There has been a noticeable rift between the Tekhrek e Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and the Islamic Emirate Afghanistan (IEA) for quite some time, and the causes are not political but ideological. The IEA has fought against external interference, whereas the TTP, influenced by al-Qaeda, adheres to Takfiri ideology and pursues expansionist objectives. This fundamental ideological difference has resulted in the […]

The Taliban’s “successful” offensive against the Islamic State branch in Afghanistan, IS-Khorasan, has “significantly degraded” its capability and steadily decreased large-scale attacks against civilians, according to a senior US envoy. Tom West, the U.S. special representative for Afghanistan, shared the assessment during a Tuesday seminar at the nonpartisan Stimson Center think tank in Washington. “They have a very aggressive violent […]

As the competition between India and China for influence in South Asia intensifies, foreign investment becomes more important in shaping regional outcomes. This discussion is particularly relevant as China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) continues to expand, reaching the borders of almost every South Asian country. India will need to leverage foreign aid and investments to achieve its goal of […]

The visit of Russia’s Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov to Bangladesh has considerable significance as it represents the increasing prominence of Bangladesh on the global stage and the strengthening of bilateral ties between Bangladesh and Russia. Lavrov’s visit coincides with a period characterized by significant geopolitical transformations and complexities, including the war in Ukraine, the assertiveness of China, the climate emergency, […]

Since the implementation of the National Action Plan on Preventing and Countering Violent Extremism (NAP/PCVE) in 2019 and the subsequent passage of the Anti-Terrorism Act (ATA) in 2020, threats of terrorism and violent extremism in the Philippines have declined significantly, particularly in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic. The Global Terrorism Index (GTI) released by the Institute for Economics and […]

Iran’s Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian met with Pakistan’s Special Representative for Afghanistan Asif Ali Khan Durrani on Wednesday in Tehran to discuss the situation in Afghanistan. Amir-Abdollahian stated at the meeting that Iran and Pakistan play an influential role in the developments of the region and Afghanistan and expressed hope that the continuation of consultations will contribute to greater peace […]

Moscow format member countries have confirmed they will attend the next meeting on Afghanistan, which is scheduled to take place on September 29 in Kazan, Russia’s Deputy Foreign Minister Andrei Rudenko confirmed. “Basically, all participants in the Moscow format confirmed their desire to be there and discuss the problems of Afghanistan. We hope that representatives of the current Afghan authorities […]

The Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan’s Prime Minister, Mullah Mohammad Hassan Akhund, accepted the credentials of Zhao Xing. In a ceremony held at ARG, in which Amir Khan Muttaqi, Acting Minister of Foreign Affairs was also present, the Prime Minister welcomed the new Chinese ambassador. Bilal Karimi, Deputy Spokesman of the Islamic Emirate, said Zhao said that China, as a good […]

Pakistan on Monday defended its decision to close the main border crossing with landlocked Afghanistan, saying Taliban authorities were trying to build “unlawful structures” on its territory and “resorted to indiscriminate firing” when challenged. Traffic through the busy historic Torkham transit point for trade and travelers was suspended last Wednesday after border security forces exchanged fire, killing a Taliban guard […]

A roadside bombing targeted Pakistani security forces Monday in the northwestern city of Peshawar, killing a security officer and wounding nine people, including three civilians, police said. The Pakistani Taliban later claimed responsibility for the attack. The improvised explosive device went off near a van belonging to the Frontier Corps as it was driving along the key Warsak Road in […]