Collapse of Pakistan's 'Strategic Depth' Doctrine and India's Emerging Role in Afghanistan

Published By DPRJ Universal | Published on Monday, 3 November 2025

Pakistan's policy of controlling Afghanistan through militant proxies, known as 'strategic depth,' has collapsed due to Taliban defiance and the rise of the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan insurgency. This has resulted in violence along the Afghanistan-Pakistan border and a loss of Pakistani influence. India is recalibrating its Afghanistan strategy to increase engagement through development and regional partnerships, aiming to establish influence based on cooperation rather than control.

For decades, Pakistan’s doctrine of 'strategic depth' aimed to exert control over Afghanistan through militant groups like the Taliban and networks such as the Haqqani faction, using the country as a buffer zone against India. This approach involved providing safe havens and support to Islamist factions, which also conducted attacks against Indian interests from Afghan soil. However, the policy backfired as the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan insurgency grew into a significant domestic threat, and the Taliban leadership post-2021 refused to be Islamabad’s proxy, asserting Afghan sovereignty and tolerating cross-border militant activities. This breakdown in Pakistan’s influence led to deadly clashes along the Durand Line, fracturing long-standing militant alliances and exposing strategic miscalculations. Concurrently, Pakistan faces internal destabilization from extremist jihadist movements and diminishing international trust after events like Osama bin Laden’s presence in Abbottabad. Against this backdrop, India is cautiously increasing its diplomatic and development presence in Afghanistan, reopening missions and expanding regional connectivity projects, positioning itself to fill the strategic vacuum with a partnership-based approach. The shift marks a significant realignment in South Asian geopolitics, with Pakistan’s once-dominant strategy unraveling and India potentially becoming a key player in Afghan affairs through consistent engagement and regional cooperation.