Preparing for President Biden
“Pakistan is fifty times more important to the United States, than Afghanistan”, Joe Biden to former Afghan president Hamid Karzai, January 2009. How can Pakistan best prepare for a Biden…
Withdrawal before Christmas
Whenever the peace talks to end the decades-old war in Afghanistan appear close to fruition, a terrorist act takes place to shatter any hope for a reliable ceasefire. Kabul University…
The corona fallout
The Covid-19 pandemic has changed the world. There is not a single country or area of life left which has not been affected by this epidemic in one way or…
Cracks in the deal
While commenting on the news regarding a prospective peace deal between the US and Taliban, I had on February 26 termed the development a positive outcome of the protracted dialogue…
Evading a new refugee crisis
UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres is attending a conference this week in Islamabad to mark four decades of Pakistan’s role as a host nation for refugees. Despite constant domestic turmoil,…
9/11: reality of ‘war on terror’
"The United States has confirmed it is asking Pakistan for help in facilitating the Afghan government's direct peace talks with the Taliban insurgency"- Secretary of State Mike Pompeo Had there…
Pakistan’s 40 golden years of hosting Afghan refugees
The world today is at crossroads of its history as humanity faces gigantic challenges. The biggest challenge for the world is unresolved conflicts and human displacement due to these wars.…
The FATF tribulations
The sword of FATF, it seems, will continue to hang over our heads until after February next year when we would know our fate: whether we continue to remain in…
Back on track?
US President Donald Trump, on a surprise Thanksgiving trip to Afghanistan on November 28, announced that the stalled talks with the Afghan Taliban are back on track. Speaking to the…
Months after abrupt halt, Trump gives blessing for Taliban deal
Nearly three months after he abruptly ended talks with the Taliban, President Donald Trump has given his blessing to fresh diplomacy, but major obstacles stand in the way of a…
