https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2022/4/27/could-pakistan-airstrike-affect-afghanistan-relationship
Tensions are rising on both sides on the Pakistani-Afghani border due to the change in leadership with the new Taliban government in Kabul last summer. The Pakistanis are accusing the Taliban of supporting and safekeeping various terrorist groups of Pakistan, allowing them to house within Afghani lines while operating in Pakistan. The most notable is the TTP or Pakistani Taliban, as well as ISIS, and Balochi nationalist fighters in the south. Kabul, on the other hand, is furiously accusing the Pakistani government of being responsible for the recent air raid attacks on their eastern border, however Islamabad has not claimed responsibility. I analyze this as a sign of change from the Taliban Emirate of the 1990s which was largely seen as a proxy state of Pakistan, now with more equipment, and feeling energized from their victory last August, they are asserting themselves as a capable entity and both countries are testing the limits. I do not think this will escalate to much beyond this as Pakistan is Afghanistan´s largest trading partner and dealing with terrorism and border skirmishes is nothing new between the two states. This can however go on as a row for many years, as it has between China and India tentatively on their border as well for many years. To bring this back to international relations, one can highlight this situation and its connection to the concept of balance of power. This area of Asia has a very fragile balance of power, and while there are many groups that do indeed want to disrupt that balance such as the Balochis or ISIS, the Kabul Taliban and Islamabad are the current respective ¨kings of the mountain¨ and will both not want things to get out of hand to a place where there is either foreign involvement or such a shake up of security that other groups within their borders are able to make moves to their own interest. So one might be shocked on first glance by the somewhat lenient responses from both sides, however both regimes are trying to maintain the balance of power and have to tread a very certain and narrow line.