Twenty-Five Years After 9/11: Pakistan’s Counter-Terrorism Experience, Challenges and the Way Forward

Monitoring Desk: Fed up with Kabul due to its constant support for global terrorist groups such as Al-Qaeda, BLA and TTP, the world is leaving Afghanistan in isolation, and only India and Russia have voiced what Kabul claimed after Pakistan targeted terrorist camps inside Afghanistan on September 23, 2026.

The Russian Embassy in Kabul, in an X message, said, “We are deeply concerned about the information regarding the killing and wounding of civilians as a result of the airstrikes on the eastern provinces of Afghanistan. We extend our condolences to the families of those who were killed and wish a speedy recovery to the injured.”

Meanwhile, India, whose proxy, the Afghan Taliban, is crying over the loss of New Delhi’s assets and portraying the terrorist Afghan Taliban as innocent. It is pertinent to mention that Russia is the only country that has recognised the terrorist regime of the Afghan Taliban.

India protecting suicide bombers is next level https://t.co/3yy3G4pHqO

— Sarah Adams (@sarahadams) September 23, 2026

Now the world understands that Afghan Taliban are not changing their behaviour although paid a heavy price in past for hosting global terrorists. Afghanistan was attacked by US-allied forces after the 9/11 tragedy to cleanse the land of terrorists, but nothing has changed even after 20 years of US-backed rule. Like Mullah Omar, the first Ameer of the Afghan Taliban, Mullah Haibatullah Akhundzada is not only harbouring terrorists but is also not shy about accepting it practically.

According to available information, ‘countries friendly to Kabul’ recently contacted Mullah Haibatullah Akhundzada and suggested to him that the Afghan Taliban should avoid overexposing the reality that al-Qaeda has a strong presence in Afghanistan under the protection of the Afghan government. They also suggested that the Taliban should avoid releasing any information about the presence of Hamza bin Laden, the son of Osama bin Laden, in Afghanistan because it would create problems not only for the Afghan Taliban but also for the United States, which, on September 14, 2019, announced that Hamza had been killed in a U.S. counterterrorism operation. However, his latest video, released on September 10, 2026, has raised questions not only against the Taliban but also against the White House.

This demand to keep the presence of the Laden family in Afghanistan secret was rejected by Mullah Haibatullah Akhundzada, who, according to available information, told ‘friendly countries’ that the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan houses everybody it (the Taliban regime) considers to be on the ‘right path’. According to available information, it was also conveyed to friendly countries that this is the reason the Afghan Taliban would continue to host TTP because it had been providing support at the ground and operational levels in the past, and TTP’s support made the success of the Taliban possible in August 2021.

Informed circles in Kabul claim that ‘Kabul-friendly countries’ also raised the issue of a letter from Mullah Haibatullah Akhundzada circulating in the media, which indicates that TTP and BLA are directly funded by him. Such instances are complicating the situation for ‘Kabul-friendly countries’ to talk with Pakistan to resolve issues with Afghanistan through dialogue. Circles said that Mullah Haibatullah’s response was loud and clear: he would continue to help those who are against Pakistan.

Circles in Kabul claim that Mullah Haibatullah has already directed his followers to launch attacks against Pakistan wherever and whenever possible, closing all doors to talks and using terrorism as diplomatic leverage. Circles believe that Mullah Haibatullah believes that the more the Taliban bleed Pakistan, the more opportunities they will get for negotiations with Pakistan.

It is pertinent to mention that the Afghan Taliban uses terrorism as a diplomatic tool against countries that do not listen to their demands, and most of the time they are successful in their modus operandi.

It looks Kabul friendly countries are disengaging themselves from Kabul after repeatedly betrayed by Afghan Taliban who do not stop funding global terrorism and hosting global terrorists.