How Pakistan and the Afghan Taliban Stack up as Border Clashes Escalate

Dozens have been killed in the deadliest Pakistan–Afghanistan flare-up since 2021, even as a 48-hour ceasefire took effect on Wednesday at 13:00 GMT.

Forces & personnel: Pakistan fields about 660K active troops (Army 560K; Air Force 70K; Navy 30K). The Afghan Taliban’s forces number roughly 172K, with plans to expand to 200K.

Equipment: Pakistan has 6,000+ armoured fighting vehicles and 4,600+ artillery pieces, and is modernising with Chinese support. The Taliban hold a mix of Soviet-era tanks, APCs and artillery, but exact inventories are unclear and capability has eroded due to maintenance and parts constraints.

Air power: Pakistan operates ~465 combat aircraft and 260+ helicopters (multirole, attack, transport). Afghanistan has no fighter jets, at least six fixed-wing aircraft from earlier eras, and about 23 helicopters, with uncertain airworthiness.

Nuclear status: Pakistan is nuclear-armed with an estimated 170 warheads. Afghanistan has no nuclear arsenal.

Analysts say Pakistan retains a decisive conventional and strategic edge, while the Taliban rely on ground forces and asymmetric tactics amid limited modernization and international isolation.