Amu: Pakistan’s military and intelligence establishment has long been accused of using proxy jihadist groups as tools of its foreign policy. From Kashmir to Afghanistan, Pakistani-backed terrorist groups have waged war in pursuit of Islamabad’s strategic goals. From the first Kashmir war, soon after independence, to the Taliban’s return in Kabul, the Pakistan behaviour has
Afghanistan International: President Donald Trump indicated he intends to make further remarks about Bagram airbase but gave no timetable for when he might do so. At the White House on Thursday, Trump referred to his administration’s rebuilding of the US military and the equipment left behind in Afghanistan following the 2021 withdrawal. He again criticised
Amu: Taliban supreme leader Hibatullah Akhundzada has summoned members of his cabinet to Kandahar for consultations on the future of Bagram air base following repeated calls by U.S. President Donald Trump to reclaim the facility, multiple sources told Amu. The sources said the cabinet meeting is expected in the coming days and invitations have already
Ariana: Zamir Kabulov, the Russian Presidential Special Representative for Afghanistan, told RIA Novosti that the United States is unlikely to launch an attack on Afghanistan, warning that the consequences for Washington would be “disastrous.” His remarks came after US President Donald Trump threatened Afghanistan with “bad things” if it refused to hand over Bagram Air
By RFE/RL September 21, 2025 US President Donald Trump threatened Afghanistan with unspecified “bad things” if it doesn’t turn Bagram Airfield back to the United States, an action previously rejected by the country’s Taliban rulers. Afghan Taliban officials pushed back, saying a deal was “not possible,” and called on the United States to abide by prior
Tolo News: The Wall Street Journal, citing unnamed sources, reported that Trump’s unexpected announcement that he seeks to reclaim the Bagram base may be part of a broader diplomatic effort to normalize relations with the Islamic Emirate. The newspaper also wrote that these talks, led by Adam Boehler, the U.S.’s special envoy for hostage affairs,
8am: Zalmay Khalilzad, former U.S. Special Envoy for Afghan Peace, has recently lashed out at Gulbuddin Hekmatyar, the leader of Hezb-e-Islami Afghanistan, calling him the “Butcher of Kabul” in a post shared in Persian, Pashto, and English on X. Hekmatyar, for his part, had previously described Khalilzad as the “invisible president of Afghanistan.” Khalilzad’s latest
By RFE/RL’s Radio Azadi September 19, 2025 President Donald Trump said the United States is attempting to get Bagram Airfield back from Afghanistan’s Taliban rulers, citing the extremist group’s need for US help and the facility’s proximity to China’s nuclear assets. “We’re trying to get it back, by the way, that could be a little breaking
Afghanistan International: Taliban leader Hibatullah Akhundzada is reportedly angry with Deputy Prime Minister Abdul Ghani Baradar for meeting a US delegation without his approval and without the presence of his trusted aides, sources told Afghanistan International. The sources said Akhundzada insists that his loyal representatives must attend all meetings between Taliban officials and foreign envoys.
Afghanistan International: Mohammad Naseem Haqqani, head of the Taliban-appointed Sheikh Zayed University in Khost, has declared that waging jihad against Pakistan is an individual obligation. The cleric labelled the Pakistani government as “puppets” and its laws as influenced by “Jews and Christians.” Haqqani’s comments follow sharp criticism from Hafiz Muhammad Tahir Mahmood Ashrafi, head of