Restricting India In Kabul? Pakistan To Host Afghan Opposition Leaders, Including Ahmad Massoud

Last Updated:August 18, 2025, 14:51 IST

Sources state conversations might pave method for Resistance Council to develop an official workplace in Pakistan– a relocation similar to the Taliban’s political bureau as soon as hosted in Doha.

Pakistan is preparing to assemble an unusual conference of senior Afghan opposition figures later on this month, a relocation that intelligence authorities state is meant to press the Taliban program and improve the balance of impact in Kabul.

According to leading intelligence sources, Islamabad’s effort surpasses its instant security issues. By drawing anti-Taliban leaders into its orbit, Pakistan intends to damage India’s capability to develop enduring collaborations in Afghanistan. “The computation is clear– if Afghanistan stays divided, New Delhi has no company ally in Kabul. That compromises India’s reach and reinforces Pakistan’s hand,” intelligence sources observed.

The meeting is expected to bring together several prominent figures from Afghanistan’s political resistance, including Younis Qanooni, Mohammad Mohaqiq, Atta Mohammad Noor, and Salahuddin Rabbani. Sources say discussions could pave the way for the Resistance Council to establish a formal office in Pakistan — a move reminiscent of the Taliban’s political bureau once hosted in Doha.

There is also speculation that Ahmad Massoud, son of the late commander Ahmad Shah Massoud, may take part. While his presence would give the gathering symbolic weight, intelligence officials caution that it could tarnish his reputation. “Massoud aligning too closely with Islamabad risks diluting his credibility and could be seen as undermining his father’s anti-Pakistan legacy,” one source kept in mind.

The relocation follows months of discreet contacts in between Pakistan’s Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) and the Resistance Council, consisting of earlier exploratory talks in Turkey. Authorities explain Islamabad’s outreach as a direct message to the Taliban management: unless Kabul acts versus Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) militants utilizing Afghan area, Pakistan is prepared to empower their challengers.

The TTP concern stays the sharpest point of friction in between Islamabad and the Taliban federal government. Pakistani authorities implicate the group of staging cross-border attacks from sanctuaries inside Afghanistan, while the Taliban management has actually withstood continual action versus them. “The Taliban’s hesitation to suppress the TTP has actually required Pakistan to think about options it when prevented,” sources said.

At the same time, Pakistan continues to engage the Taliban itself, carefully balancing confrontation with cooperation. Analysts suggest this dual approach is designed to reinforce Islamabad’s position as the indispensable broker in Afghan affairs. “By working with both sides, Pakistan ensures that no settlement in Kabul can ignore its interests,” stated a senior intelligence source.

For Islamabad, the technique serves several goals: to keep pressure on the Taliban, to restrict India’s choices in the area, and to highlight its midpoint to any worldwide engagement with Afghanistan. “It is not almost countering militants,” one source summarised. “It is about leverage — with Kabul, with New Delhi, and with the West.”