India’s criticism of Pakistan’s counterterrorism operations in Afghanistan reveals a persistent contradiction in South Asian geopolitics: New Delhi frequently portrays itself as a defender of regional stability while simultaneously pursuing policies that intensify Pakistan’s security dilemmas. When Pakistan undertakes limited operations against militant hideouts that threaten its security, India is quick to condemn them as acts of aggression. Yet such reactions often overlook the complex security environment along Pakistan’s western border and the long-standing strategic rivalry that has shaped India’s own engagement in Afghanistan.
This contradiction became particularly visible in recent diplomatic exchanges. Pakistan’s Foreign Office rejected a statement issued by India’s Ministry of External Affairs criticizing Pakistan’s cross-border counterterrorism actions in Afghanistan, describing the remarks as “absurd, unwarranted, and shamefully hypocritical.” The Indian spokesperson, Randhir Jaiswal, had alleged that Pakistan’s strikes resulted in civilian casualties and described them as an act of aggression. Islamabad dismissed these accusations, emphasizing that its operations were “legitimate, targeted, and precise actions against terrorist hideouts operating from Afghan territory.” According to Pakistani officials, India’s response reflected political messaging rather than a genuine concern for regional stability.
The dispute emerged as Pakistan continues Operation Ghazab lil-Haq, launched in late February following cross-border militant activity and unprovoked firing from Afghan territory. Islamabad maintains that the operation targets terrorist networks responsible for attacks inside Pakistan and forms part of its inherent right to self-defense under international law. Pakistani officials stress that the objective of the operation is not confrontation with Afghanistan but the neutralization of militant infrastructure that poses a direct threat to Pakistan’s internal security.
For Pakistan, the security challenge emerging from Afghanistan is both immediate and serious. Since the Taliban’s return to power in Kabul in 2021, militant groups hostile to Pakistan—most notably the Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP)—have expanded their presence across the border. These groups have carried out deadly attacks against Pakistani civilians and security forces, exploiting ungoverned spaces and the difficult terrain along the frontier. The persistence of militant sanctuaries inside Afghanistan has created a sustained security threat, forcing Pakistan to reassess how it protects its borders and citizens.
Few countries have paid a higher price in the global fight against terrorism than Pakistan. Over the past two decades, tens of thousands of Pakistani civilians and security personnel have lost their lives in terrorist attacks. The country has conducted extensive military operations to dismantle militant networks within its territory, significantly weakening extremist infrastructure and restoring stability in many previously affected regions. Yet despite these sacrifices, Pakistan continues to face threats from militant groups that operate from across the Afghan border.
Pakistani officials also argue that some of these militant networks receive external backing. In its recent statement, the Foreign Office maintained that India’s “active support and sponsorship” for terrorist groups operating from Afghan soil—including what Islamabad refers to as Fitna-al-Khawarij and Fitna-al-Hindustan—remains widely known. Fitna-al-Khawarij refers to militants associated with the banned Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan, while Fitna-al-Hindustan is a term used for terrorist networks linked to insurgent activity in Balochistan. Pakistani officials contend that counterterrorism operations targeting these networks have disrupted militant infrastructure and triggered frustration among their external supporters.
Under international law, states possess the inherent right of self-defense when confronted with armed attacks originating outside their territory. When militant organizations use foreign territory as safe havens to launch attacks, states have historically taken limited action to neutralize those threats. Pakistan argues that its strikes against militant hideouts in Afghanistan fall within this legal framework. According to Islamabad, the operations are carefully targeted against terrorist infrastructure and are intended solely to prevent further cross-border attacks.
New Delhi’s reaction, therefore, appears strategically selective. While India portrays Pakistan’s actions as destabilizing, it rarely acknowledges the persistent militant threat emanating from Afghan territory. Instead, India’s public narrative frequently focuses on portraying Pakistan as the source of regional instability, even as it overlooks the security challenges that Pakistan faces along its western frontier.
These diplomatic exchanges cannot be understood in isolation. They reflect a broader strategic contest between India and Pakistan that has long shaped developments in Afghanistan. For many Pakistani strategists, Afghanistan has historically been viewed as the western front of the India–Pakistan rivalry, where diplomatic presence and intelligence activity can translate into strategic leverage.
Since the early 2000s, India has expanded its diplomatic footprint and political influence in Afghanistan, investing heavily in infrastructure projects and cultivating close ties with successive governments in Kabul. These initiatives were widely presented as development assistance, but they also provided India with a strategic presence near Pakistan’s western border.
From Islamabad’s perspective, India’s growing role in Afghanistan has raised serious security concerns. Pakistani officials have repeatedly argued that Indian intelligence networks operating through Afghan territory supported militant groups hostile to Pakistan, particularly separatist organizations in Balochistan and insurgent networks targeting Pakistani security forces. Although India denies these allegations, they remain central to Pakistan’s security thinking and contribute to the deep mistrust that continues to shape relations between the two countries.
Pakistan reiterated these concerns at the United Nations Security Council during a debate on Afghanistan on March 10. Pakistan’s Permanent Representative, Ambassador Asim Iftikhar Ahmad, rejected India’s criticism of Pakistan’s cross-border counterterrorism strikes and accused New Delhi of complicity in the terrorist threat emanating from Afghanistan. According to the Pakistani envoy, India’s Afghan policy has been driven by hostility toward Pakistan and by an effort to destabilize the country through support for militant proxies such as the Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan and the Baloch Liberation Army.
These accusations echo earlier statements by Pakistan’s political leadership. In October last year, Defense Minister Khawaja Asif argued that India had been waging a “low-intensity war” against Pakistan from Afghan territory. According to him, New Delhi was attempting to settle strategic scores with Islamabad by supporting destabilizing activities along Pakistan’s western frontier.
Against this backdrop, India’s accusations are increasingly difficult to reconcile with the realities of regional security. Pakistan’s counterterrorism operations are driven by the need to confront militant networks that directly threaten its population and state institutions. At the same time, India’s diplomatic posture often overlooks the strategic competition that has shaped its own role in Afghanistan.
The deeper problem is that South Asia’s security environment continues to be defined by mutual suspicion. Instead of addressing shared threats, regional powers frequently frame developments through narratives that reinforce their rivalry. Afghanistan, unfortunately, has frequently become the arena in which this competition unfolds. When geopolitical rivalry takes precedence over cooperation, militant networks gain the space they need to survive and adapt.
A sustainable approach to regional stability requires acknowledging the real sources of insecurity along the Pakistan-Afghanistan border. Militancy cannot be addressed through rhetorical accusations or diplomatic posturing. It requires practical coordination, responsible policies, and recognition that cross-border terrorism threatens every country in the region.
Unless regional powers acknowledge these realities, Afghanistan will remain entangled in the strategic rivalry between India and Pakistan, where counterterrorism efforts risk being overshadowed by geopolitical competition rather than genuine regional cooperation.
