(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 »
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
From Kabul to KP: Dialogue, Security, and the Quest for Effective Governance Read More »
(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.
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
Terror’s Footprint in Peshawar, With Roots Across the Border in Kabul Read More »
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
State Comes First, The Message Embedded in Faiz Hameed’s Conviction Read More »
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
Kabul Clerics’ Decree Challenges TTP, Highlights Taliban’s Own Internal Vulnerabilities Read More »
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
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
The Afghan Black Hole That Keeps Pulling the Region In Read More »
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
Cross-Border Terrorism: How Afghanistan’s Governance Gaps Endanger Pakistan Read More »
