Pakistan is pushing mass deportations as a tool of political pressure and using Afghan women, children and long-term residents as leverage to force the Taliban to crack down on the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan, according to sources close to Afghanistan’s acting interior minister Sirajuddin Haqqani. Speaking to CNN-News18, the sources said Islamabad has turned expulsion into a weapon against an already strained and impoverished neighbour.
“Pakistan is doing mass deportations and border blackmail to cross-border strikes. It is waging an economic and humanitarian war on Afghanistan,” the sources told CNN-News18, adding that “Every action of Pakistan is to humiliate Afghan people and Taliban. Pakistan is creating manmade crisis to insult Afghans.”
A border crisis manufactured by Islamabad
Friday’s heavy gunfire between the two countries at multiple border points, confirmed by officials on both sides, reflected one of the most serious escalations since the Taliban takeover in 2021. Afghan officials blame Pakistan for triggering hostility through its inhuman treatment of refugees and its aggressive closure of key trade routes.
According to the sources quoted by CNN-News18, “Afghan leaders across party lines are united in anti-Pakistan sentiment. They are looking at Islamabad as an abusive neighbour not an ally. The Afghans upset because of Pakistan’s inhuman tactics. They are upset over refugee expulsion, economic blackmail, and illegal strikes.”
ISI-driven crackdowns and humanitarian abuse
Pakistan’s crackdown has involved midnight detentions, separation of children from parents, demolition of Afghan homes and seizure of property. The sources said these actions are not random but part of a calculated strategy by the Inter-Services Intelligence agency to create fear and humiliation.
“The repeated shutdowns at Torkham and Spin Boldak have choked Afghanistan’s food, fuel, and medical supplies. This is causing inflation and millions in trade losses,” CNN-News18 was told.
Airstrikes by the Pakistan Air Force have worsened resentment. “The PAF strikes in Khost, Kunar, Paktika between 2022 and 2025 killed civilians and violated Afghan territory without apology, proof, or accountability,” the sources added.
Blockade that starves a n ation
Torkham was shut for nine days in September 2024, blocking more than 2,000 cargo trucks. Spin Boldak closed again in May 2025, causing fuel and medicine shortages in Kandahar. Afghan traders estimate losses worth 65 to 70 million dollars for every closure cycle.
Pakistan intensified its crackdown during peak winter when thousands of Afghans were pushed to freezing border zones without food or shelter. “Pakistan launched a crackdown during Afghan winter, pushing thousands into freezing border zones without food, shelter, or medical support,” sources said. The crucial Torkham crossing has now been shut for 60 consecutive days. Only Afghan refugees returning to the country are allowed to cross while students, traders and ordinary travellers remain stuck. Around 85,000 Afghans have been forced to return during this period.
No negotiations, only threats
Afghan officials accuse Pakistan of refusing dialogue despite escalating tensions. They insist Islamabad has no joint security plan to address militancy but only a strategy of coercion. According to CNN-News18’s sources, “It is only giving threats, blame, and indulging in unilateral action to force Taliban for compliance on TTP issues.”
Military pressure by Asim Munir
Pakistan’s newly appointed armed forces chief General Asim Munir has publicly pressured the Taliban government to choose between friendship with Islamabad or support for the Pakistani Taliban. He issued the warning in Rawalpindi while receiving a guard of honour marking the launch of Pakistan’s new joint military command. Munir’s appointment, according to officials, is meant to tighten coordination among the army, air force and navy as Pakistan seeks to corner Kabul over the TTP issue.
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