SHIFT IN PAKISTAN POLICY REGARDING AFGHAN-TALIBAN & IMPLICATIONS FOR BEIJING-ISLAMABAD RELATIONS

Authors

  • Raza Rahman Khan Qazi Independent
  • Naila Aman Qazi Department of Sociology, University of Peshawar, Pakistan.
  • Jaweriya visiting faculty member at the Department of Criminology, University of Peshawar, Pakistan
  • Javaria Raza Faculty member at the Department of Criminology, University of Peshawar, Pakistan

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.55733/jpcs.v5i1.74

Keywords:

Pakistan, China, Afghanistan, Afghanistan-Pakistan Relations, China-Pakistan Relations, CPEC, TTP

Abstract

Since middle of year 2023 Pakistan policy regarding Afghanistan and particularly towards Afghan Taliban Administration has been registering an observable shift. While the underlying objective of this shifting Afghanistan policy of Pakistan is to address the critical threat to Pakistan security posed by Afghanistan-based and Afghan Taliban-supported Pakistani Taliban known as Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) terrorist-militant group, there are some other very important causes of this shift in Islamabad Afghanistan policy. This policy shift of Islamabad towards Kabul has very important implications for Pakistan ties with her most trusted ally China, the only country which has extended a sort of diplomatic recognition to Afghan Taliban Administration since the group usurped state power in Afghanistan in August 2021. This research paper looks into the causes of Pakistan policy shift towards Afghan Taliban and its implications for China.

Author Biographies

Raza Rahman Khan Qazi, Independent

An independent Pakistani researcher and academic focusing on South Asia, Central Asia; regional countries political economy, foreign policies and governance. He holds PhD degree in International Relations. He could be contacted regarding the article

Naila Aman Qazi, Department of Sociology, University of Peshawar, Pakistan.

Faculty Member, Department of Sociology, University of Peshawar, Pakistan. Specializes in Social Dynamics, Social Change, Religious Institutions, Economics, Political-Sociology of states and ethnic groups of South Asia and the Muslim World. 

Jaweriya, visiting faculty member at the Department of Criminology, University of Peshawar, Pakistan

Visiting faculty member at the Department of Criminology, University of Peshawar, Pakistan.

Javaria Raza, Faculty member at the Department of Criminology, University of Peshawar, Pakistan

Faculty member at the Department of Criminology, University of Peshawar, Pakistan

References

Ayaz Gul. Taliban accuse Pakistan of sowing ‘distrust' between Afghanistan, China. Voice of America, May 31, 2024

Basit, A. (2023). Pakistan’s new Afghan policy: Another disaster in the making? Retrieved from https://thediplomat.com/2023/11/pakistans-new-afghan-policy-another-disaster-in-the-making/#:~:text=30%2C%202023.&text=In%20an%20unprecedented%2C%20but%20unsurprising,or%20extend%20any%20other%20assistance.

Bilal, A. (2023). Pakistan and the Afghan Taliban: Friends becoming foes. Retrieved from https://thediplomat.com/2023/04/pakistan-and-the-afghan-taliban-friends-becoming-foes/

Bhutta, Z. (2022, May 20). revised-transit-trade-deal-remains-elusive. The Express Tribune. Karachi.

Chia, C. (2024). The China-Pakistan-afghanistan triangle. Retrieved from https://thediplomat.com/2024/05/the-china-pakistan-afghanistan-triangle/

Fahrney, M. (2023). Why Pakistan is deporting Afghan migrants. Retrieved from https://www.cfr.org/in-brief/why-pakistan-deporting-afghan-migrants

Gul, A. (2024b). Taliban: Pakistan, Iran expelled over 400,000 Afghan refugees so far in 2024. Retrieved from https://www.voanews.com/a/taliban-pakistan-iran-expelled-over-400-000-afghan-refugees-so-far-in-2024/7650196.html

Hussain, A. (2022). Pakistan Taliban ends ceasefire with Gov’t, threatens new attacks. Retrieved from https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2022/11/28/pakistan-taliban-ends-ceasefire-with-govt-threatens-new-attacks

Kaura, V. (2021). The Pakistan Factor in China’s Afghanistan policy: Emerging regional faultlines amid US withdrawal. Retrieved from https://www.mei.edu/publications/pakistan-factor-chinas-afghanistan-policy-emerging-regional-faultlines-amid-us

Khan, R. (2022). Is a rift between Pakistan and the Afghan taliban imminent? Retrieved from https://www.aljazeera.com/opinions/2022/2/6/a-rift-between-pakistan-and-the-afghan-taliban-may-be-imminent

Mehmood, A. (2024). Afghanistan invests $35m in Iran’s Chabahar Seaport, fueling economic shift by extending trade connections that bypass Pakistan. Retrieved from https://themedialine.org/by-region/afghanistan-invests-35m-in-irans-chabahar-seaport-fueling-economic-shift-by-extending-trade-connections-that-bypass-pakistan/

Mir, Asfandyar. In a Major Rift, Pakistan Ramps Up Pressure on the Taliban. (November 16, 2023). Retrieved from https://www.usip.org/publications/2023/11/major-rift-pakistan-ramps-pressure-taliban

Omrani, B. (2009). THE DURAND LINE: HISTORY AND PROBLEMS OF THE AFGHAN-PAKISTAN BORDER. Asian Affairs, 40(2), 177–195. https://doi.org/10.1080/03068370902871508

Qazi, Dr. R. K. (2022). As Pakistan’s Afghanistan policy fails, the Afghan Taliban moves against Islamabad. Retrieved from https://www.atlanticcouncil.org/blogs/southasiasource/as-pakistans-afghanistan-policy-fails-the-afghan-taliban-move-against-islamabad/

Raza, S. I. (2023, October 9). Taliban regime ‘enabler’ of terror: Kakar. Dawn, p. 1. Islamabad.

Sheikh, S. R. (2023). Disillusioned with the Taliban, Pakistan reverses its four-decade Afghan policy. Retrieved from https://www.himalmag.com/politics/taliban-baloch-militancy-pakistan-afghan-policy-refugees-migrants

Yousuf, K. (2023). Pakistan shifts stance on Afghan Taliban. Retrieved from https://tribune.com.pk/story/2445604/pakistan-shifts-stance-on-afghan-taliban

Additional Files

Published

31-12-2024

How to Cite

Qazi, R. R. K., Qazi, N. A., Jaweriya, & Raza, J. (2024). SHIFT IN PAKISTAN POLICY REGARDING AFGHAN-TALIBAN & IMPLICATIONS FOR BEIJING-ISLAMABAD RELATIONS. Journal of Pakistan-China Studies (JPCS), 5(1), 20–37. https://doi.org/10.55733/jpcs.v5i1.74

Issue

Vol. 5 No. 1 (2024): Dec-2024

Section

Articles

License

Copyright (c) 2025 Journal of Pakistan-China Studies (JPCS)

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.