The Afghan Eye: Recent Episodes
The Afghan Eye
The Afghan Eye is an independent, Afghan-led platform dedicated to Afghans reclaiming and leading the discussion on Afghanistan. We critique and provide a counter-narrative to all issues Afghan.
In the opening episode of Season 3 of The Afghan Eye Podcast, host Sangar Paykhar is joined by analyst Ahmed-Waleed Kakar to examine newly disclosed US lobbying records that raise serious questions about Pakistan’s intentions toward Afghanistan.
The episode analyses documents filed under the US Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA), revealing that Pakistan has retained a Washington lobbying firm to advance proposals linked directly to Afghanistan, counterterrorism cooperation, and regional security. The Afghan Eye argues that these disclosures substantiate longstanding claims that Pakistan’s military establishment is seeking to internationalise its tensions with Afghanistan and draw the United States back into the region. Previous episode references in this episode:
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In this episode of the Afghan Eye Podcast, host Sangar Paykhar is joined by Afghan Eye’s in-house historian Ahmed-Waleed Kakar to examine a revealing speech by Pakistan’s most powerful general, Asim Munir, delivered to a gathering of religious scholars in Islamabad.
The discussion explores how Pakistan’s military leadership is increasingly instrumentalising Islam to assert political authority, delegitimise dissent, and externalise internal crises, particularly by shifting blame onto Afghanistan and the Pakistani Taliban.
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In this episode of the Afghan Eye Podcast, Sangar Paykhar speaks with Indian strategic analyst Sushant Sareen about the rapidly shifting geopolitics of South Asia.
The conversation examines India’s evolving engagement with Taliban-ruled Afghanistan, rising tensions between Kabul and Islamabad, and Pakistan’s deteriorating leverage over Afghan affairs. Sareen offers a candid Indian perspective on regional stability, sovereignty, and why Afghanistan remains central to Asian geopolitics despite Western disengagement.
Key topics discussed include:
- India’s pragmatic approach to the Taliban since 2021
- Afghanistan–Pakistan tensions and cross-border security crises
- The limits of coercion and proxy politics in the region
- Connectivity via Iran, Chabahar, and Central Asia
- Why Afghanistan still matters in a multipolar Asia
Sushant Sareen's page: https://www.orfonline.org/people-expert/sushant-sareen
Sushant Sareen on X: https://x.com/sushantsareen
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In this episode of the Afghan Eye Podcast, Sangar Paykhar speaks with retired Pakistani Army Major Adil Raja for a rare, wide-ranging conversation on power, policy, and politics in Pakistan, and what they mean for Afghanistan.
Adil Raja discusses Islamabad’s Afghanistan policy, the enduring influence of the intelligence services, the politics of militancy narratives, and why negotiations between Kabul and Islamabad so often collapse.
The conversation also explores:
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Who actually negotiates with Afghanistan on Pakistan’s behalf
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The legacy of “strategic depth” and the Durand Line
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Pakistan’s signalling to Washington through counterterrorism claims
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Gulf and Turkish influence in South Asia
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Afghanistan’s diplomatic agency despite economic isolation
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The personal cost of dissent within Pakistan’s security state This episode is essential listening for anyone seeking to understand Afghanistan–Pakistan relations, civil–military imbalance in Pakistan, and the wider geopolitics of South and Central Asia.
Support Adil Raja's work: https://soldierspeaks.org/
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In this episode, Sangar Paykhar speaks with Ahmad-Waleed Kakar, about his latest article exploring Pakistan’s deepening identity crisis. Triggered by Defence Minister Khawaja Asif’s remark calling Mahmud of Ghazni a “plunderer”, the discussion unpacks how Pakistan is renegotiating its relationship with the very historical figures that once shaped its ideological foundations.
Far more than a debate about medieval history, this conversation traces the crisis through Pakistan’s shifting national myths, the military’s search for legitimacy, and Islamabad’s evolving relationship with the Islamic Emirate in Kabul.
Read Ahmed-Waleed Kakar's article here: https://afghaneye.net/2025/12/08/pakistan-identity-crisis/
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In this episode of the Afghan Eye Podcast, Sangar Paykhar speaks with Muhammed Enes, Chief Editor of MEPA News, about how Turkish foreign policy understands Afghanistan, Pakistan, and the shifting geopolitics of the wider region.
Enes explains why Turkish media initially echoed Islamabad’s narrative during the recent tensions along the Durand Line, how public opinion in Turkey began to reassess Pakistan’s role, and why Ankara now views Kabul with growing seriousness. The discussion also covers Qatar–Turkey mediation efforts, the move of negotiations towards Saudi Arabia, and the domestic political debate inside Turkey about engaging with the Islamic Emirate.
This conversation offers rare insight into how Ankara balances Western pressure, regional ambitions, and its own ideological divisions while trying to navigate an increasingly multipolar world.
🔹 About the Guest
Muhammed Enes is the Chief Editor of MEPA News, a Turkish outlet specialising in Middle Eastern and Eurasian affairs. His analysis focuses on the intersection of Turkish domestic politics, regional diplomacy and emerging geopolitical alignments.
https://www.mepanews.com/
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In this episode of the Afghan Eye Podcast, host Sangar Paykhar speaks with American author and broadcaster Scott Horton, for a deep dive into the shifting geopolitical landscape of post-US-withdrawal Afghanistan and Pakistan.
Horton, known for his libertarian critique of American interventionism and for books such as 'A Fool’s Errand: Time to End the War in Afghanistan' and 'Enough Already: Time to End the War on Terror', discusses:
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Afghanistan after 2021
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Pakistan’s internal crisis
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The United States’ future in the region
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Great-power rivalry & regional realignments
This wide-ranging conversation examines the legacies of war, the dangers of proxy militancy, and the evolving geopolitical order from Kabul to Washington and beyond. 🔔 Subscribe for more interviews and analysis on Afghanistan, South Asia, and global geopolitics.
📩 Follow Afghan Eye on Twitter/X: @AFGEYE
🌐 Visit our website: AfghanEye.net
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In this Afghan Eye Podcast episode, host Sangar Paykhar speaks with Pakistani investigative journalist Waqas Ahmed about the 27th Constitutional Amendment, a move that could fundamentally reshape Pakistan’s political future.
The discussion explores how this amendment, introduced on 8 November 2025, effectively elevates Field Marshal Asim Munir to an all-powerful, constitutionally protected position as Chief of Defence Forces, beyond civilian oversight. Critics say this change dismantles the 1973 Constitution’s democratic balance and cements a permanent military state.
Waqas Ahmed shares exclusive insights on:
🇵🇰 The military’s role in removing Imran Khan
⚖️ How the new amendment destroys civilian supremacy
💣 Why Pakistan’s nuclear control structure is being re-engineered
💵 The geopolitical motives behind refugee expulsions and renewed U.S. alignment
🤝 What this means for Afghanistan, India, and the wider region
This is a deep dive into Pakistan’s drift toward authoritarianism, its regional ambitions, and the dangers of unchecked military power, explained by one of Pakistan’s most outspoken journalists.
🎙️ Guest: Waqas Ahmed — Investigative Journalist (The Intercept, DropSite News, Express Tribune)
Follow him on X: @worqas
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In this Afghan Eye Podcast, journalist Ali Mustafa joins Sangar Paykhar to explain how Pakistan’s military courted Donald Trump and how that diplomacy helped set the stage for today’s looming conflict between Afghanistan and Pakistan.
Mustafa, a seasoned international journalist who has covered the Global War on Terror, reveals how Pakistan’s generals flattered and influenced Trump, shaping Washington’s Afghanistan.
As tensions now rise along the Durand Line, this conversation explores how the legacy of those years continues to define the region’s fragile peace and why another war may be closer than many think.
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Kabul’s water is vanishing and no one is coming to help. In this episode of the Afghan Eye Podcast, host Sangar Paykhar speaks with environmental activist Sayedmuhammad Sulimankhil, co-founder of Samsoor Watan, about the terrifying scale of the water crisis in Afghanistan’s capital.
From personal stories of water shortages to broken infrastructure, climate injustice, and international indifference, Sulimankhil paints a sobering portrait of a city on the verge of ecological collapse and explains what must be done before it’s too late.
Contact Sulimankhil via: https://samsoorwatan.org/
instagram.com/samsoor_watan
+93 78 250 3365
info.samsoor@gmail.com
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In this episode, host Sangar Paykhar sits down with renowned Indian scholar Dr Shanthie Mariet D’Souza to unpack India’s evolving strategy towards Taliban-ruled Afghanistan.
With decades of fieldwork and policy research experience, Dr D’Souza offers a rare and candid insight into how New Delhi balances engagement with restraint. We explore:
🔹 Why India hasn’t recognised the Taliban
🔹 The realpolitik behind India’s regional policy
🔹 Afghanistan’s role in India’s Central Asia strategy
🔹 Tensions with Pakistan and their impact on connectivity
🔹 Outcomes of the Termez Dialogue and future regional cooperation
Dr D’Souza explains how India navigates its historical ties, security concerns, and economic interests—all while maintaining a cautious diplomatic posture toward Kabul’s new rulers. Contact Dr D'Souza: Shanthied@gmail.com
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In this powerful episode of the Afghan Eye podcast, host Sangar Paykhar speaks with renown Afghan journalist Ali Latifi about the deepening crisis facing Afghan refugees expelled from Iran.
With first-hand reporting from the Islam Qala border and over 15 years covering displacement and migration, Ali shares harrowing testimonies from returnees—many of whom were beaten, robbed, and deported with nothing. From the racism Afghans face in Iran to the disarray they encounter back in Afghanistan, this conversation uncovers the systemic failures of international aid, the neglect of returnees, and the global complicity in turning Afghans into scapegoats.
We also discuss: The political motives behind Iran’s mass deportations The dire situation at Afghanistan’s border camps The failure of NGOs and international donors What Afghans themselves are doing to help Why the diaspora must raise its voice 📌 Follow Ali Latifi on X/Twitter: @alibomaye 🔔 Subscribe for more interviews and in-depth analysis on Afghanistan’s geopolitics, history, and society.
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Join host Sangar Paykhar on the Afghan Eye Podcast as he sits down with veteran journalist Haq Nawaz Khan to unpack the fallout from Pakistan’s recent “Operation Sarbakaf” in Bajaur’s Mamund region and explore the shifting dynamics of Pakistan–Afghanistan relations since the rise of the Islamic Emirate in Kabul.
🔍 In this episode, you’ll hear:
- How the sudden three-day curfew and targeted strikes under Operation Sarbakaf have impacted local communities
- Firsthand civilian reactions and mass protests led by tribal elders, students, and former MPs
- The role of Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) in cross-border militancy and what it means for regional security
- Haq Nawaz Khan’s analysis on the balance between military action and meaningful dialogue
📲 Follow Haq Nawaz Khan on X (formerly Twitter) to join the conversation: @khan_haq
🎧 Listen to the full podcast and subscribe for more deep-dive interviews
👍 If you found this video insightful, please Like, Comment, and Subscribe for regular updates on Afghanistan’s geopolitics, history, and conflicts.
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Join host Sangar Paykhar and Eurasian affairs analyst Eldaniz Gusseinov as they revisit the inaugural Termez Dialogue in southern Uzbekistan. In this episode, they explore how Afghanistan is poised to become the linchpin of trade, commercial growth and geopolitical shifts across Central Asia, Russia and South Asia.
Key topics include:
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Russia’s recognition of Afghanistan’s de facto authorities and the region’s great-power dynamics
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Shared Silk Road heritage and people-to-people cultural ties
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Concrete recommendations: annual Dialogues, thematic working groups, legal frameworks for water treaties, pilot projects and SCO-backed financing
Connect with Eldaniz Gusseinov: Eldaniz.gusseinov@gmail.com
linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/eldaniz-gusseinov/
Nightingale Intelligence https://nightingale-int.com/
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In this compelling episode of the Afghan Eye Podcast, host Sangar Paykhar sits down with Mir-Ali Askerov, a political scientist from the Higher School of Economics in Saint Petersburg, to discuss the recent high-level Russian delegation visit to Kabul, led by Sergei Shoigu, Secretary of Russia's Security Council.
Together, they dive deep into the historical context of Russia-Afghanistan relations, the implications of Shoigu’s visit, and the broader geopolitical shifts at play. Key topics include:
- Russia's plans for economic cooperation with Afghanistan, including mineral extraction and the trans-Afghan railway.
- The legal and political significance of removing the Taliban from Russia’s blacklist.
- The historical legacy of the Soviet-Afghan war and its influence on Russia’s modern policy.
- Afghanistan’s potential observer membership in the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO).
- Shoigu’s sharp critique of U.S. policies, including the freezing of Afghan assets.
This episode offers an in-depth analysis of Russia’s strategic pivot to Afghanistan amidst increasing global tensions. Don’t miss this insightful discussion that unpacks what Shoigu’s visit means for Afghanistan, Russia, and the wider region.
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In this episode of the Afghan Eye podcast, hosts Sangar Paykhar and Ahmed-Waleed Kakar dive into the implications of Afghanistan’s attendance at the recent 16th BRICS Summit in Kazan. We discuss Afghanistan’s potential strategic interests, regional cooperation, and the impact of BRICS on a multipolar world order. Amid ongoing economic sanctions, political isolation, and recent infrastructure developments with BRICS members, what could Afghanistan gain from aligning with BRICS countries? We’ll also cover the summit's calls for peace, human rights, and the future of international relations. Join us as we explore Afghanistan's evolving role on the world stage.
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On 18th March 2024, Afghanistan's remote and southeastern Paktika province found itself subject to aerial bombardment. The airstrikes, carried out in the early hours of the morning, were conducted by Pakistani military planes from across the Durand Line. A statement soon released by Islamabad confirmed the airstrikes, claiming these were in response to a recent a deadly TTP attack in Mir Ali, South Waziristan, that had killed scored of Pakistani troops. The target of the airstrikes was reported to be Abdullah Shah: a commander in the TTP's Hafiz Gul Bahadur faction, rumoured to be hiding in Afghanistan.
The airstrikes triggered a barrage of artillery fire from the Afghanistan side in response, whilst locals in Paktika Birmal said that the airstrikes had only killed civilians. Videos soon circulated on social media purportedly showing Abdullah Shah alive and in South Waziristan.
In this episode, Sangar Paykhar hosts Ali Mustafa to discuss what the unexpected flare-up between the two neighbours means for their complex and difficult relationship, and what the attack reveals about the fragility of Pakistan's own domestic politics in the aftermath of a controversial election marred by allegations of fraud and rigging.
Ali Mustafa is a Pakistani-Canadian journalist and a graduate from Columbia University's School of Journalism. He has produced content for Canadian Broadcasting’ Corporation, Dawn News Network and CNBC as a producer, video-journalist and news-anchor, and later worked at TRT World as a correspondent in which he covered the Afghan peace process and the end of the US occupation in 2021. He supports the SAMRKAND initiative for better journalism in South Asia.
Ali Mustafa's Youtube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC3Xnp1RiTRPCrtLsXZyqCYg
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Qatar again has served as the location for Afghanistan-centred gatherings. As a UN-convened conference kicked off, representatives from different countries, international bodies as well as Afghan civil society gathered in Doha as part of what was supposed to be a discussion on how to transition Afghanistan out of its state of diplomatic and legal isolation following the Taliban's takeover in 2021. More important than those who attended, as events transpired, were those who were absent. Following a series of diplomatic breakthroughs, and amidst expectations that it too would attend, the Taliban-led government announced abruptly that it would not be attending the conference. Its conditions to attend the meeting, per its spokesman, had not been met. Kabul's conditions, UN Secretary General António Guterres later claimed, essentially amounted to a demand for full recognition of the Taliban-led government as the legitimate representative of the Afghan state.
Elsewhere, controversy in Pakistan continues. After weeks of instability following controversial elections, a coalition government was formed between the parties that came second and third in recent elections was formed. Independents affiliated with now jailed ex-Prime Minister Imran Khan remain excluded.
The new Prime Minister is Shahbaz Sharif: a former Prime Minister and brother of two-time ex-Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif. Asif Ali Zardari: former President, husband of ex-PM Benazir Bhutto and father of Bilawal Bhutto (leader of the Pakistan People's Party), is to serve as new President.
As fragile coalitions are formed and widespread allegations of election rigging, Pakistan's powerful military continues to crack down on social media and supporters of former Prime Minister Imran Khan.
Amidst Pakistan' persistent political instability, Ahmed-Waleed and Sangar discuss whether and how the South Asian country's woes will impact Afghanistan.
Links/references:
Chinese envoy 'regrets' Taliban absence at Doha conference:
https://www.khaama.com/china-regrets-the-un-doha-meetings-failure-to-engage-in-dialogue-with-taliban/
US Special Envoy Thomas West's reflections on Doha Conference: https://twitter.com/US4AfghanPeace/status/1760815035419381856
UN Secretary General: 'We want a peaceful Afghanistan': https://news.un.org/en/story/2024/02/1146657
Pakistan's dire economic situation:
https://www.ft.com/content/fbdf57c2-cce4-4c35-827a-1528899f5fb7
Mawlana Fazlur Rahman on his links to Afghanistan: https://x.com/adilkha89345692/status/1757789279839797482?s=46
Mawlana Fazlur Rahman on Imran Khan's ouster:
https://www.dawn.com/news/1814484
Pakistan's new coalition government: https://www.aljazeera.com/program/newsfeed/2024/2/21/pakistan-parties-agree-deal-to-form-coalition-government
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Pakistan concluding fiercely contested elections amidst turmoil and mass claims of irregularities is only the latest development in an eventful 2024. The year has been similarly eventful for Afghanistan's foreign relations. On 29th January, the Taliban-led Afghan government organised an unprecedented conference in Kabul attended by the representatives of neighbouring and regional countries. These included India, Russia, Kazakhstan and China. Meanwhile, an interview of Pakistani interim Prime Minister Anwar ul-Haq Kakar seemed to indicate a shifting attitude toward Afghanistan from trouble South-Asian country, whilst the Afghan embassy in Uzbekistan was handed over to diplomats of the Taliban-led government in Kabul.
Those developments, however, were shadowed by the events of 30th January. At a ceremony in Beijing attended by the diplomats of over 40 countries, Afghan ambassador-designate Bilal Karimi was formally received and accepted by Chinese President Xi Jinping. Karimi had previously been received by officials at the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs, (covered in S.2 E.4) but his reception by the Chinese President was unparalleled as far as Kabul's quest for diplomatic recognition is concerned. International media quickly reported the meeting's significance, whilst the US State Department publicly called on China for 'clarity' on whether the reception constituted its formal recognition of the Taliban's government.
Speaking amongst themselves as well as to experts, Ahmed-Waleed and Sangar discuss whether the events mark the beginning of greater overseas legitimacy of the post-2021 Taliban-led government, the effects of these developments, and what they reveal about Kabul's diplomatic priorities.
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Amidst deteriorating relations between Kabul and Islamabad, news emerged on 18th December. The Afghan ambassador to Pakistan confirmed that an invitation had been extended to Pakistani politician Maulana Fazlur Rahman to visit Kabul. The visit, according to many sources, was intended to defuse tensions between the neighbours; Fazlur Rahman, an influential politician and religious scholar, could mediate between the two.
In Episode 5 of Season Two of The Afghan Eye podcast, Ahmed-Waleed Kakar discusses Maulana Fazlur Rahman: who is he, what is his background, and why is he important enough to serve as a mediator between Afghanistan and Pakistan? Ahmed-Waleed Kakar also asks experts about their views on the prospects of any mediation being successful.
Fazlur Rahman invited to visit Kabul:
https://tribune.com.pk/story/2450369/fazl-invited-to-kabul-amid-rising-tensions
Fazlur Rahman to visit Kabul on Wednesday: https://www.ariananews.af/maulana-fazal-ur-rehman-to-visit-kabul-on-wednesday/
Fazlur Rahman interview with BBC Pashto:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ldg-oLctJ2M
US sanctions on two Taliban leaders:
https://www.state.gov/promoting-accountability-in-support-of-the-75th-anniversary-of-the-universal-declaration-of-human-rights/
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On 1st December 2023, the Taliban's ambassador was greeted by an official at the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Bilal Karimi formally presented his credentials to and was received by Hong Lei: the Director General of the Chinese Foreign Ministry's Protocol Department.
The picture was shared triumphantly by the Taliban on X (formerly known as Twitter) and thereafter quickly circulated across social media as it was reported by various global outlets. Analysts and commentators quickly jumped onto the discussion, debating whether the meeting and reception of the Taliban's ambassador constituted Beijing's official recognition, by extension, of the Taliban's government. If so, it would make China the first country to recognise the Taliban, and would mark a huge victory for the group in their hitherto unsuccessful quest for international acceptance.
In this episode, Ahmed-Waleed Kakar examines the meeting and the underlying context behind the widely perceived official recognition of the Taliban by China. Did this meeting really mean the official recognition of the Taliban and if so, what did it mean for Afghanistan and the region? What was the larger context of the Taliban's control over foreign embassies staffed by the previous regime's diplomats? What is the nature of the bilateral relationship between the Taliban and Beijing, and the various factors and common interests influencing these?
Links/references:
China formally receives Afghan (Taliban) ambassador: https://www.voanews.com/a/taliban-say-afghan-embassy-in-india-set-to-resume-operations-soon/7377115.html
Taliban 'handed keys' to embassy in India: https://www.independent.co.uk/asia/india/afghan-embassy-delhi-taliban-zakia-wardak-b2456762.html
Trilateral summit statement: https://www.mfa.gov.cn/eng/zxxx_662805/202305/t20230509_11073522.html
Taliban open to joining the Belt and Road Initiative: https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/taliban-says-plans-formally-join-chinas-belt-road-initiative-2023-10-19/
Taliban sign mining contracts: https://apnews.com/article/afghanistan-taliban-mining-contract-dfd109247a44e46a9d41d8e1db76e541
Mullah Hassan welcomes newly appointed Chinese ambassador: https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2023/9/13/taliban-gives-a-warm-welcome-to-chinas-new-ambassador-to-afghanistan
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On 24th November 2023, a conference was convened in the Russian capital of Moscow. Attendees included Russian politicians and an Iranian government representative. The conference was also attended by a number of exiled Afghan politicians: Shukria Barakzai, Fawzia Koofi, Muhammad Muhaqqiq, Ahmad Wali Massoud, and Ahmad Massoud.
The event follows months of conflicting statements made by Russian officials about Afghanistan. In particular, Russian Special Envoy to Afghanistan Zamir Kabulov has repeatedly reprimanded the Afghan government and highlighted its lack of ethnopolitical inclusivity. At the same time, Kabulov has stressed the need for engagement with Kabul and praised its counter-narcotics efforts as well as its ongoing campaign against Daesh (ISKP).
What is driving Russia's seemingly mixed signals to Kabul? Ahmed-Waleed Kakar examines the conferences, and assesses what it reveals and signifies about Russo-Afghan relations.
Links/references:
Massoud’s speech at the Moscow Conference: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WsUL230Px3c&t=4s
Kabulov: The Afghan government is currently not inclusive. Link: https://tolonews.com/afghanistan-183805
Kabulov: The Taliban must ensure ethnopolitical inclusivity for recognition. https://tass.com/politics/1681639?
Kazan Declaration: https://mid.ru/en/foreign_policy/news/1906997/
Kabulov: Ethnic minorities are over half of the Afghan population.
https://www.aa.com.tr/en/europe/ties-with-afghanistan-should-not-be-hostage-to-taliban-recognition-russian-president-s-envoy/3017031#
Russian Ambassador meets Afghan Foreign Minister. https://twitter.com/HafizZiaAhmad/status/1728399725706281378
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On 6th November 2023, senior and former American diplomat Annie Pforzheimer wrote an article for World Politics Review. In the article, Pforzheimer, who has previously worked extensively as an American diplomat in Afghanistan, highlighted the signs that the Biden Administration was mulling widening and upgrading its ties with the Taliban, now the government of Afghanistan. Pforzheimer argued that, based on lingering concerns regarding human rights as well as the Taliban's perceived ties to terrorist organisations, that Washington ought to desist from improving its ties with the Taliban.
In the second episode of Season 2 of The Afghan Eye Podcast, Ahmed-Waleed Kakar dissects Pforzheimer's article, the references it sources, and the arguments presented within it.
Are improved American-Afghan relations really on the horizon? What does this mean for Afghanistan?
(Thumbnail photo of Afghan Interior Minister Sirajuddin Haqqani by AHMAD SAHEL ARMAN/AFP via Getty Images. Instagram @a.sahel_arman)
Articles referenced:
The article:
https://www.worldpoliticsreview.com/us-afghanistan-taliban/
Annie Pforzheimer's biography:
https://www.csis.org/people/annie-pforzheimer
CSIS’ funding and donors:
https://www.csis.org/about/financial-information
The UN's 2023 report: https://documents-dds-ny.un.org/doc/UNDOC/GEN/N23/125/36/PDF/N2312536.pdf?OpenElement
The UN's 2022 report:
https://documents-dds-ny.un.org/doc/UNDOC/GEN/N22/333/77/PDF/N2233377.pdf?OpenElement
The Doha Agreement:
https://www.state.gov/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/Agreement-For-Bringing-Peace-to-Afghanistan-02.29.20.pdf
Afghan Ministerial Visit to Islamabad:
https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2023/11/14/taliban-minister-raised-refugee-assets-issue-during-pakistan-visit-embassy
Afghan goods held in Karachi:
https://www.arabnews.pk/node/2387031/pakistan
Peace in Afghanistan a 'nightmare':
https://tolonews.com/afghanistan-185983
Regional recognition of Taliban to be 'simultaneous':
https://www.voanews.com/a/regional-countries-mulling-simultaneous-taliban-recognition-pakistani-envoy-says/7357983.html
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On 2nd October 2023, Pakistan's Interior Minister Sarfaraz Bugti announced that illegal immigrants residing in the country would be given one month to return to their home countries. Whilst not explicitly aimed at Afghans, the majority of projected deportees, roughly numbering 1.73 million, would be Afghans. Since 1st November, with the passage of a month's deadline, deportations have been carried out in earnest. Disturbing reports have surfaced; Afghans have been subject to physical abuse in addition to having their wealth seized by Pakistani police at border crossings. Afghans legally registered and residing in Pakistan have also reported harassment from the country's notorious security apparatus.
Pakistani Caretaker Prime Minister Anwar ul-Haq Kakar on 8th November stated that the deportations were down to Kabul's refusal to cooperate with Islamabad on curtailing the increased activity of Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), widely considered to be under Kabul's influence. Afghan refugees, Kakar also claimed, were largely responsible for Pakistan's perilous security situation.
Ahmed-Waleed Kakar analyses the motivations behind the drastic decision by Islamabad, explaining the larger context of Afghan-Pakistani relations since 2021 and what effects could be expected going forth.
Articles referenced:
Reuters: https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/pakistan-pm-says-expulsion-afghans-response-taliban-non-cooperation-2023-11-08/ Al Jazeera English: https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2023/10/3/pakistan-wants-undocumented-migrants-to-leave-by-november-1-or-get-deported Al Jazeera English: https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2017/2/7/afghan-refugees-status-extended-until-end-of-year
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**In the beginning of April 2023, the Taliban notified the United Nation mission in Afghanistan that Afghan women are no longer permitted to work for the U.N. There are approximately 400 Afghan women who work for the U.N mission in Afghanistan. This decision was condemned by the international community and the U.N. is currently assessing whether to continue or halt all aid activities in Afghanistan.
In this episode, Sangar is joined by seasoned conultant and academic Sepi Azarbaijani-Moghaddam. She was one of the foreign aidworkers in Kabul when the Taliban took over the country in the 1990's. Sepi has in total, more 29 years of experience in conflict and post-conflict countries, especially in Afghanistan.**
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A flurry of diplomatic activity over the past months has seen Afghan embassies and consulates in Iran and the UAE handed over to the new Afghan Taliban government.
As this diplomatic momentum increases, reports circulate that Tajikistan, initially hostile to the Taliban government, is poised to follow suit and submit control of Afghan consular premises to the Taliban.
What does this mean for the new Afghan government and its lack of recognition so far? What does it mean for Afghanistan? What opportunities do a greater diplomatic presence overseas present for Kabul?
In this episode of The Afghan Eye podcast, Sangar Paykhar hosts Afghan political analyst and scholar in international relations, Abdul Hai Qanit, to dissect these questions further.
Abdul Hai Qanit on Twitter: @AQanit
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In this episode of The Afghan Eye podcast, Sangar hosts Jeff Rigsby. Jeff Rigsby was a US military contractor and aid worker during the occupation who is currently living in Afghanistan. Jeff sheds light in the lack of transparency in the Western NGO industry and details his experiences as an American living in the new, post-occupation, and Taliban-governed Afghanistan.
Jeff Rigsby on Twitter: @JeffRigsby2
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What is liberalism? What makes liberalism an aggressive ideology that motivates the militarism of Western states? How can dissecting liberalism help us understand the American occupation of Afghanistan?
To answer these questions further, Ahmed-Waleed and Sangar dive into The Great Delusion by the renowned political scientist Dr. John J. Mearsheimer.
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The Afghan Eye is back!
In 2023's first episode, Sangar interviews Ahmed-Waleed on his recent article on the history and legacy of politicised education in Afghanistan. Amidst increasing Taliban restrictions on Afghan women's right to work and a ban on female secondary and university education, the duo discuss predictions for the directions that could be taken by Afghanistan under the Taliban's government.
The article: https://afghaneye.org/2022/12/21/afghanistan-girls-education/
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This episode of The Afghan Brief focuses on the three day long 'Scholar's Conference' gathered by the Taliban in Kabul and its 11-point Declaration. Ahmed-Waleed and Sangar discuss the assembly's Declaration, its lack of political inclusivity and the Declaration's reference to women's rights and modern education. and analyse why it wasn't labelled, as per national custom, a 'jirga'.
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Who is to blame for the current diplomatic deadlock between the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan and the West?
Have the Taliban really changed?
Is there such thing as Taliban 2.0? If so, how and why is it different from Taliban 1.0?
To discuss these questions and more, Ahmed-Waleed Kakar hosts former humanitarian aid worker Cathal Ó Gabhann (@AnOGabhannOg) to discuss his latest oped for the National Interest: 'The West is Getting Afghanistan Wrong, Again'.
Cathal Ó Gabhann has spent four years working in Afghanistan, in which he dealt with the Taliban on a daily basis, and has spent the past fourteen years interacting with armed insurgent groups throughout Asia, as well as with prisoners of war and victims of alleged war crimes.
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In the third episode of The Afghan Brief, the latest issue of national significance from Afghanistan is discussed. Sangar and Ahmed-Waleed dissect the convening of a grand assembly of three thousand religious scholars and tribal elders from across Afghanistan. They analyse the name given to the gathering, the ambiguity surrounding its stated purpose, the lack of female participation and its potential effects on the Afghan government and Afghanistan going forth.
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In the second episode of The Afghan Brief, Sangar and Ahmed-Waleed discuss ongoing rescue efforts by the Afghan government and the international reaction to a devastating earthquake in Afghanistan's southeast Loya Paktia region. They also discuss the crippling constraints posed by continued US sanctions on Afghanistan, as well as the earthquake's potentially accelerating pre-existing geopolitical and regional trends.
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On the first ever episode of The Afghan Brief, Ahmed-Waleed and Sangar cover the latest news coming out of Afghanistan, including a travel ban on two officials of the Afghan government. They also discuss signs of seemingly warming ties between Westminster and Kabul.
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What the Afghan national identity? Where does nationalism and ethno-nationalism come from? How should we interpret the call for partition by some fringe groups online? In this episode, host Sangar Paykhar and Historian Ahmed-Waleed Kakar attempt to answer all these questions.
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Gulmakai Saleh: https://gulmakai.com/
https://twitter.com/GulmakaiSaleh
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After the fall of the previous regime on 15 August, the Taliban are now the de facto government of Afghanistan. Sangar Paykhar spoke to professor Ashok Swain about the prospects of a government led by the Taliban.
Ashok Swain is a Professor of Peace and Conflict Research, UNESCO Chair of International Water Cooperation, and the Director of Research School of International Water Cooperation at Uppsala University. He has been a Mac Arthur Visiting Fellow at the University of Chicago, Fellow at UNRISD, Geneva; and visiting professor at University of British Columbia, University of Maryland, Stanford University, McGill University, Tufts University and University of Natural Sciences and Life Sciences, Vienna.
E-mail: Ashok.Swain@pcr.uu.se
Twitter: @ashoswai
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Ahmed-Waleed Kakar & Sangar Paykhar discuss the subsequent fall of provincial capitals in Northern Afghanistan, the UN Security Council discussion about Aghanistan, the demand from Kabul to sanction Pakistan and Sun Tzu's the Art of War's application to current situation in Afghanistan.
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Habib Wardak is a political analyst who graduated with an MA in Defence and Strategic Studies from the Department of Defence and Strategic Studies in the University of Pune. He worked as a lecturer at Kardan University's Department of International Relations and has extensive experience working with the international community in Afghanistan. Most recently, he worked as a senior official at the Afghan Ministry of Defence; a job he left for ethical reasons. In this episode, Ahmed-Waleed and Sangar host Habib. They quiz him on his family's political background, their association with figures like Professor Burhan ud-Din Rabbani, Pir Sayyid Ahmad Gilani, Ahmad Shah Massoud, Mawlawi Jalal ud-Din Haqqani and Mullah Omar. Habib dissects his experience working with the international community and the Afghan Ministry of Defence, whilst retelling the harrowing details of his family being the target of a night raid by US forces, as well as being interrogated by the notorious NDS: Afghanistan's intelligence agency.
Habib Wardak on Twitter: https://twitter.com/HabibWardak
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In the 25th episode of The Afghan Eye Podcast, Sangar and Ahmed-Waleed host Fatima Ayub: a senior political analyst with over two decades of experience working on Afghanistan in organisations like Human Rights Watch, International Crisis Group and the European Council for Foreign Relations. Sangar asks Fatima about what drove her, as an Afghan woman, to study about Afghanistan, as well as the fallacies Fatima encountered when working within international organisations with regard to Afghanistan. Finally, Sangar and Fatima exchange views regarding the role of Afghan diaspora in the future of the country. Fatima Ayub on Twitter: https://twitter.com/thecynicist
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On April 28th 1978, Afghanistan witnessed the Saur Revolution. The Saur Revolution was the name given to the communist coup d'etat launched against Afghanistan's first President: Sardar Muhammad Daud Khan, who was killed alongside 20 of his family members. The Saur Revolution inaugurated a dark period of Afghan history, plunging the country into a war from which it is yet to recover.
On the 43rd anniversary of the Saur Revolution, by popular demand, Ahmed-Waleed and Sangar dissect and evaluate Daud Khan. They discuss his early life, his education and the beginnings of his political career. They also examine his ideological convictions, including his nationalism and heavy emphasis on state-driven modernisation, all of which culminated in his bloody removal from power in the Saur Revolution.
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Sangar and Ahmed-Waleed host Dr. William Ruger: Research Fellow at the Cato Institute and Vice President for Research and Policy at the Charles Koch Institute. Dr. Ruger was President Trump's nominee for US Ambassador to Afghanistan and was also recently published in NYT with an op-ed titled ‘Why President Biden Must Withdraw From Afghanistan’.
Dr. William Ruger's Twitter handle: @WillRuger
Some of the topics Ahmed-Waleed and Sangar quiz Dr. Ruger are:
1) Dr. Ruger's experience serving in Afghanistan
2) Why he has been so opposed to war in Afghanistan
3) The fundamental mistakes made by the US in Afghanistan
4) Realist foreign policy
5) The US' moral responsibility toward promoting liberal values in Afghanistan and 'nation building'
6) American-Afghan relations following a US withdrawal, and following a peace deal
7) The spoilers of a peace deal 8) Afghanistan's natural resources, rugs, and trade.
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The founder of the Afghan Eye: Ahmed-Waleed Kakar, recently published his seminal article on the Durand Line. Within just a week, the article became the most read article on The Afghan Eye website, receiving widespread praise from all quarters and from all around the world.
In this episode, Sangar hosts Ahmed-Waleed, asking about some of the criticism his article received, and Ahmed-Waleed expands on issues surrounding the Durand Line.
Link: https://afghaneye.org/2021/03/28/the-durand-line/
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On 3rd February 2021, the Afghanistan Study Group published a report recommending the Biden administration to keep US troops in Afghanistan past the May deadline. This will effectively violate the US-Taliban Agreement signed in February 2020. Ahmed-Waleed Kakar and Sangar Paykhar scrutinize the report, its key arguments, the implications of its suggested courses of action, and the motivation of its authors.
Link to the report: https://www.usip.org/publications/2021/02/afghanistan-study-group-final-report-pathway-peace-afghanistan
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Afghan photographer and journalist Lynzy Billing reports from Afghanistan and Iraq. Her most recent scoop was about a Taliban attack on Camp Chapman, a CIA base in Khost province of Afghanistan.
Lynzy, Ahmed-Waleed and Sangar discuss the way Afghanistan is being covered by local and international news organizations, the role of Afghan women in media portrayals of Afghanistan and the Afghan peace process.
You can follow Lynzy's work here:
https://www.instagram.com/lynzybilling/
https://twitter.com/LynzyBilling
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In this episode, we are reviewing Barnett Rubin's latest book. Our guest is Suzanne Schroeder, an independent researcher on Afghanistan.
Dr. Barnett R. Rubin's book is titled: ‘Afghanistan: What Everyone Needs to Know’.
This episode contains a song based on Quincy Jones titled 'Back on the block'.
UMG (on behalf of Universal Music Enterprises); Warner Chappell, ASCAP, ARESA, CMRRA, LatinAutorPerf, Abramus Digital, LatinAutor - PeerMusic, BMG Rights Management (US), LLC, and 3 music rights societies
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Hamid Helmandi, a specialist in urban development and agriculture, was the cofounder of the First Afghanistan Construction Company along with the family members of former president Hamid Karzai. Helmandi tells his story of being involved in a state of the art urban development project called Ayno Mina in Afghanistan’s southern Kandahar province.
Below are links to Hamid Helmandi, his current position and news articles related to his story.
Abdul Hamid Helmandi, senior advisor of Afghan president Ashraf Ghani: https://aop.gov.af/dr/advisor_details/284
Hamid Helmandi on Twitter: https://twitter.com/HamidHelmandi
According to several AFCO partners, Shah Wali Karzai had transferred about $55 million. “He simply opened another company, and put the money in that company,” Mahmoud Karzai said in an interview: https://www.nytimes.com/2012/06/04/world/asia/karzai-family-moves-to-protect-its-privilege.html
US Prosecutors probe Karzai’s brother: https://www.wsj.com/articles/SB10001424052748704760704575516052903781616
Bank Fraud case of Mahmoud Karzai: https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/asia-pacific/elaborate-ruse-behind-vast-kabul-bank-fraud/2011/06/30/AGL3bmsH_story.html
Afghan president appoints Mahmoud Karzai as acting minister for Urban Development: https://twitter.com/TOLOnews/status/1267492683939012626?s=20
Afghan Wind Solar: http://www.afghanwindsolar.com/index.php/about-us
NPR 2008 Interview with Helmandi about Ayno Mina: https://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=87858936&t=1603724723154
Pajhwok news item about Afghanistan Construction Company in 2018: https://www.pajhwok.com/en/2018/07/28/afco-licence-expires-main-shareholders-loggerheads
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King Amanullah Khan is hailed by many for his reforms and his progressiveness. Ahmed-Waleed Kakar and Sangar Paykhar take a closer look at Amanullah Khan's reforms and how they have led to the downfall of his reign in 1929.
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In this episode of the Afghan Eye Podcast, Ahmed-Waleed and Sangar comment on president Ashraf Ghani's announcement of holding a Consultative Loya Jirga to discuss the issue of the last 400 Talib prisoners pending release as per US-Taliban Peace Agreement.
They firstly break down what a Jirga actually is, the role it has played in the evolution of Afghan society and how Afghan governments since the 18th century have saught to use the legitimacy of the Jirga as an institution for their own ends. In the context of Ashraf Ghani's recent announcement they deliberate upon why Kabul has chosen its stated course of action.
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In this episode, Ahmed-Waleed Kakar and Sangar Paykhar are hosting Amina Khan. She is the Director Centre for Middle East & Africa (CMEA) at the Institute of Strategic Studies (ISSI), Islamabad, where she oversees research and advocacy-related work on all facets of CMEA. Prior to this, she served as a Research Fellow and a Senior Research Fellow at the ISSI, focusing on Afghanistan and FATA. Amina Khan has a Masters degree in Democracy, Politics and Governance (DPG) from Royal Holloway University of London. She also has a Masters degree in Defense and Strategic Studies (DSS) from the Quaid-e-Azam University Islamabad (2005). She has been a Visiting Fellow at the SWP Stiftung Wissenschaft und Politik – German Institute for International and Security Affairs (2011). Currently she is pursuing her doctoral degree from Quaid-e-Azam University.
Publications:
http://issi.org.pk/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/IB_Amina_June_17_2020.pdf
http://issi.org.pk/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/IB_Amina_Feb_4_2020.pdf
aminakhan@issi.org.pk
https://twitter.com/aminabm
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Our guest in this episode is Nikko Norte. He a former member of the Dutch Commando Corps served in Afghanistan as part of the Dutch mission in Uruzgan province. Nikko Norte has recently published a book in Dutch about his experience in Afghanistan titled 'Onvoorspelbaar Verleden'. The title translated into English is 'Unpredictable Past'.
Nikko Norte's website: https://en.nikkonorte.com/
Nikko Norte's publisher: https://webwinkel.uitgeverijprometheus.nl/book/nikko-norte
Nikko Norte's Twitter: https://twitter.com/NikkoNorte
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Sangar and Ahmed-Waleed host an American war veteran who was deployed to Afghanistan. He has recently published his first book titled: 'Un-American: A Soldier's Reckoning of Our Longest War'.
For more information, please visit Edstrom's website: https://www.enedstrom.com/
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John Bolton, former National Security Advisor of Donald Trump has written a book title'The Room Where It Happened: A White House Memoir'. Ahmed-Waleed Kakar and Sangar Paykhar review the book and focus on what John Bolton has written about Afghanistan.
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In this episode, Ahmed-Waleed and Sangar discuss the recent assassinations of two very prominent imams in Kabul. Ayaz Niazi of Wazir Akbar Khan Masjid and Azizullah Mufleh of Sher Shah Suri Masjid were both assassinated inside their masjids.
Sangar and Ahmed-Waleed also reflect on the first 10 episodes and discuss what they have learned from our previous guests. At the end of the show, there is a big announcement but since you are reading this, it means you already know what they're going to say. :)
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