Trump’s Pakistan Tilt Explained: Taliban Hostility and Geopolitics

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Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Army Chief Asim Munir found rare praise from Donald Trump, with Islamabad emerging as a potential pivot for US strategy after the Taliban shut out American influence in Afghanistan.

By TRH News Desk

NEW DELHI, September 27, 2025 — When US President Donald Trump showered praise on Pakistan’s leadership during their meeting, it raised questions: why this sudden affection for Islamabad? In his analysis, Manish Anand, senior geostrategic analyst and Editor of The Raisina Hills, notes that Sharif even credited Trump at the UNGA for preventing war between India and Pakistan.

The answer lies in geopolitics. With Taliban-ruled Afghanistan now hostile to Pakistan, cross-border clashes have left Islamabad without its old “strategic depth.” Taliban support for TTP and Baloch insurgents has further weakened Pakistan’s hand. For the US, meanwhile, Israel’s vulnerability to Iran has revived its need for regional launchpads. Trump sees Pakistan’s airbases as the only viable option for renewed American presence in South and Central Asia.

Munir, keen to regain lost leverage in Afghanistan, is encouraging US re-entry—something India views with caution, given its own outreach to the Taliban and food aid diplomacy. The debate in Washington is far from settled, but Pakistan’s geostrategic utility ensures Trump’s “Pakistan tilt” is no passing remark.

Anand argues that Pakistan fears the Taliban in Kabul amid festering border conflicts. Pakistan-Afghanistan border conflicts are escalating as the Taliban refuse to recognise the Durand Line. Additionally, Pakistan also seeks to regain control over the illicit narcotics trade originating from Afghanistan.

With the Taliban at the helm, Pakistan has lost the global leverage the Islamic nation enjoyed due to influence in Kabul. Now, the Taliban refuse to take instructions from Islamabad. The Taliban-led Afghanistan now also gaining acceptance. China has already recognised the Taliban regime. India has established contacts with the Taliban. Russia is close to give recognition to the regime. The Taliban now hope to have an independent heft to work relations with the eastern powers to build an offensive against Pakistan.

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