This study looks into Pakistan's double-faced Afghanistan policy after 9/11. Whereas Pakistan supported the United States as a strategic ally in the war against international terrorism, at the same time the government appeared to be reluctant and unable to effectively engage the Afghan Taliban on Pakistani territories. By addressing the roles played by all major regional and domestic actors, the state structure, geographical realities, threat perceptions, and negotiation strategies, this work builds a convincing story explaining how Pakistan came to pursue a policy of easing the U.S., while simultaneously keeping the Taliban intact as its foreign policy instrument.