Abstract: During October 2025, Pakistan-Afghanistan relations hit a new low, with military strikes and border clashes between the two countries, resulting in substantial casualties on both sides. The clashes were followed by border closures, threats of further deep strikes, a ceasefire and three rounds of negotiations in Doha and Istanbul.
Contrary to Pakistan’s expectation that the American exit and the return of the Taliban in 2021 would improve relations between Afghanistan, there seems to be a rupture in Islamabad-Kabul relations. Why has the Taliban turned against Pakistan, after being created by the latter in the 1990s and having received political and logistical support ever since? Where are the fault lines, and where do they originate from? Are the tensions a result of recent differences, or are they historic and trace their origins even before the creation of Pakistan?
The lecture examines the historical, geographic, sociological, and geopolitical foundations of the relations and tensions between the two countries. Starting with the drawing of the Durand Line and the broader geopolitical imperial Great Game preceding it, the lecture would examine the contested borders, divided ethnicities, political and religious identities and security narratives that have resulted in the current bilateral stalemate. The lecture also aims to present possible Pakistan-Afghanistan trajectories, considering the recent bilateral tensions and regional strategic recalibration.
About the speaker: D Suba Chandran is Professor and Dean of the School of Conflict and Security Studies. He coordinates an Area Studies Initiative – Pakistan Reader; he edits a daily e-brief and a monthly monitor on contemporary Pakistan.