Threat of Taliban ascendancy
There are many reasons why Pakistanis should be deeply concerned about the Taliban ascendancy in Afghanistan. But perhaps the two most important reasons are, in equal parts, existential and urgent.…
Pakistan’s viable Afghan policy
It is no surprise that Pakistan's two top security officials are in the US to meet with their counterparts to discuss future cooperation in Afghanistan. The current state of Pakistan-India…
US exit: security implications
AFGHANISTAN has recently witnessed a significant upsurge in security incidents. Indeed, experts have been projecting ‘increased violence’ as one of the most probable scenarios post-US troops’ withdrawal. Security strategists in…
A win-win formula
A few questions first about the current Afghan situation, in order of their importance. Is Afghan peace hostage to big power rivalry? What policy should Pakistan adopt vis-a-vis various warring…
Twenty years of war
Earlier this week, 100 Afghan families from Bamiyan, a rural province of central Afghanistan mainly populated by the Hazara ethnic minority, fled to Kabul. They feared Taliban militants would attack…
Regional concerns
It was the late 80s when the Soviet Union pulled back its troops from Afghanistan. Today, a similar situation is being witnessed as the long-stretched ‘war on terror’ comes to…
Challenging roadmap to peace
THE Biden administration has launched its first diplomatic initiative to accelerate the Afghan peace process even as it continues its review of Afghan policy. This is reflected in a leaked letter from…
Cross-border CT operations?
In his column for The Friday Times this week, titled ‘Pakistan needs a proactive Afghanistan policy’, Ejaz Haider has argued for Pakistan to “change the defensive mindset and go for…
Regional scenario
In the backdrop of the continuing US pull-out from Afghanistan, the stalled talks between the Taliban and the Afghan government and the Taliban regaining control over 81 percent of the…
Reminder for Afghan stakeholders
Afghanistan's current scenario is a rude reminder for both the Afghan government and the Taliban that the country could be dived into a bloody civil war the likes of what…
