When Australia, the United Kingdom and the United States formed the AUKUS on 15 September 2021, many countries in the world have raised serious concerns that this trilateral arrangement can further heighten existing security tensions in the Indo-Pacific because of AUKUS’ expressed intention to assertively counter China’s growing political power in the region. Like the QUAD or the Quadrilateral Agreement […]

On October 20, 2021, two soldiers and two Police officers were killed when their vehicle was blown up by a roadside bomb near the Pakistan-Afghanistan border, in the Bajaur District of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP). The Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) claimed responsibility for the attack. On September 30, 2021, two persons, including a Pakistan Army Captain and a TTP ‘commander’ Khawaza Din […]

On October 20, 2021, pro-Islamic State (ISIS) media outlets disparaged the Taliban for collaborating with the so-called enemies of Islam, including Russia and Iran, to advance its interests at the expense of Muslims and for Sufis to practice their rituals, which are considered polytheistic by Sufis. The content coincided with Russia-hosted talks on Afghanistan involving senior representatives of the Taliban. […]

Despite their lightning victory in August, many Taliban are expressing disappointment, and disillusion, with what their sacrifice has bought. To be sure, there is peace today and relative security, a balm to all Afghans after 40 years of war. And Taliban leaders, fighters, and many Afghans welcome restoration of the self-declared Islamic Emirate. But the Taliban are fast finding that […]

Despite their lightning victory in August, many Taliban are expressing disappointment, and disillusion, with what their sacrifice has bought. To be sure, there is peace today and relative security, a balm to all Afghans after 40 years of war. And Taliban leaders, fighters, and many Afghans welcome restoration of the self-declared Islamic Emirate. But the Taliban are fast finding that […]

Afghanistan’s Taliban-led government on Monday announced it is to form new armed forces for the country including soldiers from the previous regime’s military. The former Afghan military and Western-backed government collapsed on Aug. 15 when President Ashraf Ghani fled Afghanistan as the Taliban took control in a lightning offensive while the US and its allies were withdrawing troops after 20 […]

Afghanistan’s Peaceful Transition Foundation (APTF) head Dr. FarooqAzam has said the previous government was not honest in its reconciliation process and that led to its collapse, adding that building a new system would take time. He added with the departure of former President Ashraf Ghani, fighting has ended and now qualified people should be appointed on key posts. He lambasted […]

The former US special representative for Afghanistan reconciliation has blamed then president Ashraf Ghani for refusing to share power with the Taliban. In an interview with CBS on Sunday, Khalilzad said: “They (the Ghani government) preferred the status quo to a political settlement.” He claimed when the Ghani administration realised that the US was leaving, it miscalculated the effects of […]

Chinese Foreign Minister and State Councillor Wang Yi will meet a delegation of the interim Afghan Taliban government during his visit to Qatar on Oct. 25-26, Chinese foreign ministry said on Monday. The two sides will exchange views on the situation in Afghanistan and topics of “common concern”, said foreign ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin, speaking at a regular news briefing […]

A surge in violence in Indian Kashmir in recent weeks, including a spate of militant attacks on civilians and a widespread crackdown by security forces, has left 33 people dead in the heavily militarised region since early October. Kashmir, which is claimed in full by both India and Pakistan but ruled in parts by both countries, has been the site […]