Pakistan Unlikely to Succeed in Bid to Encircle Afghanistan

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Michael Hughes: Islamabad appears to be laying the groundwork for regional partnerships to strangle Afghanistan from all sides as tensions escalate with the Taliban over cross-border attacks resulting in decade-high deaths of Pakistani troops. However, although Pakistan has found a willing ally in Tajikistan, it will be harder to secure cooperation from other actors in the region reluctant to fuel full-fledged conflict.

Pakistan’s two-legged strategy envisions putting pressure on Afghanistan from the outside while anti-Taliban resistance works on the inside to collapse Kabul and Kandahar. Recent airstrikes by Pakistan have sent the tensions with the Taliban to all-time highs. Islamabad claimed the attacks against targets in Paktika province killed over 70 terrorists, while the Taliban said 46 people, mostly women and children, were left dead. The December 24 bombing campaign came in the wake of TTP attacks that killed 16 Pakistani security personnel on December 21.

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Afghanistan shows what investing in women’s education – or divesting – can do to an economy

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The Conversation: The economic cost could potentially reach over a billion dollars – and this doesn’t include the wider social costs associated with lower levels of education for women. For context, Afghanistan’s entire gross domestic product was just $17 billion in 2023. Our study demonstrates how catastrophic the newest education ban could be, not just for women, but for the whole country. Click here to read more (external link).

Pakistan-Taliban relations weakened: The New York Times

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Khaama: International media has reported that the relationship between the Taliban and Pakistan has significantly weakened due to the intensifying insecurity in the region. Pakistan is now acknowledging that its initial support for the Taliban was a critical strategic misstep. Click here to read more (external link).

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Islamic Republic Deeply Concerned About Taliban’s Water Policy

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The Helmand river stretches for 1,150 km from the Hindu Kush mountains into Hamoun wetlands which once supported great plant and animal diversity in Iran’s Sistan Basin.

Afghanistan International: After the Taliban’s takeover of Afghanistan, Tehran has repeatedly called on the group to restore the flow of water from the Helmand River to Iran, but the Taliban, citing the drought, has claimed that the water has naturally decreased and has not been blocked. Iran has also recently raised criticisms of the construction of the Pashdan Dam in Herat. Click here to read more (external link).

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Khalil Haqqani Had Continuous Contact With NRF, Says Fazl Ahmad Manawi

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Khalil Haqqani

Afghanistan International: Manawi said in an interview with Afghanistan International on Wednesday that Khalil Haqqani was not a supporter of war and that they received repeated calls from him when the war was underway in Panjshir. He clarified that Haqqani’s efforts to prevent war and stand his ground continued until the last moment. Click here to read more (external link).

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Pakistan’s foreign minister blames predecessors for TTP resurgence

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Faiz Hameed

Amu: Pakistan’s deputy prime minister and foreign minister, Ishaq Dar, sharply criticized the country’s previous leadership on Thursday, alleging that hasty and informal decisions facilitated the return of thousands of members of the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) into the country..Speaking during a briefing, Mr. Dar attributed the re-entry of 35,000 to 40,000 TTP fighters to poorly considered policies, including decisions reportedly made “over a cup of tea.”. He cited a visit by Faiz Hameed, the former chief of Pakistan’s Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI), to Afghanistan shortly after the collapse of the Afghan government in 2021 as a turning point. Click here to read more (external link).

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