Pakistan, long proud of its military power and nuclear status, is now struggling along its western border. The country has the largest army in the Muslim world—around 6.5 lakh soldiers, fighter jets, and nuclear weapons—yet it is losing men to Taliban ambushes and suicide attacks in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Province. After its recent setbacks against India during Operation Sindoor, Pakistan now faces another humiliation—this time from Afghanistan, one of the world’s poorest nations.

For decades, Pakistan supported and trained the Afghan Taliban to secure influence in Kabul and counter India. The ISI (Pakistan’s intelligence agency) played a key role in the Taliban’s rise in the 1990s. But now, those very fighters are attacking Pakistani troops, turning Pakistan’s own creation against it.

A 48-

See Full Page