Khaama: Pakistan is preparing to host a two-day meeting of Afghan opposition figures, including young leaders, political activists, party representatives, and women, in Islamabad on August 25–26. According to reports, this is the first open gathering of Afghanistan’s diverse political groups since the Taliban’s return to power in 2021. Click here to read more (external
Ariana: Khalilzad noted that strong leadership backed by public support is crucial to achieving this. “I think Imran Khan would be such a leader in Pakistan,” he said. “In Afghanistan, we are still in search of a leader who can do that.” Click here to read more (external link).
Afghanistan International: The National Resistance Front (NRF) has claimed that China is operating at Afghanistan’s former US military base in Bagram, accusing the Taliban of facilitating foreign interference in Afghanistan. Ali Maisam Nazary, head of foreign relations for the NRF, said in a post on X (formerly Twitter) on Saturday that there are “credible reports”
Ariana: Former U.S. special envoy for Afghan peace talks, Zalmay Khalilzad, has issued a stark warning about China’s accelerating efforts to dominate Central Asia’s vast mineral wealth. He urged Washington—specifically the Trump administration—to act swiftly before Beijing consolidates its hold over the region’s critical resources. Khalilzad emphasized that countries including Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Afghanistan, and Pakistan
Ariana: Former U.S. special envoy for Afghanistan, Zalmay Khalilzad, has raised concerns over a reported increase in poppy cultivation in Pakistan, warning that it could be fueling insurgency, terrorism, and lawlessness, particularly in regions like Balochistan. Click here to read more (external link).
Khaama: In an open letter, 76 Afghanistan’s civil, human rights, and protest organizations called for international accountability and legal proceedings against Zalmay Khalilzad. The letter accuses Khalilzad of direct involvement in the collapse of Afghanistan’s previous government, whitewashing the Taliban, and facilitating their return to power. The signatories also accuse him of promoting immunity for
Khaama: Shawn VanDiver, president of the refugee advocacy group AfghanEvac, has sharply criticized former U.S. envoy Zalmay Khalilzad for endorsing an Eid message by Taliban Prime Minister Mullah Hassan Akhund. While Khalilzad remains a vocal commentator on Afghan affairs, his perceived closeness to the Taliban continues to raise alarms among Afghan diaspora communities and human
Afghanistan International: Dozens of Afghan women’s civil society organisations have demanded that international bodies launch legal proceedings against Cheryl Benard, wife of former US special representative Zalmay Khalilzad, for comments they say downplayed the Taliban’s gender-based repression. Benard, an author and researcher, recently asserted that Afghan women have not been excluded from society, continue to
Khaama: Zalmay Khalilzad, former U.S. envoy for Afghanistan, has issued a stern warning in response to the recent conflict between India and Pakistan. He emphasized that supporting terrorism leads to catastrophic consequences. Khalilzad’s comments appear to indirectly address Islamabad’s alleged policies that have been linked to supporting militant groups in the region. Click here to
Afghanistan International: Zalmay Khalilzad, former US Special Representative for Afghanistan Reconciliation, has expressed concern that Pakistani institutions may be using the ongoing deportation of Afghan refugees as a cover to transfer Islamic State (ISIS) militants into Afghanistan. In a post published on X (formerly Twitter) on Wednesday, Khalilzad wrote: “Knowledgeable people tell me that they