Pakistan

Background reviewed 2026-10-23 · Background as of 2026-10

Background

Pakistan faces several armed conflicts at once: an insurgency by the Pakistani Taliban (Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan, TTP) mainly in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, a separatist insurgency in Balochistan, and recurring confrontation with India over Kashmir.

In May 2025, after an attack on tourists in Pahalgam in Indian-administered Kashmir, India and Pakistan exchanged missile, drone and artillery strikes for four days before agreeing a ceasefire. Relations with Afghanistan’s Taliban authorities deteriorated into heavy border fighting in October 2025 and again in February 2026. In April 2026 Pakistan mediated a two-week US–Iran ceasefire.

History

Pakistan was created at the partition of British India in 1947. Disputes with India over Kashmir led to wars in 1947, 1965 and 1999, and the 1971 war ended with the independence of Bangladesh. Both countries have possessed nuclear weapons since 1998.

Since the 2000s, Pakistan has fought militant groups in its north-west, including the Pakistani Taliban (TTP), formed in 2007. Major military operations in the tribal areas in 2009 and 2014 pushed militants into Afghanistan, and attacks increased again after the Taliban returned to power in Kabul in 2021. In Balochistan, the largest but least populous province, a long-running separatist insurgency targets security forces, infrastructure and projects linked to the China–Pakistan Economic Corridor.

Main parties

Pakistan Armed Forces — Also conduct counter-insurgency operations in the north-west and Balochistan.
Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) — Armed group fighting the Pakistani state, mainly in the north-west.
Baloch separatist groups — Including the Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA).
India — Pakistan’s neighbour; the two states dispute Kashmir.
Afghan Taliban authorities — Involved in border clashes with Pakistan since 2025.

Key dates

1947-08-14 — Pakistan becomes independent; the Kashmir dispute begins soon after.
2007-12 — The Pakistani Taliban (TTP) is formed.
2014-12-16 — An attack on the Army Public School in Peshawar kills many pupils and staff.
2025-03-11 — Militants hijack the Jaffar Express passenger train in Balochistan.
2025-04-22 — An attack on tourists in Pahalgam, Indian-administered Kashmir, causes mass casualties.
2025-05-07 — India strikes targets in Pakistan and Pakistani-administered Kashmir; four days of hostilities follow.
2025-05-10 — India and Pakistan agree a ceasefire.
2025-10 — Heavy border fighting with Afghanistan; ceasefire agreed in Doha on 19 October.
2026-02-27 — Pakistan declares “open war” with the Afghan Taliban after renewed clashes.
2026-04-08 — Pakistan mediates a two-week US–Iran ceasefire.

Humanitarian situation

Militant violence, military operations and border closures have displaced people in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and disrupted trade. Pakistan has also deported or pressured large numbers of Afghan refugees to leave since 2023.

How to read reports about Pakistan

Claims by Indian and Pakistani officials during the May 2025 hostilities differed widely; both sides’ statements appear in the linked reports.
Kashmir place names are shown as reported; the map does not show disputed boundaries as settled.

Recent events

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