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Rabia Akhtar, Associate of Managing the Atom, Belfer Center, Harvard Kennedy School; University of Lahore

Pakistan-Afghanistan conflict is rooted in local border dispute – but the risks extend across the region

Pakistan Afghanistan Taliban United States Afghan Taliban Kabul Muslim
A Taliban fighter inspects the site of a Pakistani strike in Kabul on March 17, 2026. Wakil Kohsar/AFP via Getty Images

A weekslong war between Pakistan and Afghanistan was paused on March 18, 2026, to mark the Muslim holiday of Eid al-Fitr. But that does not mean the conflict is over.

Neither side showed any indication that the planned five-day cessation of operations would be anything other than temporary, and they warned that any violation would be met with reciprocal strikes.

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