In a recent meeting between the intelligence agencies of Tajikistan and Pakistan, an agreement has been reached to enhance support for their respective proxies, namely ISKP and the National Resistance Front of Afghanistan. These proxies are actively engaged in combat against the Afghan government.
Following the refusal of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan, the current government of Afghanistan, to comply with the directives of Pakistani generals, these military leaders have initiated a proxy war against Afghanistan. However, unlike previous endeavors, Pakistan now faces limited options to exert pressure on the Afghan government to achieve its objectives.
In the past, Pakistan utilized militant groups established in Afghanistan post-Soviet invasion, subsequently exerting control over them following the Soviet Union's withdrawal. This tactic sowed chaos in Afghanistan, facilitating the establishment of a paralyzed, pro-Pakistan government in Kabul.
With the current state of affairs in Afghanistan, Pakistan's recourse lies in leveraging the Islamic State Khorasan Province (ISKP) to pressure the Afghan government, as other militant groups have been expelled since the rise of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan.
In pursuit of this agenda, Pakistani generals have embarked on a plan to employ ISKP as their proxy in Afghanistan, providing safe havens and support to ISKP militants. However, the General Directorate of Intelligence (GDI), the intelligence agency of the Islamic Emirate, has effectively countered Pakistan's scheme, thwarting its objectives.
To bolster ISKP and exert pressure on the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan, the Pakistani government has forged an alliance with Tajikistan, believing that expelled Afghan factions, now sheltered in Tajikistan, can be controlled. Joint meetings between Pakistani and Tajik intelligence agencies have been held, culminating in a bilateral agreement signed during a recent visit by Pakistani intelligence delegates to Tajikistan.
Significantly, key members of the National Resistance Front of Afghanistan and Ayoub Zareen, ISKP's governor for Kunar province, participated in these meetings. Ayoub Zareen, originally from Asmaar district in Kunar, currently resides in Miskeeni Salarzo, a village in Pakistan's Bajaur agency, under the protection and surveillance of Pakistani intelligence agencies.
