Former US special envoy for Afghanistan Zalmay Khalilzad said late Tuesday that both Afghanistan and Pakistan need to focus on reaching an agreement that neither side’s soil will be used to threaten the other. He stated there has been fighting for more than a week now between border forces at Torkham. “People are dying, and others are becoming refugees. Traders […]

Afghanistan’s neighborhood is in the midst of a consequential restructuring of its security architecture. Perhaps unsurprisingly, key regional actors Pakistan, Afghanistan, Iran, and China have been continuing to adjust their defense plans and security partnerships to meet the growing threats posed by domestic and cross-border terrorism. But at the same time, these four countries have also been looking for new […]

More than 100 Afghans from different ethnic and minority groups recently gathered in Vienna, Austria, for the fifth meeting of the Vienna Process for a Democratic Afghanistan. Over the past two years, the Vienna Process has emerged as the primary forum for anti-Taliban resistance movements to coordinate, strategize, and chart a common path forward. While the international community has struggled […]

Republican Senator Tim Sheehy said on Monday night that he is leading efforts to push the No Taxpayer Funding for Terrorists Act in the US Senate, which will prevent American financial aid from reaching Afghanistan. In a post on X, the Montana senator, who is a former Navy Seal, said: “After fighting terrorists for years in Iraq and Afghanistan, I’m […]

Gulbuddin Hekmatyar, a former jihadi leader, has expressed concern about the current situation in the country, saying Afghanistan faces “threats and gaps”. Speaking at an event on his book about Islamic economics, Hekmatyar said that to overcome the existing problem, a legitimate government should be established and a constitution should be drafted as a national charter. “We are facing significant […]

The Taliban has for years presented a united front to the outside world and kept a tight lid on dissent within its ranks. But unprecedented displays of discord have laid bare the rifts in the secretive militant group and exposed an intensifying power struggle. The internal divisions could spill over into violence, experts warn, and trigger a new civil war […]

Russia’s grand geo-economic plans in this part of Eurasia are dependent on the resolution of these tensions, while China’s will continue being advanced regardless of whatever happens with them. Russian Ambassador to Pakistan Albert Khorev told TASS over the weekend that his country supports Pakistan and Afghanistan’s respective counter-terrorism efforts. He then added that it encourages both of them to […]

Pakistan reported Thursday that one soldier and 12 insurgents were killed in intense predawn clashes in a volatile northwestern district bordering Afghanistan. A military statement said the deadly shootout in North Waziristan occurred after security forces conducted an “intelligence-based” raid against a “khawarij” hideout, a term officially used to describe militants affiliated with the banned Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan, or TTP. Insurgent […]

According to a report published by Tolo News, Suhail Shaheen, the ambassador of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (IEA, i.e., the Afghan Taliban) in Doha, has praised Qatar’s “significant role” in expanding the Taliban’s relations with different countries. “The Islamic Emirate’s Embassy in Qatar is active, and the interim government of Afghanistan has been able to establish connections with various […]

Since the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (the Taliban jihadi organization) took control of Afghanistan in August 2021, India, which did not support the Taliban against the U.S. and NATO, has been seeking ways to engage with the Taliban and gain influence in Afghanistan, where its rivals China and Pakistan already have an advantage. Over the course of 2024, Indian diplomats […]