The anatomy of a Taliban ceasefire
After months of regional stalemate, two events in June offer a potential roadmap for achieving a working peace. The first was the Taliban’s decision to accept Afghan President Ghani’s offer…
Let’s not point fingers
The recent visit of US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has once again triggered a debate over Pakistan’s Afghan policy, something that has been debated in the past as well.…
Ghani’s olive branch
As Afghanistan continues to be wracked by violence, with high-security zones in Kabul hit several times in the last few weeks by the Taliban, President Ashraf Ghani surprised everyone by…
The Afghan imbroglio
As the major stakeholders of the conflict in Afghanistan trade allegations against each other, the hapless country continues to bleed. Whether it is the ruthless attacks of the Afghan Taliban,…
Preparing for Ghani’s visit
The recent visit of COAS Qamar Bajwa to Kabul seems to have produced newfound energy and enthusiasm between Afghanistan and Pakistan. This was inevitable. Afghanistan has no choice but to…
Trump and the Afghan conundrum
An incisive look at world history proves, beyond any iota of doubt, that powerful nations were responsible for wars and human-triggered tragedies that consumed millions of lives. These nations invariably…
Pakistan and the Mattis surge
Last week, whilst Pakistanis watched their prime minister try to explain his wealth to an investigative commission, the US made a major decision with dramatic policy implications for Pakistan. President…
Method to this madness
It is amazing when the dots connect. In a recent discussion with an American friend, a specialist on geopolitics and American policy, we investigated how Afghanistan might fare given all…
Terror revisits Kabul
The brutal killing of over 80 people and the maiming of more than 400 others in Kabul suicide attack last week has left many of us emotionally devastated. But the…
Improving Pak-Afghan relations
When Dr Ashraf Ghani took over as president of Afghanistan he was perceived as the man to do business with since, unlike all others on the political scene, his hands…
