It is obvious that Pakistan is hemorrhaging, and needs to arrive at some understanding with the Taliban on several counts to stop the bleeding. First, the movement of goods and services needs to be restored through key border crossings including Torkham, where the Afghans and the Pakistanis have heavily clashed this week. The problem goes deeper as the Taliban disputes the Durand Line, the colonial-era relic that defines the boundary between Afghanistan and Pakistan. Islamabad is fully aware that powerful Pashtuns who nest under the Taliban have had a long-standing demand for Pashtunistan occupying vast stretches of territory that belong to Pakistan.Seco
It is obvious that Pakistan is hemorrhaging, and needs to arrive at some understanding with the Taliban on several counts to stop the bleeding. First, the movement of goods and services needs to be restored through key border crossings including Torkham, where the Afghans and the Pakistanis have heavily clashed this week. The problem goes deeper as the Taliban disputes the Durand Line, the colonial-era relic that defines the boundary between Afghanistan and Pakistan. Islamabad is fully aware that powerful Pashtuns who nest under the Taliban have had a long-standing demand for Pashtunistan occupying vast stretches of territory that belong to Pakistan.Seco