Border Brinkmanship: Afghanistan and Pakistan on the Verge of Conflict

Analysts warn that Afghanistan’s Taliban regime sheltering the TTP and Pakistan’s hardening stance could spark cross-border clashes, with airstrikes, local offensives, and stalled mediation pushing South Asia toward broader conflict. Despite mediation attempts by Qatar, Turkey, and Saudi Arabia—and calls for de-escalation from China—no durable agreement to curb the TTP has emerged, raising the risk of mass displacement, regional instability, and potential spillovers to global security.