There is a long history of the tribal areas. For generations, it has been ingrained in people’s minds that weapons were a form of jewellery. At one point, carrying a gun was considered a matter of pride, even fashion. Today, however, it is equally evident that weapons are also seen as destructive. This shift in […]
From Guns to Grievances, The Unfinished Story of Pakistan’s Tribal Youth Read More »
(Mushtaq Yusufzai) Pakistan today stands at a decisive juncture where internal security, regional diplomacy and state authority intersect in ways that can no longer be managed through ambiguity or half measures. Recent developments Chief of Army Staff General Asim Munir’s candid address in Islamabad, his high-profile visit to Saudi Arabia, renewed diplomatic engagement with Iran,
Terrorism, Afghanistan and the Hard Realities of Regional Security Read More »
(Shamim Shahid) A troubling report has surfaced that demands serious reflection from policymakers, analysts, and the international community alike. According to this report, India is considering or has initiated a policy of granting visas to individuals affiliated with various militant and extremist organisations operating in Afghanistan. If this assessment is even partially accurate, it represents
India’s Afghan Visa Policy and the Regional Security Paradox Read More »
(Irfan Khan) The Tirah Valley, a historically strategic region in Pakistan’s Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, is once again at the center of a storm that reflects not only the security challenges of the area but also the complexities of regional politics and humanitarian concerns. The recent announcement of a major security operation in Tirah has
What’s Behind Pakistan’s Latest Security Operation in Tirah Valley Read More »
(Arif Yousafzai) The recent terrorist attack on a security check post in North Waziristan, claimed by the Hafiz Gul Bahadur group, is not an isolated incident, nor is it an unexpected one. It is, rather, another loud reminder of a grim reality that Pakistan has been reluctant to confront honestly: militancy in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and
A Region in Flux, a State on Guard: Pakistan and the Re-Engineering of Militancy Read More »
Differences between Noor Wali Mehsud, the current chief of the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan, or the banned TTP aka Fitna al-Khawarij, and Jamaat-ul-Ahrar constitute a very important issue. Although this is not the first time such differences have surfaced, it is also a fact that internal rifts within guerrilla or militant organisations are rarely reported in the
TTP’s Internal Divisions and Afghan Funding Raise Regional Alarms Read More »
(Arshad Aziz Malik) In recent months, the political landscape of Pakistan has witnessed a significant and, at times, bewildering shift. At the center of this shift is Tehreek-e-Insaaf (PTI), a party that once presented itself as the vanguard of public change under the charismatic leadership of Imran Khan. Today, however, the party seems to have
PTI’s Leadership Crisis and the State of Governance in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Read More »
The United Nations’ latest assessment declaring 2025 a year of severe security challenges for Pakistan should not come as a surprise to anyone closely observing the country’s internal dynamics over the past several years. What is alarming, however, is not merely the scale of the threat highlighted in the report, but the consistency with which
On the Frontline of Regional Turmoil: Pakistan’s Unequal War Against Terror Read More »
(Zahir Shah Shirazi) The recent report by the US journal The National Interest has highlighted a stark reality that demands global attention: the policies of Afghanistan under Mullah Hibatullah Akhundzada bear striking similarities to extremist groups such as Al-Qaeda and Daesh (ISIS). This alignment is not merely ideological; it manifests profoundly in the Afghan educational
If we look back eleven years, Pakistan was engulfed in an intense wave of terrorism. That phase was followed by a brief and uneasy calm, only for another wave to emerge later. When negotiations were initiated with militant groups under the mediation of the Afghan Taliban, what followed was not peace but the onset of
From Peshawar to Wana: Eleven Years of Terror and Lessons for Today Read More »
