Pakistan-Afghanistan Border Tensions: How Hatred Threatens National Security

By Shakeel Akhtar, Oslo: The value of health is often understood only after illness, and the worth of peace becomes clear only after its absence has been felt. We stand at a crossroads where a moment of insight or a moment of negligence can decide the fate of generations.

Sitting in a peaceful country and watching the recent tensions along the Pakistan–Afghanistan border, two stark emotions rise within me. One is pride in a nation and its armed forces that endured a long and exhausting campaign against terrorism. The other is sorrow that the region is being pulled into yet another conflict whose centre of consequence now threatens Pakistan’s security.

The events of past eras show that external interventions and internal extremism have always inflicted the greatest harm on ordinary people. No outside power has ever brought lasting peace or meaningful development to Afghanistan. Those who came to dominate left only destruction in their wake. When armed groups raise weapons against Pakistan, the question is not only what they claim to seek, but whose playbook they follow and whose interests they serve.

For decades, Pakistan opened its doors to millions from across the border. Shelter, livelihoods, education, and medical care were provided. In many cases, even legal status and citizenship were extended. This was more than generosity – it was a long-term investment in regional stability. But today, parts of that very soil are being used for acts of terror targeting Pakistan. When security forces are attacked, when Balochistan and tribal regions are soaked in blood, Pakistan cannot remain a silent observer.

It is deeply concerning that certain militant groups — knowingly or unknowingly- have become pawns in external strategies aimed at destabilizing Pakistan. The sources of their ideological and material support are no secret. From regional proxies to global power interests, the same tired play continues, and the cost is paid by the region’s most vulnerable populations.

It is easy to criticize the armed forces. But the reality is that Pakistan’s military stood firm while confronting Al-Qaeda, the TTP, and a spectrum of violent factions. Over 80,000 lives- civilians and soldiers- were lost in defence of the country. If Pakistan now takes proactive steps to defend its borders and people, it is not out of desire for aggression but out of necessity to preserve peace and sovereignty.

We must confront a difficult truth: are we once again entering a phase where war is planted from the outside and harvested locally in blood? The slogans of guns, forced migration, and ideological warfare have exhausted their meaning, yet some powers are determined to revive them. These forces are enemies of peace, not partners in progress.

Pakistan’s message is unequivocal. It wants peace, but not at the cost of its national security. Those who take up arms against it do not only oppose a state- they jeopardize the very future of the society they claim to defend.

Those of us living in secure, peaceful societies know this: peace is the foundation of all prosperity. Without peace, freedom becomes fragile and development collapses. If peace is continuously targeted, the defensive walls will inevitably rise.

The choice now lies with those who contemplate war. Pakistan is not seeking expansion. It is securing survival. If conflict is imposed, the response will be decisive.

Hatred multiplies itself and leaves nothing behind but wreckage. Only truth, clarity, and a commitment to peace can end this spiral. The times behind us have been full of warnings. What we do next will shape what’s ahead.