Tough negotiations
It has been an interesting two weeks for the Afghan reconciliation process. First, Pakistan stuck its neck out to publicly accept that it has potent levers to pressure the Afghan…
Sponsoring peace and reconciliation
Two weeks ago, when Saudi Arabia cut off diplomatic relations with Iran, I used this space to appeal for Pakistan to play a proactive leadership role in helping these two…
The Raheel doctrine
The Raheel Doctrine is behind a paradigm shift: Pakistan, the US and China are now partnering over Afghanistan. The other paradigm shift is: India, Russia and Iran are being tossed…
Spooky statecraft
Amidst all the grief in the aftermath of the horrific attack at the Army Public School in Peshawar, there has been one question on everybody’s lips: When is Fazlullah going…
The proxy war in Afghanistan
In a speech to a think-tank in India last Wednesday, former Afghan president Karzai angrily dismissed fears that his country would become the battleground in a proxy war between Pakistan…
Afghan refugees
Coverage of the recent report by the UN High Commissioner for Refugees was commendable in most international media outlets, although some western newspapers did not give Pakistan the prominence it…
Insult and injury
The story goes that President Barack Obama left Washington on Air Force One last Thursday morning for a visit to every country that genuinely respects America. He returned to the…
The first of many steps
Over the last year or so, leading up to the Afghan presidential elections, much and more has been written about what’s possibly in store for the country in 2014. After…
After the elections
Afghanistan will be entering a new phase today when elections are held to find a replacement for President Karzai who cannot contest for a third term in office as per…
No Policy Clarity
AT present, the pervasive characteristic of Pakistan’s security policies — regarding the TTP, Afghanistan and India — is reactive incoherence. TTP: Despite the TTP’s escalated violence, the government has persisted in…
