For the first time, Kabul has come under aerial attack not by a superpower, but by its neighbor, Pakistan. In early October, Pakistani fighter jets struck Afghan territory, including Kabul, Kandahar, and Paktika, claiming to target militants from Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP). In reality, the strikes killed civilians, among them women, children, and three young cricketers. It prompted Kabul to condemn the attack as a blatant violation of national sovereignty and to launch retaliatory attacks that killed 58 Pakistani soldiers.

The irony is unmistakable. A country that once portrayed itself as a sanctuary for Afghan refugees fleeing foreign invasions has now assumed the role of aggressor. For Islamabad’s military establishment, these strikes were meant to project strength. Yet they revealed fragility – a state increasingly trapped in the consequences of its own strategic contradictions.

Mirage of Strength

The Pakistani military’s approach reflects a familiar pattern: projecting external aggression to mask internal disarray. For decades, generals in Rawalpindi have externalized domestic insecurity, blaming instability on Kabul, New Delhi, or Western conspiracies. But the truth lies closer to home. The TTP, which Pakistan now seeks to eliminate through airstrikes and cross-Durand Line operations, is not an imported menace.