8am: Pakistan is renowned for its founding and backing of the Taliban, having more sway over the group than other countries in the region and the West. This influence is derived from the leverage Pakistan has in its relationship with the Taliban. Many of the Taliban’s leaders and officials who were trained in Pakistan have
Ariana: The new government in Afghanistan is not cooperating with anti-Pakistan elements, Pakistan’s National Security Adviser Moeed Yusuf has said. The official said there has not been any deliberate action by the new government in Afghanistan that would undermine Pakistan. Yusuf, however, said that the threat of terrorism remains and it should be eliminated. Click
NYT: The euphoria felt by many in Pakistan over a Taliban victory in Kabul six months ago is subsiding. The government had hoped that a friendly — some would say proxy — regime in Kabul would ease its concerns about the Pakistani Taliban. But instead, there has been a spike in terror attacks in recent
Ariana: Prime Minister Imran Khan said on Sunday the world needs to start engaging with the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (IEA) as there is no other alternative to the IEA in Afghanistan. He said the “only option the world has right now is to engage with the Taliban (IEA) for things to move forward.” Click
Ayaz Gul VOA News February 9, 2022 ISLAMABAD — Observers saw the Taliban’s takeover of Afghanistan last year as a strategic victory for neighboring Pakistan after years of frosty relations between Islamabad and the Western-backed government in Kabul that collapsed last August. Security concerns along the two nations’ border have since complicated the picture. Many Pakistanis
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
Abubakar Siddique Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty February 4, 2022 For years Afghanistan was seen as place of refuge for Baluch separatists seeking to evade Islamabad’s crackdown on their homeland in Pakistan. But following the return of the Islamist Taliban to power in Kabul, members of the secular groups fear they have lost their sanctuary. Some
Fair Observer: Victory against the US, ethnic conflict within Afghanistan and disappointment with Islamabad could lead the Taliban to create a new Pashtun state on the ruins of Afghanistan and Pakistan. Click here to read more (external link).
Tolo News: Pakistan’s Prime Minister Imran Khan directed Pakistani authorities to send qualified and trained Pakistan manpower to Afghanistan, the Prime Minister’s office said on Friday. Click here to read more (external link). Related Taliban Faces Shortage of Professional Staff: Report – Government jobs are given as patronage to ex-fighters and exiles living quietly in
Aamaj: Ms Gohar asks “how could they (Taliban) pull down the much touted fence without their master’s nod? No media outrage?” She believes that it is an orchestrated move to build national credentials for Taliban. Click here to read more (external link). Related Pakistan completes 94% of border fence, despite ‘isolated’ incidents