Opinion

Pakistan-Afghanistan Talks: Between Mistrust, Militancy, and Missed Opportunities

Opinion /

( Shamim Shahid )  As Pakistan and Afghanistan engage in yet another round of talks on November 6, one cannot help but ask whether these discussions will yield any meaningful outcome or, as in the past, remain confined to statements and symbolic gestures. The atmosphere is charged with tension, mistrust, and conflicting claims that make […]

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From Kabul’s Duplicity to Peshawar’s Defiance: Pakistan’s War on Terror Caught Between Two Fronts

Opinion /

The evidence is mounting, and it is disturbing in its clarity: elements inside Kabul’s current administration are not merely tolerating anti-Pakistan groups, they are actively facilitating them. This is not idle speculation. Our security agencies and foreign office have repeatedly presented material; now we have direct, operational evidence, letters from within Afghan intelligence channels, that

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Bulletproof, KP’s Political Theatre, Chief Minister Sohail Afridi, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Police, Hangu Blast

Bulletproof Politics, Bullet-Riddled Reality: How KP’s Political Theatre Cost Police Lives

Opinion /

Muhammad Haseenullah In Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government has turned counter-terrorism into a stage performance; loud in slogans, hollow in substance, and lethal in consequence. Chief Minister Sohail Afridi’s decision to send back bulletproof vehicles provided by the federation was not just symbolic defiance; it was a deliberate act of irresponsibility. When the

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Border, Drugs and Terrorists: Pakistan Says Kabul Must Break the Terror Funding Chain

Opinion /

The DG ISPR’s recent declaration; that Pakistan’s security is guaranteed by its armed forces and that guarantee cannot be given to Kabul, is not rhetoric for its own sake. It is a clear recalibration of policy language that reflects both frustration and resolve. The message is simple: Pakistan will seek peace, but it will not

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PTI, National Action Plan (NAP), Pakistan War on Terror, Imran Khan in Jail, Afghan Taliban

PTI’s Populist Politics Buried the National Action Plan

Opinion /

As Pakistan faces one of its deadliest years in recent history, the rift between the federal government and PTI’s Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) government has exposed a troubling reality: the fight against terrorism is not being lost on the battlefield alone, but in the political arena as well. The lack of coordination, mistrust, and political point-scoring

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Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Drift from the National Action Plan Deepens the Terror Challenge

Opinion /

(Shamim Shahid)    In December 2014, after the tragic Army Public School attack in Peshawar that shook the nation’s conscience, Pakistan’s leadership agreed on a National Action Plan (NAP) to counter terrorism and extremism. The plan, consisting of 20 points, became a national consensus to restore the writ of the state and eliminate militant sanctuaries.

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Trust, Not Tactics, Will Define the Future of Pakistan–Afghanistan Relations

Opinion /

The recent round of Pakistan, Afghanistan negotiations in Turkey marks another chapter in a long and complicated relationship between two uneasy neighbours. While the talks were presented as a step toward de-escalation, the reality beneath the diplomatic smiles remains far more fragile. The key question before both sides is not merely about logistics or ceasefire

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Why Peace Remains Elusive Between Pakistan and the Afghan Taliban?

Opinion /

(Shamim Shahid)  The failure of yet another round of discussions between Pakistan and the Afghan Taliban in Istanbul has once again highlighted the deep-rooted mistrust and conflicting priorities that continue to define relations between the two neighbours. Despite the efforts of mediating countries including Turkey, Qatar, Iran, and China, both sides remain entrenched in their

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Kabul, Afghan Taliban, Istanbul Talks, Pakistan Afghanistan Tensions, Afghan Safe Havens

Talibanisation as State Policy: Kabul’s New Tool to Blackmail Neighbours

Opinion /

Talks held in Doha collapsed before the failure of the Istanbul talks between Islamabad and the Afghan Taliban-led Kabul administration, because Pakistan’s defence minister Khawaja Asif openly stated that the Afghan Taliban were unwilling to discuss the issues raised in Doha, and instead kept diverting the conversation. Regarding the Istanbul talks, Pakistan appears to have

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