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Ruqayya Noor
CT Batch ‘04’
25/10/2025
External Actors and Their Interests in the Pak-Afghan Conflict
The Pak-Afghan conflict has deep historical and political roots, but it also provides space for outside powers to gain benefits. While both nations suffer from terrorism, poverty, and mistrust, regional and global actors often use this instability to protect or expand their own interests.
India sees instability in Afghanistan as a way to limit Pakistan’s regional influence and to create diplomatic pressure from the west (Fair, 2018).
The United States and its NATO allies have, since 2001, used the “War on Terror” to keep a military and political presence in South Asia (Rashid, 2021). This allowed them to control regional security and support their broader global strategy.
China looks at the conflict mainly through an economic and security lens. It wants to protect its Belt and Road projects and to stop extremist movements from spreading into its Xinjiang province (Small, 2015).
Russia, by keeping ties with the Taliban, aims to rebuild its influence and counter Western dominance in the region. Similarly, Iran and some Gulf states use financial and ideological networks to maintain leverage over local groups and policies.
These examples show that many external powers gain from Pak- Afghan instability, while both countries themselves pay the price. To protect their interests, Pakistan and Afghanistan must reduce external interference, build mutual trust, and create joint peace and economic cooperation based on shared ownership rather than foreign influence.
