A study funded by the U.S. Defense Department has found that some individuals in Pakistan's intelligence service and the Frontier Corps, a Pakistani paramilitary force deployed along the Afghan border, have provided direct assistance to Taliban militants.
The study by the RAND Corp. has warned that the U.S. and its NATO allies will face "crippling, long-term consequences" in their efforts to stabilize Afghanistan if Taliban sanctuaries in neighboring Pakistan are not eliminated.
The report that was published Monday reveals surprising information regarding the unholy ties between the government agents and the militants.
The study, titled "Counterinsurgency in Afghanistan," said NATO officials have exposed several instances of Pakistani intelligence agents providing information to Taliban fighters, including "tipping off Taliban forces about the location and movement of Afghan and coalition forces."
This has undermined several U.S. and NATO anti-Taliban military operations, the report said.
The Taliban and other insurgents received ample help from Pakistan's intelligence service and other government agencies, including training at camps in Pakistan, intelligence, financial assistance and assistance in crossing the border.
Seth Jones, the report's author, warned that it would be a "difficult diplomatic feat" to persuade Pakistani government to "destabilize the sanctuary on its soil."
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May 01, 2026 15:54 ET Central banks dominated the economics news flow this week with almost all major ones announcing their latest policy decisions and many boosted expectations for a rate hike in June. In other news, several countries released the preliminary data for first quarter economic growth. In the U.S., comments by Fed Chair Jerome Powell were also in focus as his term ends this month.