Pakistan's Strategic Dilemma

Pakistan and Afghanistan share a common threat from terrorism, which seems to be the primary destabilizing factor in the region. Militancy and terrorism are neither in the significance of Pakistan nor Afghanistan, as both these states are facing huge security threats from militant groups operating transnationally. Since the independence of Pakistan, bilateral relations between both states have been continuously strained, with brief intervals of warmth. However, a paradigm shift in Pakistan's approach towards Afghanistan has been noticed especially after the restoration of democracy in 2008. The aim of this book is to answer the reshape the Islamabad's new perspective towards Kabul through re-examination of Pak-Afghan relations from 2008 onward and assess the long term policy shift in Pakistan's Afghan relations. Moreover, it also highlights the need for a joint counter-terrorism strategy to further consolidate bilateral relations between Islamabad and Kabul. In addition to this, some policy recommendations have also been made in order to effectively deal with the emerging challenges and for the friendly relations as well.