This special report examines the sharp escalation in Taliban–Pakistan tensions, culminating in cross-border airstrikes and clashes in October 2025. Since 2022, repeated Pakistani strikes inside Afghanistan have caused civilian casualties, with the October 2025 attacks acting as a turning point that triggered retaliation and hardened positions on both sides. The crisis has had wider political and social consequences, increasing anti-Pakistan sentiment in Afghanistan, exposing internal security pressures in Pakistan, and creating space for militant groups to expand. Without credible diplomacy, and a shift away from military responses, the situation risks becoming a prolonged and destabilising regional conflict.
