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When the Taliban leadership signed the Doha Agreement (2020) and later entered into understandings with Türkiye and the UAE, they pledged to do two simple things: open the door for intra-Afghan dialogue and ensure Afghan soil is not used to harm others.
Five years later, both commitments stand unfulfilled.
Broken Promises, Mounting Costs
Instead of dialogue, Afghanistan witnessed renewed militarisation. Released prisoners re-joined the insurgency. UN Monitoring Teams and SIGAR reports (2024–2025) confirm safe houses, mobility permits, and operational space for TTP, Al-Qaeda, and ISIS-K inside Afghanistan. A trilateral accord with Pakistan and the UAE (2024) promised relocation of TTP militants, yet without lists, oversight, or transparency. Meanwhile, UNAMA documents over 250 arrests of journalists and human-rights defenders, proving that repression, not reform, has defined Taliban governance.
The Human Toll Across Borders
From North Waziristan to Zhob, dozens of Afghan fighters have been identified among militants neutralised in Pakistan’s counter-terror operations. Kabul’s subsequent requests to reclaim their bodies were a rare, indirect admission of cross-border involvement. With 53 known terrorist facilities and NATO-grade weapons now in circulation, Afghanistan’s instability is no longer a domestic affair; it is a regional contagion.
Pakistan’s Diplomatic Endurance
Despite the provocations, Pakistan has pursued engagement, four FM-level visits, eight joint committees, over 800 protest notes, seeking dialogue, not confrontation. The patience of diplomacy, however, cannot substitute for the absence of responsibility.
What the World Must Do
It is time for the international community, the UN, OIC, EU, and donor coalitions, to demand verifiable compliance with counter-terrorism and human-rights norms.
- Condition financial flows on measurable progress.
- Support independent verification missions along the border.
- Re-engage Afghan youth and civil society directly through educational and peacebuilding programmes.
- Protect aid integrity, ensure humanitarian assistance is not siphoned to militant proxies.
The Youth’s Call
The young voices of our region carry no hatred; they carry hope. They are tired of promises written in ink and broken in blood. Real peace will not emerge from slogans; it will come from accountability, transparency, and courage to face the truth.
Peace begins where promises are kept.
