NEW DELHI: The honeymoon period between Pakistan and the Afghan Taliban is over as Islamabad is facing an emerging security situation in border provinces and an assertive Taliban, which is unwilling to accept any 'one-sided' change in the status quo ante on the Durand Line issue.
A major point of contention between the two neighbours is the status of a colonial legacy--the Durand line, cutting through the Pashtun-dominated tribal areas. Taliban returned to power in Afghanistan in 2021 two decades after being removed from power by a US-led military coalition.