India, Feb. 24 -- Pakistan is once again messing up its relations with its western neighbour, Afghanistan. Though the relations between the two countries have never been cordial and border skirmishes are common, the recent airstrikes violating Afghanistan's sovereignty take the conflict to the next level.

The seeds of conflict go back to the time when the Durand Line was drawn way back in 1893 by the British, which Afghanistan refused to recognise. After 9/11, Pakistan sided with the US in its operations against Afghanistan; the later Taliban phase also led to much consternation.

In recent times, following the Taliban's return to power in 2021, militant attacks inside Pakistan increased. Islamabad has since carried out cross-border stri...