Pakistan has long supported the Taliban, which once defeated two major powers — the USSR and the USA. Pakistan also gave them shelter and help for many years. But in a stunning geopolitical reversal, the Taliban's victory became Pakistan's nightmare. The friendship, forged over decades of war, has not just weakened—it has shattered. The question is why, and whether the roots of this fallout lie not in current events, but in a history that was ignored for too long. When the Taliban returned to power in Kabul in August 2021, people across Pakistan, from common citizens to top leaders, were happy and hopeful that Pakistan-Afghanistan relations would grow stronger under the Taliban government. After all, Pakistan has not only sheltered many Afghan Taliban leaders and fighters for y

See Full Page