Pakistan’s hand in Taliban victory

For its allies in the Pakistani establishment, the Taliban’s appeal was both political and tactical, even as Pakistan acted as a key ally of the United States during and after the 2001 invasion of Afghanistan. “Some sympathized with the Islamists’ extremist ideology, while others viewed it as an indispensable asset for confronting India,” Note the Financial Times. Taliban leaders have lived and worked in Pakistan, and wounded fighters have been treated in its hospitals. The Haqqani Network, which is affiliated with the Taliban, has a “close relationship” with the ISI, according to a recent report by the US Institute of Peace.