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6 months ago

Persistent Misconception: Jaish-e-Mohammad & Lashkar-e-Taiba—Pakistan’s Strategic Instruments, Not Taliban Affiliates Recent statements by Qari Yaqoub - an ally of Hafiz Saeed & a senior figure of LeT - warning the Afghan Taliban to “control militancy or we will stand with the Pakistan Army against Afghanistan,” underscore a long-standing yet widely misunderstood reality. This misconception - common in parts of Indian discourse & recently amplified by ISI-linked propaganda accounts, including the so-called former CIA officer @sarahadams - obscures a critical fact: JeM & LeT have long operated as instruments of Pakistan’s security strategy, not as affiliates or ideological partners of the Afghan Taliban. 1. Pakistan’s Proxy Use of JeM & LeT For decades, JeM & LeT have been employed as pressure instruments in Pakistan’s foreign policy - primarily against India &, more recently, against Afghanistan. As political & economic tensions escalate between Islamabad & Kabul, Pakistan’s reliance on these proxy groups is re-emerging in unprecedented ways. 2. India’s Misinterpretation of the Relationship Speculation in the Indian media that JeM & LeT are gravitating toward the Afghan Taliban reflects a persistent misconception. Historically, the Taliban have never shared ideological, operational, or institutional alignment with these Pakistan-sponsored groups. The 1999 Indian Airlines hijacking is frequently cited as evidence of cooperation; however, it was an isolated episode rather than an indication of structural ties. At the time, Ajit Doval,- then Director of IB - traveled to Kandahar to negotiate with the hijackers. Today, as India’s National Security Advisor, he has consistently differentiated between the Taliban’s 20-year struggle & Pakistan’s Islamist proxy networks, his role has been central in shaping India - Afghanistan relations – illustrated by the fact that, next week, a third Afghan minister in three months is scheduled to visit New Delhi. After 2001, the Taliban pursued a liberation campaign against foreign occupation, whereas JeM & LeT continued to operate as instruments of Pakistan’s security establishment-yet failed to secure even an inch of territory in Kashmir. 3. Afghanistan Has Not Offered Sanctuary to JeM or LeT Despite intermittent political accusations – such as those made by @BBhuttoZardari following the Pakistan–India conflict of May 2025 – no credible evidence suggests that Afghanistan has sheltered senior leaders of JeM. Islamabad has occasionally attempted to “plant seeds of mistrust” between India & the Taliban. Several Indian media outlets later acknowledged that Afghanistan does not function as a sanctuary for organizations responsible for mass-casualty attacks on civilians – including “Muslim Communities” – inside India. 4. Emerging Coordination Between LeT, JeM & ISKP Reporting by Indian outlets (@ndtv, @IndiaWarMonitor, & others) indicates recent coordination meetings between JeM & LeT in Bahawalpur, along with attempts by Pakistan’s security establishment to cultivate cooperation between LeT’s Salafi elements & ISKP through shared training camps in Balochistan. This points to a recalibrated proxy strategy aimed not only at India but increasingly at Afghanistan & the wider region. 5. Pakistan’s Strategic Shift Amid Trade Conflict With Afghanistan closing key trade routes over airspace violations, ISKP-linked infiltration, & deliberate restrictions during Kabul’s export season, Pakistan faces mounting economic strain. As conventional tools fail, Islamabad appears to be falling back on familiar proxy mechanisms. Conclusion India’s long-held assumption that JeM & LeT are ideologically or operationally aligned with Afghan Taliban is historically inaccurate & strategically misleading. These groups remain strategic instruments of Pakistan, activated when Islamabad seeks leverage - whether against India, Afghanistan, or any state resisting Pakistan’s demands.

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