1,227 words, 6 minutes read time.
On Sunday, the February 22, 2026, Pakistan launched an aerial assault on the border provinces of Afghanistan. This attack constitutes a blatant act of aggression on Afghanistan soil and is deserving of strong condemnation. We denounce this criminal operation. Pakistan claims to have targeted seven camps affiliated with Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP). However, the reality is that a number of civilian and innocent people were also killed in this attack. The Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan did not respond forcefully and only stated that it would retaliate against the assault.
On Thursday, February 2, 2026, the Taliban launched attacks from several areas into Pakistan, which continue to this day. The Taliban claim to have captured 20 security posts inside Pakistani territory.
It must be emphasized that this war has no connection to the interests of the toiling masses of Afghanistan and Pakistan; rather, it is a war between two reactionary states. Neither of these states represents the true interests of the peoples of Afghanistan and Pakistan. Only the toiling masses of Afghanistan and Pakistan are the victims of this reactionary war.
Without a doubt, the treacherous attacks by the Pakistani state could not have occurred without consultation with U.S. imperialism and Pakistan’s principal supporter, the British government. The airspace of Afghanistan is entirely under U.S. imperialist control, and Pakistani aircraft could never enter Afghan airspace without U.S. permission. In this war, U.S. imperialism pursues only its own interests and strives to implement its objectives.
The war between the Taliban and Pakistan has erupted at a time when imperialist contradictions around the world are intensifying. It is clear to all that the imperialists are competing for the redivision of markets and spheres of influence. The working class and oppressed masses suffer greatly under this fierce rivalry, and their exploitation has intensified.
The working class and oppressed masses across the world resist capitalist–imperialist domination. These struggles require renewed revolutionary organization.
In order to crush the resistance of the toiling masses, the imperialists have fostered and strengthened chauvinism, nationalism, and fundamentalism—and they will continue to reinforce these reactionary forces even further.
Under current conditions, not only are Afghanistan and Pakistan burning in the flames of reactionary war, but the Middle East—and particularly the people of Palestine—is also engulfed in this fire. U.S. imperialism and the reactionary Zionist state of Israel have today jointly resumed their aggressions against Iran. We also condemn this act of aggression. Just as the war between Afghanistan and Pakistan has no connection to the interests of the toiling masses of Afghanistan, so too the joint attack by U.S. imperialism and the reactionary Zionist state of Israel against the clerical regime of Iran bears no relation to the interests of the oppressed masses of Iran, the United States, or Israel.
The oppressed masses of Russia and Ukraine have been burning for four years in the unjust and reactionary war between the Russian and Ukrainian states, leaving tens of thousands of dead and wounded. Yet the oppressed masses of the world continue to resist these crimes. Similar conditions can be observed from the Caucasus and the Balkans to Africa.
Looking at the history of Pakistan, it becomes clear that it was the first country in the world to be established under the banner of Islam. Since its founding, Pakistan has developed and consolidated itself through Islamic fundamentalism. Were this identity to be removed, Pakistan would collapse and fragment into several separate states. What Pakistan has sown over the decades, it must now reap. In the region, the principal nest of terrorism has been Pakistan. The intensification of contradictions in Kashmir between Pakistan and India has also been fueled by this very fundamentalism. Since 1357 (Solar Hijri, 1978–79), Pakistan has served as a base for imperialism in the region, and it is precisely this role that has kept it favored in the eyes of U.S. imperialism and its partners. In fact, former U.S. President Donald Trump, in his statements regarding the war between these two reactionary states, sided with Islamabad, declaring in a recent statement: “I could have intervened to stop the war, but I get along very well with Pakistan; very, very well. We have an outstanding Prime Minister.”
The reactionary state of Pakistan belongs to the ruling class of that country, which regards its geostrategic position, foreign aid, and arms trade as strategic interests. From the perspective of global capitalism, wars expand markets for weapons, increase profits in the military-industrial sector, and serve as tools of political pressure for economic agreements. It is for this reason that the United States has carefully calculated its interests in this war and has defined its position, saying, “…we have an outstanding Prime Minister.”
Since 1357 1978–79, Pakistan has directly intervened in Afghanistan, particularly during the first period of Taliban rule, when it played a prominent role in the training and guidance of the Taliban in state governance.
In the current reactionary war between the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan and the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, the Taliban possess significant maneuvering power within Pakistani territory, because Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) maintains influence inside Pakistan. This war has created favorable conditions for the (TTP) to further expand its attacks. If this war is prolonged, there is a possibility that the Taliban may declare jihad against Pakistan. In such a scenario, a number of religious seminaries in Pakistan would align themselves with the Pakistani Taliban, leaving Pakistan with no choice but to confront the very forces it has invested in for decades. Should Pakistan take such action, its existence could face the threat of fragmentation.
The foremost task of the Maoist forces worldwide is to expose the true nature of the current war and to reveal the treacherous character of both the Islamic Republic of Pakistan and the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan, which seek to conceal their reactionary aims under the guise of “patriotism.”
The analysis of the Communist (Maoist) Party of Afghanistan under the present conditions is grounded in the basis of class struggle within Afghanistan. On this foundation, the Maoist movement and all revolutionary national–democratic forces—particularly the women of the country—are struggling against the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan to overthrow this regime. We must focus our attention above all on the development and advancement of this movement and strive to prepare for the initiation and conduct of People’s War, as well as for the establishment of a New Democratic Republic under the leadership of the working class.
In its statement of October 12, 2025, regarding the “Pakistani Airstrikes on Afghanistan,” the Communist (Maoist) Party of Afghanistan emphasized the following:
“Communist (Maoist) Party of Afghanistan has repeatedly emphasized—and now once again underscores—that in order to advance this crucial task and launch the People’s War, we require a unified international command headquarters. It is hoped that the struggle to convene an International Conference of Parties and Organizations, for the purpose of adopting a new declaration and organizational statutes, will be initiated as soon as possible. We are fully aware that carrying out this important task constitutes an urgent necessity for the struggles of Maoists worldwide.”
Down with reactionary wars!
Down with the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan!
Down with the Islamic Republic of Pakistan!
Forward on the road toward an International Conference of Maoist Parties and Organizations of the world!
Communist (Maoist) Party of Afghanistan
February 28, 2026
