Pakistan teeters on the edge as decades of weaponising religion and militancy backfire. From TLP clashes in Lahore to Taliban accusations of airstrikes, experts warn the country faces internal collapse and growing regional isolation.
Pakistan today stands at a perilous crossroads — a nation consumed by the very forces it once unleashed. From violent street clashes with radical groups like Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP) to open accusations of airspace violations from the Taliban regime in Kabul, Islamabad finds itself surrounded by chaos of its own making. As experts warn, decades of using religion and terrorism as instruments of state policy have finally caught up with the country. What was once projected as “strategic depth” has become a vortex of extremism, instability, and diplomatic isolation. Now, as both its borders and cities erupt in turmoil, Pakistan faces the haunting reality of its own undoing — a collapse not from external enemies, but from within.
“The Monster They Created Has Turned on Them”
Human rights defender and Asian Human Rights Forum Executive Director Arif Aajakia does not mince words when describing Pakistan’s deepening chaos.
“The TLP, like other militant outfits such as Lashkar-e-Taiba, was created by the Pakistan Army to manipulate domestic politics,” he says bluntly.
For decades, Aajakia argues, the state’s generals have treated radical groups like switchable tools — “activated and deactivated” depending on political need. But now, those very groups have become uncontrollable.
“Their extremist actions abroad, particularly anti-France protests, have drawn sharp rebukes from the European Union,” he adds, calling the situation “Pakistan’s own making.”
The fallout, he says, is visible across Pakistan’s cities and its disputed territories alike. “For decades, Pakistan fooled Kashmiris in the name of Islam, but now they see India’s Jammu and Kashmir developing rapidly while PoJK remains deprived of basic amenities,” Aajakia notes.
Once built on promises of faith and power, Pakistan now seems trapped in a cycle of anger and disillusionment — its people, its provinces, even its borders, all in turmoil.
A Country Burning Inside
That internal turmoil has found a new flashpoint in the streets of Lahore. Violent clashes between the Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP) and Punjab Police have once again turned the spotlight on Pakistan’s uneasy relationship with its own religious hardliners.
Political analyst and PoJK activist Amjad Ayub Mirza says the confrontation exposes “the deep crisis within Pakistan’s political and religious systems.”
“Pakistan is now facing the consequences of its long-standing policy of fostering extremist organisations for political and regional influence,” he added. “For decades, Pakistan has empowered religious outfits like TLP to serve its domestic political goals and to export extremism beyond its borders, first in India and later in Afghanistan. Now, those very elements are turning against the state itself.”
The irony is chilling — the same groups once celebrated as “strategic assets” are now attacking their creators.
Mirza blames the country’s powerful military for nurturing extremism to maintain control. “The state’s manipulation of faith for political power has created a society trapped in hatred and violence,” he remarks.
His warning is stark. “The chaos we see today is the inevitable outcome of decades of weaponising religion. Pakistan is now imploding under the weight of its own contradictions.”
A Nation Cornered — From Within and Without
While Pakistan’s internal order frays, its external conflicts are erupting once again. On Friday, the Taliban government in Kabul accused Islamabad of crossing a dangerous line.
“Pakistan violated Afghanistan’s airspace, bombing a civilian market in the Marghi area of Paktika near the Durand Line and also violating Kabul’s sovereign territory,” Afghanistan’s Defence Ministry declared in a furious statement.
Calling it “an unprecedented, violent, and heinous act in the history of Afghanistan and Pakistan,” the Taliban warned that “if the situation becomes more tense after these actions, the consequences will be attributed to the Pakistani army.”
Residents in the Marghi border region told AFP that a market selling second-hand weapons had been bombed. At the same time, journalists in Kabul heard two loud explosions echoing across the capital.
For the first time since taking power in 2021, the Taliban is openly accusing Pakistan of not just border strikes, but an incursion deep inside Afghan territory — a move it calls “unprecedented.”
Afghanistan’s Timing — and India’s Quiet Calculus
The latest clash comes at a diplomatically awkward time for Pakistan. Even as the explosions were heard in Kabul, Afghanistan’s acting Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi was visiting India — Pakistan’s eastern rival — for the first time.
New Delhi, in a significant gesture, announced it would upgrade its Kabul mission to a full embassy. To many observers, it was a quiet but clear message: India sees opportunity in Afghanistan’s growing disillusionment with Pakistan.
Pakistan’s Military Speaks — But Avoids Answers
When questioned about the alleged airstrikes, Pakistan’s military offered no clear response. In a televised briefing, General Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry sidestepped responsibility, saying only: “To safeguard Pakistani lives and properties, what measures need to be taken will be taken.”
Behind that evasive statement lies Pakistan’s deepening security dilemma. Its restive Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province has witnessed a surge in militant violence since the Taliban’s return to power across the border. The Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) — a separate but ideologically linked group to the Afghan Taliban — has stepped up attacks on Pakistani security forces, killing at least 12 soldiers this week alone.
Islamabad blames Kabul for allowing the TTP to operate freely from Afghan soil. A United Nations report earlier this year supported that claim, stating that the TTP “receive substantial logistical and operational support from the de facto authorities,” referring to the Taliban regime.
“Enough Is Enough”: Pakistan’s Frustration Boils Over
In parliament on Thursday, Pakistan’s Defence Minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif admitted that repeated diplomatic efforts to rein in the TTP through Kabul had failed.
“We will not tolerate this any longer,” Asif warned. “United, we must respond to those facilitating them — whether the hideouts are on our soil or Afghan soil.”
He did not rule out further strikes. “Everyone will have to bear the consequences, including those providing the hideouts,” he said. “Enough is enough. The Pakistani government and army’s patience has run out.”
But analysts say these words sound more like desperation than strength. Decades of double-dealing — nurturing militancy in one breath and condemning it in another — have left Pakistan isolated, mistrusted, and dangerously unstable.
The Consequences of Playing With Fire
As both nations trade accusations, one truth stands out — Pakistan’s decades-long gamble on extremist politics has spiralled far beyond its control.
Its streets burn with protests. Its soldiers die on its borders. Its alliances crumble in real time.
“The state’s manipulation of faith for political power has created a society trapped in hatred and violence,” Amjad Ayub Mirza had warned. His words, much like Aajakia’s, now echo as a grim prophecy fulfilled.
Pakistan’s generals once believed they could control the flames. Today, those flames threaten to engulf the entire state.