Archive for August 16th, 2026

From Insurgency To Infrastructure: The Political Economy Of The Taliban’s Governance Strategy And The Quest For Economic Self-Reliance (2021–2025) – Analysis

Key TakeawaysDespite international non-recognition, frozen assets and aid suspension, the Taliban administration has made infrastructure the central pillar of its governance strategy, achieving measurable progress on projects such as the Qosh Tepa Canal (80% of Phase 2 complete), TAPI pipeline segments, CASA-1000, road maintenance and regional connectivity while generating performance legitimacy through visible deliverables.Financing relies on a domestic “autarky” model […]

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Onslaught of Terrorism Tests Pakistan’s Capacity in Western Provinces

Pakistan has been experiencing one of its deadliest years since 2013 for terrorism-related deaths, with the month of July alone accounting for over 600 deaths. The attacks primarily stem from the Tehrik-e-Taliban (TTP) and the ethnonationalist militant group, the Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA), both organizations with differing goals but overlapping areas of operation. The Pakistani military has blamed the increase […]

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Fighting in Badakhshan enters fourth day as Tajikistan protests border spillover

Fighting between Taliban forces and Juma Khan Fateh, a former Taliban official and their commander, entered a fourth consecutive day in Badakhshan’s Nusay district, local sources told Amu on Friday, as neighboring Tajikistan protested what it said was a deadly spillover of the clashes across its border. Local sources said the fighting continued intermittently in Nusay. Fateh, a former Taliban […]

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Pakistan’s Next Change Of Government? Why Shehbaz Sharif May Be On Borrowed Time – Analysis

Key TakeawaysPakistan’s Shehbaz Sharif government, installed through military-influenced 2024 elections, is showing clear signs of drift amid economic stagnation, political unpopularity, deteriorating security, and inability to address major challenges, despite full military backing that has reduced parliament, the judiciary, and bureaucracy to rubber stamps.Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi’s admission that the “system has collapsed,” coupled with military endorsement and speculation about […]

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