New Delhi: Calling out Islamabad for its past delusions of finding a friend in the Taliban regime in Afghanistan, Pakistani Senator Aimal Wali Khan, the great-grandson of Indian independence activist Abdul Ghaffar Khan, has asserted that a “terrorist is never a friend.”
“A terrorist is simply a terrorist,” he said, in a stinging post on X on the current crisis between the two neighbours.
The leader of the Awami National Party (ANP), a Pashtun nationalist and secular party that has long spoken out against the cross-border tensions between the Taliban and Islamabad, also posted a congratulatory message on India’s victory in the Men’s T20 World Cup final against New Zealand.
“Credit where it’s due — JAI HINDH India’s victory reflects not just a strong tournament performance, but the strength of a well-structured cricketing system. Consistency, depth, and preparation across the campaign were evident. It’s a reminder that sustainable success in sport is built on strong foundations. Congratulations to the team on a deserved title,” Wali Khan said in another post on X.
His great-grandfather was known in India as ‘Frontier Gandhi’, who fought for Pashtun rights and against the Partition during the British Raj.
“We all must stand in the dock of history. From 2021 to 2026, we (Awami National Party) have consistently said: Do not harbor the delusion that your ‘friendly government’ has arrived in Afghanistan. A terrorist is never a friend; a terrorist is simply a terrorist,” Wali Khan said on Saturday.
He added: “We had warned that policies built on ideological affiliations and short-term interests would ultimately harm both the state and its people. Today, those very elements — yesterday dubbed strategic depth or friendship — are now targets of operations under who knows how many pretexts.”
‘Scourge of terrorism’
Criticising Pakistan’s historical affinity for ties with terrorists, Wali Khan went a step further and said that a “terrorist has no friend, no religion and no nation,” pointing out that Islamabad must have an “uncompromising, unconditional and unequivocal” stance against terrorism.
Wali Khan became a member of the Pakistani senate in 2024 and has been arguing against Pakistan’s policy of supporting the Taliban, which has backfired, according to a number of posts by the ANP leader on X.
In an earlier post, Wali Khan made it clear that he supports “every effort” to free the Pashtuns from the “scourge of terrorism”, while questioning whether Islamabad would assure Pakistanis that it would not change its position on the Taliban in the near future and go back to calling them the “good ones.”
“Yesterday, we were against all kinds of Taliban and Talibanization, and we still are today. It is their position that has changed—they who, until yesterday, considered them ‘good’ Taliban. Tell the nation openly and assure them that this new policy is permanent and that today’s ‘bad’ Taliban will not become ‘good’ again tomorrow,” Wali Khan said in a statement on 28 February.
When the Taliban returned to power in August 2021, the Pakistani establishment celebrated it. Then-Prime Minister Imran Khan — who himself is in a Pakistani jail following a souring of ties with the military — labelled the Taliban’s return as Afghans “breaking the shackles of slavery.” The current cross-border back and forth and retaliation by both sides is a deep reversal from the “everything will be okay” positivity as said by the former chief of Pakistan’s powerful Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI), Lt Gen Faiz Hameed, in September 2021.
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‘People want peace’
Wali Khan on 27 February criticised Islamabad for attempting to convert Afghanistan into the country’s fifth province, pointing out that his party, the ANP, faced retaliation from the Pakistani establishment for the consistent questioning of their ties with the Taliban.
“When the Taliban were coming, some were interpreting it as breaking the chains of slavery, while others were raising cries of ‘Allahu Akbar’ by calling them an ‘intelligent creation.’ Even at that time, I was saying that America hasn’t left—it has simply handed over power to someone else. But in response, you unleashed your favorites on us,” said Wali Khan on X.
He added: “The people on both sides want peace. Do not unnecessarily ignite the war. Peace alone is the guarantor of Pakistan’s security and prosperity. We have seen far too many corpses; for God’s sake, do not let this global war spread further on our land.”
Pakistanis are increasingly tired of the wars being fought by its military, and are willing to show it on social media platforms. In December 2024, Islamabad launched cross-border airstrikes, killing a number of civilians. Months later, the Taliban regime sent a number of senior leaders to India, including the acting foreign minister Mawlawi Amir Khan Muttaqi in October 2025.
Pakistan is dealing with a surge in violence, particularly in the province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. Islamabad’s heavy-handed tactics have not seen the Taliban move to condemn the Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and its activities, but rather blame the Pakistani government for failing to deal with their own domestic security issues.
(Edited by Aamaan Alam Khan)