Opinion | The Collision Course: Analyzing the Deepening Divide Between Pakistan and the Taliban

The erstwhile Pakistan-Taliban partnership has dissipated into overt animosity. Pakistan, which nurtured the Taliban for so long, hoped to have a friendly government in Kabul to keep the anti-Pakistan Tehrik-e-Taliban (TTP) under control. The Taliban's return to power only emboldened the TTP, and attacks inside Pakistan proliferated. The Taliban, now in power, values sovereignty and will not act against its ideological partners. This is further exacerbated by the contested Durand Line border. With Pakistan carrying out airstrikes in Afghanistan and the Taliban mounting resistance, their relationship is strained. Diplomacy by nations such as Qatar is necessary, as neither can risk a long war.