Once Islamabad's (or Rawalpindi's) protégés, the Taliban are now exchanging gunfire with Pakistan. The recent clashes mark the deadliest fighting between the two since Taliban seized control of Afghanistan in 2021. What changed?

In this episode, host Dev Goswami and national security expert Sandeep Unnithan unpack the clash along the Durand Line -- a fight tangled in Pashtun identity, militant kinships, and Pakistan's own Frankenstein problem.

The two trace the origin the Taliban, explain how it is wrongly believed to be synonymous with the Al Qaeda, and explore how its Pashtun roots put it at odds with Pakistan's military elite. Also a topic of discussion is the TTP (Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan) and how it seems to be punching above its weight. And finally, the episode looks at India's cautious recent outreach to Kabul and how it fits into this very messy map.

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Produced by Taniya Dutta

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