Opinion

Dialogue, Afghan Taliban, Tehran Moot, Pakistan's War on Terror, Afghan Safe Havens

From Kabul to KP: Dialogue, Security, and the Quest for Effective Governance

Opinion /

The recent regional dialogue on Afghanistan reflects both the fragility of security and the complexities of political engagement. A notable development occurred with a meeting hosted in Iran, which the Islamic Emirate did not attend. This absence drew tension from key regional players, including Pakistan, Russia, and China, underscoring the delicate trust deficit in regional […]

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Beyond the Numbers: Why Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Is Facing Its Most Dangerous Phase of Terrorism

Opinion /

(Shamim Shahid) The most dangerous moment in any conflict is not when bombs explode on military convoys or when armed men clash with security forces in remote mountains. The most dangerous moment is when war quietly enters homes, markets and streets, when children become targets and fear becomes routine. Khyber Pakhtunkhwa has reached that moment.

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Peshawar, FC Headquarters Attack in Peshawar, Peshawar Suicide Attack, Kabul Ulema Decree, Afghan Taliban

Terror’s Footprint in Peshawar, With Roots Across the Border in Kabul

Opinion /

The attack on the Federal Constabulary headquarters in Peshawar Cantonment, in which three FC officers were martyred, immediately raised a series of hard and unavoidable questions. Who were the attackers? Were they all suicide bombers? Where did they come from? Which organisation did they belong to? Where did they stay, and with whom? As investigations

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Faiz Hameed, State Comes First, Faiz Hameed’s Conviction

State Comes First, The Message Embedded in Faiz Hameed’s Conviction

Opinion /

The fourteen year sentence awarded to former ISI chief Lieutenant General retired Faiz Hameed is a landmark. Pakistan’s past offers no example of an ISI chief being punished in this way. Senior figures of similar rank have faced trials before, but none who once ran the country’s principal intelligence service. His conviction carries four proven

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Kabul Clerics’ Decree Challenges TTP, Highlights Taliban’s Own Internal Vulnerabilities

Opinion /

On December 11, 2025, more than one thousand prominent Afghan clerics gathered in Kabul and issued a unanimous religious decree stating that Afghan soil will not be used against any other country, particularly Pakistan. This gathering and its outcome took place on the instructions of the Taliban’s Supreme Leader, Sheikh Hibatullah Akhundzada. Since taking power

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Daesh, Al-Qaeda, and TTP: Safe Havens in Afghanistan Endangering Regional Peace and Stability

Opinion /

Afghanistan has become a serious threat not only to Pakistan but to the entire region. Since the Taliban came to power, terrorist hideouts and safe havens in Afghanistan started getting stronger, especially that of Daesh. This is not only becoming a serious threat for Pakistan but for the entire region. There are more than 25

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The Afghan Black Hole That Keeps Pulling the Region In

Opinion /

Pakistan’s long standing narrative has been straightforward, that Afghan territory must not be used against any neighbour. The Doha Agreement promised exactly that, yet the current reality has moved sharply in the opposite direction. Afghanistan, instead of becoming a stable state, has drifted into a vast trans-border launchpad for terrorism, a conclusion strongly reinforced by

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Cross-Border Terrorism: How Afghanistan’s Governance Gaps Endanger Pakistan

Opinion /

Relations between Pakistan and Afghanistan are at a critical juncture, deteriorating with each passing day. Security challenges are mounting across Pakistan’s northwestern regions, with regular attacks reported in Bannu, Tirah, North Waziristan, and the former merged districts. These attacks, targeting Pakistan’s security forces, underscore a pressing reality: extremist groups, including Daesh Khurasan, the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan

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PTI’s Political Spectacle in Peshawar Overshadows Citizens’ Security and Welfare

Opinion /

The mass gathering held on 7 December in Peshawar by the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government was less a platform for governance and more a stage for political theatrics. While KP Chief Minister Sohail Afridi and allied leaders dominated the speeches, the absence of any concrete roadmap on law and order, security, or counter-terrorism was glaring. The

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Doha, Pakistan and Afghanistan, US Weapons Reaching TTP, The Banned Tehreek e Taliban Pakistan (TTP), Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction (SIGAR)

Doha’s Peace Initiative Returns as SIGAR Report Shows US Weapons Reaching TTP

Opinion /

Qatar has once again stepped forward with an offer to mediate between Pakistan and Afghanistan, inviting both sides to resume inclusive political dialogue. The offer, made during the Doha Forum by Qatar’s prime minister and foreign minister, reflects Doha’s belief that renewed engagement might help deescalate rapidly worsening tensions between the two neighbours. The crucial

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