During the last two weeks, Pakistan’s relationship with Afghanistan worsened with border clashes. Though the two have reached an agreement in Doha, Pakistan believes that the primary problem between the two countries is the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), with the Afghan Taliban giving safe haven to the group.

Extent of the conflict

Pakistan’s primary challenge with respect to the TTP is the high level of violence and terrorism in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) province. According to media reports referring to data sourced from think tanks and Pakistan’s Inter Services Public Relations (ISPR), 2024 had the worst violence in the last decade. More than 1,600 people were killed last year; around 680 of them security personnel. There were more than 59,770 military operations in 2024, during which around 900 militants were killed. While the two provinces — KP and Balochistan — together witnessed 94% of the casualties in 2024, the former, where the TTP has a significant presence accounted for 63%. Thus, there has been a steady increase in violence since 2021, especially in KP, after a decline during 2016-20. Data published by Pakistan’s Centre for Research and Security Studies and the Pakistan Institute for Peace Studies runs contrary to the once-held general Pakistani belief, that once the U.S. leaves Afghanistan, militancy will decline.