Pakistan Opens Border for UN Aid to Afghanistan Amid Strategic Security Concerns

In a move reflecting the complex interplay of humanitarian obligation and national sovereignty, Pakistan has agreed to reopen two critical border crossings—Chaman and Torkham—to allow United Nations relief supplies into Afghanistan. Yet, while this concession addresses urgent food and medical needs in Afghanistan, it stops short of restoring full trade or travel, underscoring Islamabad’s commitment to protecting its borders from militant threats. The border closures, which began in early October following armed attacks by Afghan forces on Pakistani military posts, illustrate the dangerous fallout from Kabul’s harboring of Pakistani Taliban militants—an issue that directly undermines Pakistan’s internal security. These militant...