Could Pakistan Overthrow the Taliban?

Pakistan and Afghanistan are locked in escalating border conflict, with hundreds dead and over 115,000 displaced in 2026. As resistance groups intensify attacks on the weakening Taliban, Pakistani officials privately discuss regime change. But internal crises, insurgencies, and regional commitments may keep Islamabad from launching a full-scale invasion anytime soon. Stay ahead of global conflicts with WarFronts Weekly. Get sharp, no-nonsense military analysis straight to your inbox. Subscribe: https://fronts.co/warfronts-weekly Get full conflict briefings, and members-only analysis at fronts.co https://fronts.co Join the community and discuss current flashpoints in real time: https://www.reddit.com/r/frontsco Love the content? Explore Simon's other YouTube channels: Megaprojects: https://www.youtube.com/@megaprojects9649 SideProjects: https://www.youtube.com/@Sideprojects Into The Shadows: https://www.youtube.com/@IntotheShadows Today I Found Out: https://www.youtube.com/@TodayIFoundOut Brain Blaze: https://www.youtube.com/@brainblaze6526 Casual Criminalist: https://www.youtube.com/@TheCasualCriminalist Decoding the Unknown: https://www.youtube.com/@decodingtheunknown2373 Places: https://www.youtube.com/@Places302 Celestium: https://www.youtube.com/@Celestium1234 HomeFronts: https://www.youtube.com/@homefronts DefenseFronts: https://www.youtube.com/@DefenseFronts Simon on social: Twitter: https://twitter.com/SimonWhistler Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/simonwhistler/ References https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/9/24/pakistan-says-it-launches-air-strikes-on-afghanistan-after-drone-attacks https://www.cbc.ca/news/world/pakistan-airstrikes-afghanistan-khost-paktia-kandahar-9.7356365 https://www.nbcnews.com/world/asia/pakistan-says-struck-10-sites-afghanistan-accusing-kabul-drone-attacks-rcna599568 https://acleddata.com/expert-comment/why-did-pakistan-strike-inside-afghanistan-after-months-calm https://www.cfr.org/global-conflict-tracker/conflict/war-afghanistan https://www.chathamhouse.org/2026/03/afghanistan-and-pakistan-are-facing-open-war-de-escalation-needed https://edition.cnn.com/2026/02/27/asia/afghanistan-pakistan-strikes-what-we-know-intl-hnk https://www.newarab.com/opinion/pakistan-invading-afghanistan-war-nobodys-2026-bingo https://www.economist.com/asia/2026/02/27/what-does-open-war-between-pakistan-and-afghanistan-amount-to https://www.rusi.org/explore-our-research/publications/commentary/can-pakistan-play-role-regime-change-afghanistan https://www.afintl.com/en/202511209791 https://nationalinterest.org/blog/silk-road-rivalries/what-does-pakistan-want-in-afghanistan https://www.csis.org/analysis/why-did-pakistan-announce-open-war-against-taliban https://www.rferl.org/a/afghanistan-pakistan-taliban-ttp/33752593.html https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/pakistan-strikes-afghanistan-targets-clashes-intensify-2026-02-27/ https://www.afintl.com/en/202608107147 https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/feb/27/pakistan-miscalculation-taliban-afghanistan https://www.euronews.com/2026/02/27/will-the-pakistan-taliban-conflict-turn-into-a-full-blown-war https://www.nytimes.com/2026/09/10/world/asia/afghanistan-al-qaeda-25-years-after-911.html https://www.afintl.com/en/202511235758 https://thediplomat.com/2026/08/in-afghanistan-growing-resistance-meets-fears-of-pakistani-influence/ https://www.afintl.com/en/202608137725 https://newlinesmag.com/spotlight/pakistan-is-quietly-shopping-for-new-proxies-in-afghanistan/ https://www.afintl.com/en/202609110367 https://www.longwarjournal.org/archives/2026/08/afghanistans-resistance-persists-despite-taliban-rule.php https://www.afintl.com/en/202609229195 https://www.afintl.com/en/202606131045 https://www.lowyinstitute.org/the-interpreter/the-fragmentation-of-resistance-in-afghanistan https://www.afintl.com/en/202609169775 https://www.reuters.com/world/china/how-do-pakistan-taliban-afghan-militaries-stack-up-clashes-escalate-2025-10-16/ https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/9/25/pakistani-forces-kill-afghan-taliban-fighters-in-border-escalation https://www.afintl.com/en/202609246868 https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/death-toll-31-pakistan-police-compound-attack-afp-reports-2026-09-19/ https://apnews.com/article/pakistan-soldiers-killed-security-raids-northwest-d8fc9064f8a0e859c5ec15310c016b87 https://www.dw.com/en/pakistan-khan-family-arrests-raise-stakes-ahead-of-protests/a-79392147