One Cup That Haunts Pakistan: How Taliban’s Tea Turned Islamabad’s Triumph Into Terror | World News
New Delhi: A cup of tea once shared in Kabul is now haunted by Pakistani rulers. It was the fall of 2021 when the Taliban had just taken over Afghanistan. Cameras flashed as Pakistan’s then Inter-Services Intelligence chief, Faiz Hameed, smiled over a cup of tea at a hotel in Afghanistan’s capital. This image, carefree then, now burns like acid in Islamabad’s political veins.
Pakistan has been shaken by threats from Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) in recent weeks. Videos of armed commanders, messages of revenge and warnings of attacks deep within the country’s territory flooded the Internet.
Pakistani Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar admitted that tea once shared with the Taliban had become “too expensive to swallow”.
Add Zee News as Preferred Source
Behind the irony lies a bitter truth. Pakistan’s decades-long policy of nurturing the Taliban as a regional pawn has turned against the Taliban. The same Taliban government that once welcomed Pakistani generals now accuses Islamabad of violating Afghan sovereignty.
Conversations Become Toxic
Peace talks between Pakistan and Afghanistan have reached breaking point. Tensions are increasing in Ankara, where the third round of negotiations is held. Pakistan demands that the Afghan Taliban eliminate TTP sanctuaries along the border. Cain refuses. He insists that these warriors are not enemies but “brothers in the faith.”
The silence of the Afghan Taliban speaks volumes. The leadership, rooted in Pashtun tribal identity, will not point its guns at its own relatives.
The Pakistani army, led by Field Marshal Asim Munir, describes this stance as treason. But many in Afghanistan see the neighbor’s Army commander himself as the problem.
Afghan newspapers are now openly criticizing him. Recently, an editorial in Al-Mirsad asked the question: “Is Asim Munir leading the army or digging Pakistan’s political grave?” He accused him of turning the military into a political machine that served narrow interests rather than national stability.
From Brothers to Enemies
When Münir became chief of general staff in November 2022, the ceasefire with the TTP collapsed within a few days. Pakistan’s decision to deport Afghan refugees by 2023 triggered anger in Kabul. In 2024, Pakistani jets bombed Taliban-held border areas. The Taliban retaliated with deadly attacks that killed more than 2,500 people on both sides.
By mid-2025, the two countries were on the brink of war. Taliban rockets hit checkpoints in Pakistan. Pakistan’s air strikes deepened hostilities. Under pressure, Islamabad was forced to return to the negotiating table in October. But the Taliban came back stronger, more confident and more fearless.
Pakistan’s Fear Within Us
For Islamabad, the nightmare is no longer limited to the Afghan border. TTP re-emerged in Punjab, the political and military heart of the country. In a recent video, Taliban commanders from Pishin, Lakki Marwat, Mohmand and Bajaur declared that they were already “inside Pakistan”. “We attack whenever and wherever we want,” they warned.
Their faces, weapons and self-confidence were visible in the images. It was shot on Pakistani soil. For Munir’s army, this was a humiliation. Once feared, Pakistan’s intelligence networks have failed to contain the insurgency.
Last year, 22 separate groups of the TTP rejoined the main organization. The total number has increased to 75 since 2020. Among them is the Hafiz Gul Bahadur group, which is responsible for the deadliest ambushes against Pakistani troops.
Even Baluch insurgent groups are now linking up with the Taliban, expanding the insurgency’s reach.
We Are Surrounded On Every Side
The map of Pakistan now shines with instability. In the west, Taliban fighters dominate the Afghan border. In the southwest, Baluch militants are strengthening their influence near Iran. Rebellion is boiling from Khyber to Punjab.
Army morale is low. Economically, the nation’s breath is taken away. Pakistan’s external debt is currently equal to 35 percent of GDP. Growth fell to 2.5 percent. Reserves are close to 10 billion dollars, which is barely enough for four months of imports.
With war out of reach and peace out of reach, Islamabad’s options are vanishing. The Taliban knows this. Negotiators now meet Pakistan’s envoys as equals, not dependents. For the first time in history, Kabul is looking Pakistan in the eye and refusing to blink.
Bitter Aftertaste
What started as a photo shoot (a cup of tea shared in celebration) turned into a curse. The rise of the Taliban was once Pakistan’s victory. Today is the end of Pakistan.
The tea has gone cold. But the pain of this still exists on the lips of generals, ministers and men who once believed they could swallow both power and peace in the same breath.
