Taliban’s broken promises
Since October, Pakistan and the Afghan Taliban have engaged in three rounds of talks aimed at ending the escalating tensions between the two neighbours. The first two meetings, held in…
Back to the past?
The flurry of diplomatic, military and political activities witnessed across the globe in recent weeks suggests that humanity may once again be descending into a Hobbesian world – one where…
The Afghanistan challenge
Contrary to Pakistan’s hopes that Taliban 2.0 would prove to be a friendly government, they have turned out to be very unfriendly, indeed hostile. Pakistan-Afghanistan relations have shown marked deterioration…
Too many battlefronts
IT has been some years since Anatol Lieven called Pakistan a ‘hard country’, a phrase which didn’t really get much traction. It just didn’t carry enough negative connotations; the rest of the…
Extremism: the unfinished war
ALTHOUGH the Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan and Tehreek-i-Labbaik Pakistan represent two contrasting shades of religiously inspired violent extremism in Pakistan, they share at least one characteristic: both soft and coercive measures have failed to work against…
An ideological shift?
THE recent suppression of the ultra-radical Tehreek-i-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP) by state institutions has raised a series of intriguing questions. What compelled the state to act so decisively against a group once seen…
A line of contention
WHILE the ceasefire agreement might have brought down hostilities and the borders reopened after the weeklong fierce fighting between Pakistan and Afghanistan, the situation remains extremely volatile. The Afghan Taliban leaders continue…
Afghanistan’s turn
For over four decades, Pakistan and Afghanistan have shared a troubled border marked by conflict, displacement and unfulfilled promises. In recent months, this fragile frontier has once again become tense.…
When patience runs out
SINCE the Afghan Taliban’s accession to power, Pakistan’s approach to Afghanistan has largely been one of patience, quiet diplomacy and cautious optimism, sometimes interrupted by defensive military counter strikes. The…
Another Doha pact
THERE is little optimism or even enthusiasm surrounding the post-ceasefire talks between Afghanistan and Pakistan taking place in Doha. Yet, it would be unwise to dismiss them outright. If one…
