Pakistan as a country Pakistan is a country located in the northwest of the Indian sub-continent. It is bordering Iran on the west, Afghanistan on the north-west, China on the north-east, and India on the east with the direct exit to the Arabian Sea. Physically, from the rest of Asia, […]
Pakistan
Reflections On Events In Afghanistan (XXXIX)
39. Souring of Taliban’s relations with Pakistan External interference in Afghanistan has reappeared much sooner than one would have expected after the Taliban takeover in Afghanistan in August. In a familiar pattern, the rumour mill has become active. The Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova hit out today at […]
Reflections On Events In Afghanistan (XXXVIII)
38. Blowback from Afghanistan Reports of the recent period are indicative of tensions between the Taliban forces and the Pakistani military deployed on their border. On December 22, the Afghan Defence Ministry spokesman Enayatullah Khwarazmi disclosed that the Taliban forces had stopped the Pakistani military from erecting an “illegal” border […]
Reflections On Events In Afghanistan (XXXVII)
37. When are the Indians returning? A big international spectacle was slated to be staged in Islamabad on December 19 regarding Afghanistan with the attendance of foreign ministers from the 57-member Organisation of Islamic Conference (OIC). The participants also include special invitees from the United Nations system, international financial institutions […]
Reflections On Events In Afghanistan (XXXII)
33. US recognition of Taliban Government will be a game changer The stunning disclosure late Tuesday in Brussels that the US is working on a “road map” for according recognition to the Taliban Government will take a lot of people by surprise but it could have been expected sooner rather […]
Reflections On Events In Afghanistan (XXX)
30. Taliban Government gains traction All indications are that the regional states are preparing to accord recognition to the Taliban government. The meeting of regional states and Taliban officials in the so-called Moscow Format last Wednesday signalled that the Taliban government is a compelling reality and constructive engagement is needed. […]
Reflections On Events In Afghanistan (XXVIII)
28. Moscow meeting is a landmark event The United States regretted its inability to take part in the talks on Afghanistan in Moscow this week. The Russian side was pinning hopes on a meeting of the exclusive Troika Plus (US, China, Russia and Pakistan) followed by a gathering in an […]
Narrative Traps In India’s Decision-Making
I read a stimulating essay recently co-authored by Paul Dolan, professor at the London School of Economics, and his research assistant Amanda Hedwood analysing, against the backdrop of the uncertainties of the Covid-19 pandemic, how dominant narratives powerfully influence decisions and create the ‘narrative trap’ in decision-making. The LSE academics […]
Reflections On Events In Afghanistan (XXII)
22. US, UK prepare to re-engage Taliban Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan has written yet another opinion piece in the Washington Post, sensing a turning point lies ahead with the Biden Administration assembling a sustainable, durable policy toward Afghanistan taking into account the new reality of the Taliban government. Quintessentially, […]
Humanitarian Assistance To Afghanistan
War-torn Afghanistan is facing severe challenges. The abrupt evacuation of the US troops, and instant surrender of the Afghan National Army, have not given time for the Taliban to plan for governance. The irony is that while leaving Afghanistan, the US has frozen all assets and damaged the infrastructure of […]
Afghan Protests: Foreign-Financed Color Revolution Or Genuine Grievances?
Regardless of whether one sympathizes with those protesters’ causes or not, it should be acknowledged that these disturbances could greatly destabilize Afghanistan at one of its most sensitive moments in modern history amid its historic political transition back to de facto Taliban rule following the West’s withdrawal last month after […]
Taliban Get A Government!
The regional states will be shell-shocked by the brazen way Lt. Gen. Faiz Hameed, head of Pakistan’s Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI), coerced the Taliban to announce an interim government that is guaranteed to preserve Rawalpindi’s control over the levers of power in Kabul. There are several things to be noted about […]
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