Pakistan Continues to Use Proxy Groups to Create Regional Instability, Afghan Diaspora Network Report Claims

Pakistan continues to rely on militant proxy groups as part of a strategy to exert influence and create instability in its neighbourhood, with the approach now extending beyond India to Afghanistan, according to a report published by the Afghan Diaspora Network.

The report by journalist Rahmatullah Achakzai argues that Pakistan’s use of proxy groups dates back more than seven decades and was initially deployed against India in Jammu and Kashmir. It says the strategy has increasingly come into focus in Pakistan’s dealings with Afghanistan as relations between Islamabad and the Taliban government have deteriorated.

According to the report, the events of 2025 highlighted the continued use of the strategy. It cites the April 2025 Pahalgam terror attack, in which 26 civilians were killed, and notes that the Resistance Front (TRF), described by the report as a Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) proxy, claimed responsibility. India subsequently launched Operation Sindoor in May 2025, targeting what it described as terror infrastructure in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir.

The report also points to alleged links between Pakistan’s military establishment and militant groups, citing photographs from funerals following Operation Sindoor that showed coffins draped in Pakistan’s national flag and the presence of senior uniformed officials.

On Afghanistan, the report says Pakistan helped create the Afghan Taliban and supported the Haqqani network. It notes that relations between the two sides have since sharply deteriorated.

Afghanistan’s Defence Ministry has accused Pakistani security forces of financing and training fighters. The report also cites a Taliban spokesperson’s allegation that elements within Pakistan’s military were attempting to destabilise the region and sheltering Islamic State Khorasan (IS-K).

Achakzai argues that proxy warfare remains attractive to Pakistan’s military because it provides deniability while preserving institutional influence and defence spending. He also contends that international sanctions have largely targeted individuals and militant organisations rather than the Pakistani military itself.

The report warns that the combination of reduced external pressure and continuing proxy activity could increase the risk of wider military confrontation and mass-casualty incidents in South Asia.