Khalilzad
Ariana: In an exclusive interview with Ariana News, Khalilzad said: “Pakistan tries to solve Afghanistan’s internal problems by first creating those problems, and then presenting itself to the world as a power capable of resolving them. This approach, which has been practiced over the past several decades, still continues. The root of Pakistan’s policy is the issue of the Durand Line.” Click here to read more (external link).
8am: Relations between Afghanistan’s Taliban and Pakistan, once described as those of “longstanding friends,” have entered a turbulent phase since the Taliban’s return to power in Kabul in August 2021. Pakistan, once a key sponsor of the Taliban, now faces a growing threat from Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP). This militant group uses Afghan soil to stage deadly attacks on Pakistani security forces. Despite diplomatic efforts from repeated visits by Pakistani officials to Kabul to Islamabad’s formal complaints at the United Nations, no progress has been made in curbing the TTP. Yet in August 2025, a sudden spike in TTP casualties coincided with the postponement of an anti-Taliban opposition gathering in Islamabad, raising a pressing question: Has a covert arrangement emerged between the Afghan Taliban and Pakistan’s Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI)? Click here to read more (external link).
The Diplomat: What might feel like an adventurous trip to an underexplored country can turn out to be an unintentional investment in the oppression of the Afghan people. A growing number of social media influencers are visiting Taliban-controlled Afghanistan and showcasing the country as a hidden travel gem. Their videos highlight scenic mountains, busy markets, and “authentic cultural experiences.” Click here to read more (external link).
Amu: Taliban have shut down shops in parts of Khost province that sell items for women, including beauty products and other personal necessities, local sources said. The closures were carried out Tuesday by the Taliban’s Ministry for the Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice in Gurbaz district and other areas, according to shopkeepers and residents who spoke on condition of anonymity due to security concerns. Taliban morality enforcers reportedly told shop owners that selling such items to or for women is now prohibited. Click here to read more (external link).
Afghanistan International: A passenger bus overturned on the Kabul–Kandahar highway late Tuesday, killing at least 25 people and injuring 27 others, Taliban officials said. The accident comes just over a week after another deadly crash in Herat, where a bus carrying Afghan migrants deported from Iran overturned, killing 79 people. Click here to read more (external link).
ESPN: Afghanistan have appointed former Ireland allrounder John Mooney as their new fielding coach, and Nirmalan Thanabalasingam as the new physiotherapist. John Mooney joins the Afghanistan team ahead of the UAE tri-series starting August 29. Click here to read more (external link).
Other Sports News
8am: Sources in Kabul report an increase in financial corruption in the Taliban municipality’s procurement projects and say that the transparency process in awarding these projects to companies is practically being violated. These sources also emphasize that the conditions stated in the tender documents have been illegally changed, and arbitrary modifications have been applied to make it easier for companies close to the Taliban municipality to win. They add that the Taliban mayor’s associates extort money from projects and circumvent legal processes to favor their preferred companies. According to the sources, in addition to this, rampant construction and elimination of green spaces in various areas of Kabul are worse than in the past, and no attention is paid to protecting green areas. Sources in Kabul say that financial corruption in the Taliban municipality’s procurement projects has increased dramatically. Click here to read more (external link).
Khalilzad
8am: Khalilzad, an Afghan-born American diplomat, has undoubtedly been influenced by this prevailing anti-Pakistan spirit in Afghan politics—especially since his formal involvement in Afghanistan’s conflict on behalf of the United States, where he closely followed Islamabad’s role. For Khalilzad, deploying anti-Pakistan rhetoric becomes particularly convenient when he confronts the depth of Afghan public discontent with his own record. In the eyes of most politicians and citizens, his role in the collapse of the Republic and the Taliban’s return to power is undeniable and prominent. So prominent, in fact, that critics often judge him more with their emotions than with reasoned analysis. Click here to read more (external link).