By Farangis Najibullah Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty November 16, 2025 Afghanistan is seeking to significantly bolster trade with the oil-rich countries of Central Asia as it attempts to end its economic dependence on Pakistan, which has historically been Kabul’s biggest trading partner. But experts warn that geography, high costs, and political constraints will hinder efforts by
Amu: The provincial skew underscores what critics describe as the Taliban’s insular and exclusionary approach to governance. Cabinet roles are overwhelmingly filled by ethnic Pashtuns from the south and southeast, while much of the country — including major provinces such as Kabul, Nangarhar, Herat, and Balkh — are entirely absent from the cabinet’s makeup. Women,
Afghanistan International: Pakistan’s Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi said both the suicide attacks in South Waziristan and Islamabad had been carried out by Afghan nationals. Naqvi said on Thursday that it had been confirmed the attackers had come from Afghanistan and had carried out the assaults. He had earlier said the militants involved in the attack
Afghanistan International: Pakistan’s Defence Minister Khawaja Asif warned Tuesday that his country could carry out military action inside Afghanistan following a deadly suicide bombing in Islamabad that killed at least 12 people and wounded 30 others. Asif accused the Afghan Taliban of harbouring militants responsible for attacks in Pakistan and rejected their condemnation of the
Amu: Pakistan’s defense minister, Khawaja Asif, said on Tuesday that a deadly suicide bombing in the capital was a “message from Kabul,” casting doubt on the viability of ongoing negotiations with the Taliban and calling the incident “a wake-up” call for the entire country. “This is no longer a war confined to border areas,” Asif
Afghanistan International: Ahmad Massoud, leader of the National Resistance Front of Afghanistan, told an annual forum in France that Afghanistan has once again become a global centre for militant training under Taliban rule. He delivered the remarks on Saturday in Saint-Raphaël, in France’s Var region, at the “Meetings for the Future” conference, where he addressed
Amu: Speaking at a meeting in Kabul, Muttaqi said their delegation returned from Istanbul following the third round of negotiations with Pakistani counterparts, which failed to yield any concrete results. According to him, the central sticking point was Pakistan’s insistence that the Taliban guarantee no attacks would be launched from Afghan soil by the Tehrik-i-Taliban
By RFE/RL’s Radio Azadi November 8, 2025 Peace talks in Istanbul between Pakistan and Afghanistan’s hard-line Islamist Taliban rulers have ended with no deal, but a cease-fire between the neighboring countries will continue. The Taliban’s chief spokesman, Zabihullah Mujahid, blamed the collapse of the talks on the Pakistani delegation’s “irresponsible attitude and lack of cooperation.” Writing
The Diplomat: Afghanistan’s rugged terrain will make a potential ground war between Pakistan and the Taliban a hard one for Islamabad to win. Afghanistan could bleed Pakistan, leaving it struggling to recover from the damage inflicted over an extended period. Click here to read more (external link).
Amu: The third round of high-level talks between delegations from the Taliban and Pakistan began on Thursday in Istanbul, Turkey, multiple sources confirmed to Amu. Leading the negotiations are Abdul Haq Wasiq, the head of Taliban intelligence, and Asim Munir Malik, Pakistan’s intelligence chief. Other members of the Taliban delegation include Rahmatullah Najib, deputy interior