Former Afghan Security Chief Distinguishes Public Sentiment from Taliban Ties with Pakistan

Rahmatullah Nabil, the former head of Afghanistan’s National Security Directorate, emphasized in a tweet that the Afghan people’s opposition to incursions and attacks from Pakistan is not connected to support for the Taliban. He stressed that the group should not exploit this sentiment for its own benefit…

Taliban’s Covert Ties with Pakistani Intelligence

Rahmatullah Nabil, the former head of the National Security Directorate of the Afghan Republic, made a strong statement regarding the ongoing tensions between the Taliban and Pakistan, seeking to clarify the distinction between the national stance of the Afghan people and the political maneuvers of the Taliban.

In his post on the social media platform X (formerly Twitter), he asserted that the public dissent of the Afghan populace against incursions and attacks from Pakistan is unrelated to supporting the Taliban, which should not interpret this sentiment to its own advantage.

Nabil stated: “The Afghan people are well aware of both Pakistan and the nefarious face of the Taliban. They must not forget that the Taliban engaged in covert dealings with Pakistani intelligence for three decades, often working against Afghanistan’s national interests.”

Heightened Tensions; Trade Relations on the Brink of Halt

These remarks come at a time when tensions between the Taliban’s caretaker government and Islamabad have reached unprecedented heights in recent years. This dispute has led to a near halt in bilateral trade, and there has been a recurring exchange of security accusations— including border attacks, support for opposition groups, and violations of sovereignty—in official statements from both sides.

Previously, Nabil noted that regional countries have become aware of Pakistan’s intelligence games in Afghanistan and are increasingly unwilling to collaborate. This stance can be interpreted as an effort to recalibrate power dynamics and raise regional awareness in Central and South Asia.

Averting the Use of Citizens in Proxy Warfare

Nabil’s comments go beyond a historical critique, representing a deliberate attempt to delineate the Afghan public from the competitive narrative between the Taliban and Pakistan. The objective of this position is to prevent the Afghan people from being used as pawns in regional proxy wars. This approach indicates that informal power structures, particularly former security figures, continue to play a role in defining Afghanistan’s national discourse in the absence of democratic institutions.

The escalating tensions between the Taliban and Pakistan, despite a longstanding history of strategic cooperation, reveal a transformation of previous dependence into a one-sided security allegiance, now confronted with the Taliban’s push for operational independence. Observers believe this shift could both create new opportunities for Afghanistan in the region and significantly exacerbate internal security crises.