Michael Hughes: Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s government is likely to push Islamabad toward a more Western-friendly posture, including alignment with U.S. counter-terrorism efforts in the region and within Afghanistan. In addition, Pakistan’s new regime, with Washington’s help, hopes to improve Islamabad’s ties with New Delhi. However, it is impossible to predict if and to
Mohammad Naser Sidiqee via Fair Observer: Driven by ethno-nationalism, the Taliban are persecuting Tajiks who often find themselves at the sharp end of a knife or the barrel of a gun. Videos and reports of savagely violent killings, particularly of Tajiks have come to the fore. The Taliban has been engaging in indiscriminate killing in
8am: In a statement issued on the closure of schools for girls by Amnesty International with reference to Sharia, “It is not Sharia that forbids the education for girls, but it is the old fashion trick being played by Pashtun elites to gain political and negotiation power on the tables.” They are trying to take
The Hill: Our country incurred profound costs in the evacuation from Kabul that occurred just seven months ago. But, if the lack of any direct mention in President Biden’s State of the Union address is any indication, we seem to have entirely moved on — even before our mission was completed. After so many have
Michael Hughes: The U.S. approach to the conflict in Ukraine is starting to take on the contours of the operation the CIA launched more than forty years ago in Afghanistan, from the types of weapons being delivered to the extremist elements on the receiving end and of course the overriding objective – that being, countering
Mohsin Amin via Al Jazeera: Many have been puzzled by the policy choices of the Biden administration vis-à-vis Afghanistan since the United States’ disastrous withdrawal from the country last August. It is not clear whether these choices are aimed at appeasing domestic audiences or collectively punishing a people for the unsuccessful ending of a long
Michael Hughes: The U.S. government has violated several commitments outlined in the Doha accords including promises to cooperate with the Taliban on reconstruction efforts, Acting Afghan Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi said in an interview. The comments come as donor states struggle with a no-win situation in facing current distribution requirements in Afghanistan, which include:
The Hill: The United States and other democracies should not fall for the Taliban’s ruses. The Taliban’s conduct as Afghanistan’s rulers so far has not earned it the right to international legitimacy or recognition. Unfreezing Afghanistan’s assets or routing aid through the Taliban will only end up funding a rogue regime and its terrorist allies.
Raza Khan via Al Jazeera: In recent months, however, signs have emerged of cracks in the otherwise amicable relations between the two. Disagreements over the demarcation of the Afghanistan-Pakistan border and Afghan Taliban support for the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) have caused tensions. If no resolution is reached on these issues, this could cause a rift
Al Jazeera: A week after Taliban and senior US and European officials held talks in the Norwegian capital, Oslo, the main outcome appears to be promises of an increase in humanitarian aid, contingent on demands related to human rights, with some analysts saying the talks imply a “de facto” recognition of the Taliban’s government. Click