They also receive modern plastique explosives and shaped charges, and relitively sophisticated IED's. Thei RPG warheads are iranian manaufacture, etc etc etc.
forgot about Iran, you reminded of the time when America sent Pakistan some stingers to use against soviet gunships, the real taliban stole around a dozen or so and took them to Iran who promptly opened them up and created exact working copies, same thing Afghans and pathans of lawless areas were doing with half burnt vehicles by scavenging parts from many, they don't just make pistols and rifles but also light artillery pieces.
I've been out of Pakistan for more than 3 years now so cant exactly say what the bandits can or can not still make (then they were masters of replicating anything they could lay their hands on)
I don't know much about plastic explosives but would not put it past Iran or anyone else selling it to them. it is in Iran's interests to cause as much trouble for Pakistan as it possibly can. selling and buying and profit are the key words.
What are you saying then? The taliban dont exist
yes! Taliban were students (whose parent could not afford to keep them) in Pakistani madrasahs. they were originally like budhist monks in the sense that they were studying/praying then going out begging charity.
Then when Soviets took over, America did not like that, Pakistan did not care for it much either but could not afford to fight openly, america was not too keen on it either.
so the students were indoctrinated, were taught to hate soviets by teachers who were quickly trained by Saudis, madrasahs were given American money via Saudis, instead of going out begging they were taught to fire small arms.
They were sent to Afghanistan to make a lot of noise to distract Russians while Pakistani commandos and CIA got on with the real tasks like killing Soviets. and all the credit was duly given to students who were made to believe that they were actually being helped by supernatural forces
then soviets left, union broke up, taliban were invited to Washington to negotiate access rights for America to carry gas/ oil from former soviet countries. students' leaders wanted better terms believing that they were invincible and the rest is history