Written by Dr Amira Jadoon and Iqraa Bukhari
A shift towards utilising female fighters for pragmatic reasons would not be without precedent, as evidenced in case studies of Boko Haram or Islamic State affiliates in Southeast Asia. Pakistan, in particular, presents a largely “untapped female operative market”.
Read MoreWritten by Chris Fitzgerald
The international community should leverage the Taliban’s desire for recognition and the need to solve Afghanistan’s problems with improving human rights in the country.
Read MoreWritten by Dante Schulz
The Taliban’s inability to address the security and economic concerns of its partners will only exacerbate the glaring issues plaguing Afghanistan.
Read MoreWritten by Marcus Andreopoulos
Out of office, Khan is proving to be a relentless source of pressure, first for Bajwa and now for Munir. Khan has accused the military of holding the country back during a time of economic and humanitarian catastrophe.
Read More2022 was a difficult year for Pakistan: A humanitarian crisis sparked by devastating floods, the assassination attempt against former Prime Minister Imran Khan, and a faltering economy. Growing political instability also prompted US President Joe Biden to call Pakistan one of the most dangerous countries in the world, characterising it as “nuclear weapons without cohesion”.
Read MoreWritten by Tim Foxley
A collapse back into civil war is not inevitable, but the Taliban are clearly struggling to move from an insurgency to a government.
Read MoreWritten by Tim Foxley
The Taliban’s seizure of power and the sheer speed of government collapse took everyone by surprise. The international community, Afghanistan’s neighbourhood, and the Afghan population themselves are now attempting to understand and address the implications of a Taliban regime.
Read MoreIn terms of the ‘China challenge’, I think Australia’s key goal is to preserve peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific, both through its membership in the Quad and through maintaining cordial ties with China.
Read MoreWritten by Michael Kugelman
For the United States, giving Kabul access to aid — including nearly USD $10 billion in foreign reserves frozen by Washington — is hard to justify without recognising the regime.
Read MoreWritten by Vuk Vuksanovic
Pakistan needs partners among great and regional powers concerned about the fate of Afghanistan. Russia, on the other hand, had to strengthen its diplomatic and market ties with non-Western countries in Asia, Africa and Latin America as a result of the Ukraine Crisis and worsening relations with the West.
Read MoreWritten by Amira Jadoon and Abdul Sayed
The TTP leadership views the Afghan Taliban victory as a win for jihadists in general and has been emboldened by it. This is reflected in its messages directed to its members, who are encouraged to continue their fight against Pakistan for a similar victory there.
Read MoreWritten by Nilofar Sakhi
As the Taliban increases its stronghold and gains more territory and power, it will become a serious transnational threat. Radicalisation, the emergence of new terrorist groups, and arms trafficking will likely increase, adding to local security threats.
Read MoreThe number of Chinese workers overseas created a new type of liability for Chinese policymakers because the political value of protecting the life of a citizen is vastly superior to that of, for example, ensuring the payment of a contract.
Read MoreWritten by Constantino Xavier and Nitika Nayar
As the region’s predominant power with a history of interventionism, India’s sub-national missions must be able to balance their sub-national outreach, especially to minority groups, with the security concerns of the host country’s central authorities.
Read MoreWritten by Jeremy Garlick
Beijing will look to ensure first and foremost that Uygur separatists do not gain support from the Taliban. In return, they will dangle some promises of investment for the sake of generating goodwill.
Read MoreWritten by Jumakhan Rahyab and Meena Yakobi
The international community must not allow the Taliban leadership’s overtures in Doha — about their plans to observe the international conventions — to cloud their thinking. The Hazaras need international support, and they need it immediately.
Read MoreWritten by Velina Tchakarova
It will be interesting to follow how China will navigate this playground, as Beijing is likely to be the next great power to try and fill the void. Perhaps that is exactly why the US is pulling out now — the move could possibly become an American trap if China enters the Afghan quagmire and fails.
Read MoreWritten by Abdul Basit
The gap and the lack of trust between Afghanistan’s political and military leadership have equally contributed to the Afghan security forces’ poor performance against the Taliban’s ground offensive. It is a well-known fact that several units of the Afghan security forces were not fighting by making arrangements with the Taliban, such as staging fake operations.
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