Pakistan's northwestern agency of Kurram is the closest Pakistani territory to Kabul. It is valuable property for Islamabad because it provides the Pakistani government with a territorial extension into its western neighbor, and it is valuable for Afghan militants who use Pakistani territory to seek refuge from NATO and Afghan forces fighting them in Afghanistan. However, sectarian fighting between Sunni and Shiite tribes in Kurram has turned the agency into an unstable place where local disputes have threatened Pakistani national security; the Pakistani Taliban have taken advantage of the sectarian violence to support Sunnis in exchange for safe haven there. Most recently, the Haqqanis, a pro-Taliban militant group operating in eastern Afghanistan, have taken up failed peace talks between the Sunni and Shia. If successful, this effort would help the Pakistanis keep the Pakistani Taliban in check, but it would most likely give the Haqqanis greater freedom of movement in Kurram — to the ire of NATO and Afghan forces across the border.
