The line between patience and negligence is thin. Pakistan has walked that line for years, extending olive branches to Kabul’s rulers regardless of regime, ideology, or history. But the attack on the Hussain Mila check post in Kurram is a grim reminder that goodwill without reciprocation is fatal.
Two soldiers were martyred, eight injured. The attackers didn’t come from the local population. They weren’t angry tribesmen or internal insurgents. They crossed over from Afghanistan’s Nangarhar province, carrying sophisticated weapons, backed by logistics, planning and worse, protection. One of them was captured alive. He confessed the unthinkable: the Taliban provided the arms and ordered the hit.
This is not just an act of terrorism. It is an act of betrayal.
For decades, Pakistan hosted millions of Afghan refugees, opened trade routes, mediated in peace talks, and stood as a consistent ally even when others turned their backs on Afghanistan. In return, what have we received? Arms smuggled across the Durand Line. Fighters disguised as believers. Taliban factions aiding, abetting, and now arming enemies of the Pakistani state.
The Taliban’s silence is not neutral it is hostile.
Pakistan has tolerated this duplicity under the guise of “strategic patience.” But strategy requires outcome. And patience has its expiry date. When our soldiers are buried, and the Afghan regime continues to look the other way or worse, support these proxies it becomes clear: Afghanistan has turned into a launchpad for terror against Pakistan.
This betrayal isn’t theoretical. It has names: Lance Naik Saleem, martyred on the spot. Another soldier, airlifted to Peshawar, succumbed to his wounds. Their families aren’t reading policy papers. They are mourning the cost of Pakistan’s restraint.
And yet, even in pain, the response was dignified. The local population rose. Mosque loudspeakers called citizens to action, and they stood with the soldiers, chasing militants into the mountains. This is the difference between us and them. They arm cowards. We raise heroes.
The world must now see this clearly: the Afghan regime is not a neutral neighbor. It is harboring threats, empowering radicals, and allowing Pakistani blood to be spilled while offering nothing but silence in return.
