Growing contestations over Afghan Taliban support to the Tehreek Taliban Pakistan or TTP between Kabul and Islamabad appears to be moving beyond air and drone strikes and border clashes to support the anti-Taliban resistance forces by Pak ISI, here is how the cookie may crumble…

The Kohat Terrorist Attack on 18 September attack and its fallout reveal much about the state of collaboration and friction among the various militant entities that have fueled violence say Saif Tahir and Amira Jadoon based on field research of two years.

Peace, stability, human rights, economy and development in Afghanistan continue to remain dangerously precarious. The unwillingness of the Taliban regime calling itself as the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan to compromise externally and internally represents a dead end for the international, regional and internal stakeholders even as the Afghan people tired of decades of conflict suffer.

Most Afghans would be pleased to see the back of the Taliban. But for the opposition to be seen as a viable alternative, it will need to build trust with the people and provide hope for the future. The history of Afghanistan shows how hard this has been to achieve says Amin Saikal in a piece in The Conversation

Strategic drift appears to be a permanent feature of Pakistan's character, something that India and Pakistan’s well wishers China, U.S. Turkey and Saudi Arabia need to factor in their engagement.

On 15 August Taliban complete five years of rule in Kabul. Here is a comprehensive review of the events that could lead Afghanistan's trajectory in August 2026 and beyond with a red flag of deterioration of security in Badakhshan, first challenge to Taliban's control of the country they swept to power in 2021.

Taliban could be facing the first major internal challenge in controlling the country with a series of attacks by resistance groups in Badakhshan’s Yaftali Sufla and Zebak districts. Here is a review of the activities and possible trajectory ahead.

Futility of use of force remains unacknowledged and diplomacy as a tool to resolve inter and intra state conflicts is sparsely used. Who has benefited from these wars is unclear but the suffering of the people of nations at war and beyond remains unacknowledged as the demands on military leaders today directing wars on glittering screens in armchair comfort is far from what made Patton, Montgomery and Rommel the great leaders they are.

Despite multiple mediation multilateral, bilateral at the diplomatic and political level, Afghanistan Pakistan cross border conflict continues with occasional spurge and a breakthrough appears unlikely given entrenched positions by both sides.

As the United States and Israel strikes on Iran enters the fifth day with no signs of any pull back by either side, the defining trends is the decapitating attack on Iran’s Supreme Authority Ayatollah Ali Khamanei. The strike was supposed to cripple the regime but Iran retaliated spraying missiles and drones across multiple locations in West Asia [Middle East]. With a war escalating in time and space, there is a noticeable alarm in South Asia. This is understandable given the