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Pakistan, which often projects itself as a friend of the Taliban, seems to be quietly working against the Kabul regime. On 25–26 August, Islamabad will host a closed-door meeting of anti-Taliban leaders, activists, and exiled Afghan politicians. About 30 participants, including women’s rights campaigners and protest movement leaders, are expected to join. Senior Pakistani officials will also be present.

The so-called “Pak-Afghan Dialogue – Towards Unity and Trust”, led by Islamabad’s South Asian Strategic Stability Institute University, is being projected as an academic event. But sources say its real purpose is to challenge the Taliban’s legitimacy and shape a global narrative of extremism against them.

US Envoy Calls It “Provocative”

Former US envoy Zalmay Khalilzad strongly criticized Pakistan’s move, warning that hosting anti-Taliban voices could dangerously escalate tensions. He argued that if the Taliban organized a similar anti-Pakistan gathering, Islamabad would respond with fury. Calling the move “childish and irresponsible,” Khalilzad warned of further deterioration in already strained Kabul-Islamabad ties.

Pakistan Raises Alarm at UN

At the UN Security Council, Pakistan’s envoy Asim Iftikhar Ahmed declared terrorism from Afghanistan a “serious and immediate threat.” He claimed:

• Around 2,000 fighters of ISIL-K are present in Afghanistan.

• Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) operates from Afghan soil with nearly 6,000 fighters.

• Other militant groups, including Baloch rebels, also threaten Pakistan.

The Taliban has repeatedly denied these claims, but the UN Monitoring Committee confirmed the presence of around 6,000 TTP militants inside Afghanistan.

Afghan Resistance Declines Invite

The National Resistance Front (NRF) of Afghanistan confirmed it was invited to the Islamabad meeting but refused to participate. Pakistan’s Foreign Ministry has stayed silent on the controversy.

A Web of Contradictions

Interestingly, this planned anti-Taliban meeting comes just days after China, Pakistan, and Afghanistan held trilateral talks in Kabul on terrorism, security, and trade. While Pakistan walked away without any trade agreement, China managed to extend the CPEC project up to Kabul. Meanwhile, Taliban Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi postponed his scheduled Pakistan visit, deepening suspicions of diplomatic friction.

Pakistan’s two-track strategy—ally in public, adversary in private—raises a key question: is Islamabad preparing to corner the Taliban internationally, even while pretending to embrace them as “brothers”?

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