PERSPECTIVES FROM PAKISTAN ON AFGHAN PEACE AND RECONCILIATION 6

Although Pakistan has yet to recognize the de facto government of Afghanistan, it was one of the first countries to welcome the Taliban’s takeover of Kabul. Since then, the events and developments in Afghanistan have been negatively affecting Pakistan's internal and border securities. Pakistan witnessed a
27 percent spike in terrorist attacks in 2022, as compared to the year before. This is becoming worrisome for Pakistan, which expected the Taliban to set out a friendly regime across its western border, which helps in counteracting terrorist threat including cross-border. Nevertheless, realizing the significance of a secure and stable Afghanistan for its own security, Pakistan continued to influence the world community to engage with the Afghan Taliban. For one, Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto recently warned of the dangerous consequences if Afghanistan’s rulers were once again left isolated.

These are some of the key findings from Pak Institute for Peace Studies' recently released 6th quarterly Afghan monitor. This series of ‘monitoring and analysis reports’ constitutes one of the key components of a PIPS programme that aims at strengthening Pakistan’s support for peace and reconciliation in Afghanistan.