Pakistan-Afghanistan conflict is rooted in local border dispute – but the risks extend across the region
- Written by Rabia Akhtar, Associate of Managing the Atom, Belfer Center, Harvard Kennedy School; University of Lahore
A Taliban fighter inspects the site of a Pakistani strike in Kabul on March 17, 2026.Wakil Kohsar/AFP via Getty ImagesA weekslong war between Pakistan and Afghanistanwas 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...

