Nuclear power x Taliban regime: get to know Pakistan and Afghanistan, which are waging ‘open war’ in Asia

Pakistan attacks Afghanistan’s capital and declares war on the Taliban Pakistan and Afghanistan are experiencing new tension in Asia after Islamabad, the Pakistani capital, bombed Kabul and other Afghan cities in the early hours of this Friday (27). The action paved the way for Pakistan to declare “open war” against the neighboring country. ✅ Follow g1’s international news channel on WhatsApp Analysts say Pakistan is likely to intensify its military campaign, while Kabul’s retaliation could come in the form of attacks on border posts and more cross-border guerrilla attacks against security forces. In theory, there is a huge discrepancy between the military capabilities of the two sides. (see a profile below). With 172,000 troops, the Taliban have less than a third of Pakistan’s strength. The Taliban have at least six aircraft and 23 helicopters, but their status is unknown and they do not have fighters or an effective air force. Pakistan’s military includes more than 600,000 active-duty personnel, more than 6,000 armored fighting vehicles and more than 400 combat aircraft, according to 2025 data from the International Institute for Strategic Studies. ▶️ Context: The tension involves the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), a group that works against the Pakistani government. Pakistani authorities say TTP militants are hiding in Afghanistan and staging attacks from there. The Afghan government denies this. Over the weekend, Pakistan carried out bombings against TTP and Islamic State militant camps in Afghan territory. The Taliban, which rules Afghanistan, said it would provide an “appropriate and proportionate response” to the attacks. The Afghan operation to retaliate for the bombings was carried out this Thursday. Pakistan as a nuclear power Pakistan maintains a nuclear program for civilian use to generate energy. This nuclear program dates back to the 1950s and is now also used for military purposes. Currently, the Pakistan Atomic Energy Commission (PAEC) operates four power plants in Chashma and two in Karachi. All are supervised by the UN’s IAEA. ​The Pakistani Ministry of Foreign Affairs points out that all plants follow international rules and that there is a goal of generating 40,000 MW by 2050, emphasizing clean energy. The Pakistani government claims the country developed nuclear capabilities “for self-defense” after India introduced nuclear weapons into the region. ​Taliban has ruled Afghanistan since 2021 The Taliban took power in Afghanistan in 2021 after a lightning offensive that coincided with the withdrawal of US troops, marking the group’s return to full control 20 years after its initial expulsion and reestablishing a theocratic regime in the country. The group emerged in 1994 in the context of the post-civil and Soviet war (1979-1989) as a movement of Pashtun religious students, initially financed by Pakistani and Arab networks and governed Afghanistan for the first time between 1996 and 2001, a period in which it followed Sharia, Islamic law. Following the Doha agreement in February 2020 between the US and the Taliban, which provided for the departure of US troops within 14 months in exchange for anti-terrorism guarantees, the group intensified attacks against Afghan forces. In May 2021, with Biden confirming withdrawal by September, the Taliban launched an offensive that captured districts and provincial capitals such as Zaranj, Kunduz and Herat; and entered Kabul without resistance after President Ashraf Ghani fled, proclaiming the Islamic Emirate. The collapse of the Afghan army, with mass desertions, allowed the Taliban to control more than 65% of the territory within weeks.

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