism talks mediated by Turkiye and Qatar, was not an act of whimsy but a defensive choice shaped by a year of mounting violence along the Durand Line.

To understand the gravity of Pakistan's stance, it helps to strip away ideological noise and look at the lived realities. After the Taliban returned to Kabul in 2021, Pakistan's militants found oxygen across the fence, and the country entered another cycle of funerals. The Pakistan Institute ...