What Happened
- Pakistan accused Afghanistan of harbouring terror groups following the February 6, 2026 suicide attack on the Khadija Tul Kubra Mosque in Islamabad, which killed 32 people and injured 170. The Islamic State-Khorasan Province (IS-KP) claimed responsibility.
- Pakistan's Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi stated that "terrorist organizations are operating from Afghanistan" and that "planning, training, and indoctrination for the attack took place in Afghanistan."
- Pakistan President Asif Ali Zardari said Afghanistan under the Taliban regime had created conditions "similar to or worse than pre-9/11."
- Pakistan temporarily closed key border crossings with Afghanistan on February 9, 2026, disrupting trade along the critical Torkham and Chaman routes.
- Simultaneously, China has been deepening economic and diplomatic engagement with the Taliban government, including agreeing to extend the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) into Afghanistan in May 2025.
Static Topic Bridges
Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and the Afghan Taliban Nexus
The TTP is a militant group based along the Pakistan-Afghanistan border, formed in 2007 as an umbrella organisation of various Pakistani militant factions. While ideologically aligned with the Afghan Taliban, the TTP's primary target is the Pakistani state. After the Afghan Taliban's return to power in August 2021, the TTP reportedly regrouped in Afghanistan, benefiting from the Taliban's reluctance to act against affiliated groups. Pakistan has repeatedly demanded that the Afghan Taliban dismantle TTP sanctuaries on Afghan soil.
- TTP formed: December 2007 in South Waziristan; founded by Baitullah Mehsud
- TTP designated as a terrorist organisation by: Pakistan, the US, the UK, and the UN Security Council (under Resolution 1267 sanctions regime)
- IS-KP (Islamic State-Khorasan Province): formed in 2015; operates in both Afghanistan and Pakistan; considers both the Taliban and TTP as rivals
- Doha Agreement (February 29, 2020): US-Taliban agreement included Taliban commitment that Afghan soil would not be used for terrorism against other countries
- Pakistan's Operation Azm-e-Istehkam (2024): military operation against TTP in border areas
Connection to this news: The Islamabad mosque attack underscores the failure of the Doha Agreement's counter-terrorism provisions. While IS-KP claimed the attack, Pakistan's broader accusations against Afghanistan reflect frustration with the Taliban's inability or unwillingness to prevent cross-border terrorism by various groups including the TTP.
China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) and Its Afghanistan Extension
CPEC is a flagship project of China's Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), connecting China's Xinjiang province to Pakistan's Gwadar port in Balochistan through a network of roads, railways, and energy infrastructure. Originally estimated at $46 billion (later expanded to $62-64 billion), CPEC was launched in 2015. In May 2025, China, Pakistan, and Afghanistan agreed in a trilateral meeting to extend CPEC into Afghanistan.
- CPEC launched: April 2015 during President Xi Jinping's visit to Pakistan
- Original cost: $46 billion; expanded to approximately $62-64 billion
- Key components: Karakoram Highway upgrade, Gwadar port, energy projects (coal, solar, wind), Special Economic Zones
- Afghanistan extension: agreed in May 2025 at a trilateral meeting; practical implementation yet to begin
- Afghanistan's estimated untapped mineral wealth: over $1 trillion (lithium, copper, rare earths)
- India's position: opposes CPEC because it passes through Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK/Gilgit-Baltistan), which India claims as its sovereign territory
Connection to this news: China's engagement with the Taliban through the CPEC extension creates a complex dynamic where Beijing seeks economic access to Afghanistan's mineral resources while Pakistan accuses Afghanistan of harbouring terror groups. The security instability along the Pakistan-Afghanistan border directly threatens CPEC's viability and its proposed Afghan extension.
China's Strategic Engagement with Taliban-Ruled Afghanistan
China has pursued a pragmatic engagement with the Taliban government, driven by three strategic interests: border security (the 76-km Wakhan Corridor connects Afghanistan to China's Xinjiang), access to Afghanistan's mineral resources, and counterterrorism cooperation against the East Turkestan Islamic Movement (ETIM). China has not formally recognised the Taliban government but has accepted Taliban-appointed diplomats and signed economic agreements.
- China-Afghanistan border: 76-km Wakhan Corridor (Badakhshan province to Xinjiang)
- China accepted Taliban-appointed ambassador to Beijing in January 2024
- Xinjiang Central Asia Petroleum and Gas Co (CAPEIC): signed $540 million oil extraction contract with Taliban (January 2023)
- China hosted foreign ministers of Afghanistan's neighbouring countries in a dialogue format
- ETIM (East Turkestan Islamic Movement): Uyghur militant group active in Afghanistan; China's primary security concern
- Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO): Afghanistan is not a member; regional security discussed at SCO platforms
Connection to this news: China's deepening economic ties with the Taliban complicate Pakistan's demands for action against terror groups. Beijing's interest in Afghanistan's resources and border security means it is unlikely to support any measures that could destabilise the Taliban government, even as Pakistan accuses the Taliban of enabling cross-border terrorism.
Key Facts & Data
- Islamabad mosque attack: February 6, 2026; 32 killed, 170 injured; IS-KP claimed responsibility
- Pakistan-Afghanistan border crossings closed: February 9, 2026 (Torkham, Chaman)
- TTP formed: December 2007; UN-designated terrorist organisation
- Doha Agreement (US-Taliban): signed February 29, 2020
- CPEC value: approximately $62-64 billion; launched April 2015
- CPEC-Afghanistan extension: agreed May 2025; implementation not yet begun
- China-Afghanistan border: 76-km Wakhan Corridor
- Afghanistan's estimated mineral wealth: over $1 trillion
- India's position on CPEC: opposes passage through PoK/Gilgit-Baltistan
- IS-KP formed: 2015; operates across Afghanistan and Pakistan