Political instability and security concerns have hampered Afghanistan’s capacity to serve as a vital transit centre for trade and energy, yet there are opportunities to leverage its position to strengthen economic relations between Pakistan and Central Asian states for enhanced regional collaboration and sustained investment. Afghanistan has historically served as a crucial link in the ancient Silk Road, facilitating trade between the East and the West. Today, Afghanistan’s geography positions it as a gateway for the resource-rich Central Asian republics to access global markets through Pakistan's warm water ports of Karachi and Gawadar, on the Arabian Sea. The Central Asia Regional Economic Cooperation (CAREC) program, established in 2001 to enhance regional integration, has identified Afghanistan as a pivotal player in this process. Specifically, CAREC corridors such as Corridor 5 and Corridor 6 are designed to improve trade routes through Afghanistan, potentially boosting economic ties between Central Asia and Pakistan. However, significant challenges stand in the way of realizing Afghanistan's potential. The infrastructure for the CASA-1000, TUTAP, and TAPI projects under CAREC has largely been completed on the Central Asian side, but construction within Afghanistan has faced significant delays due to the withdrawal of international donors. This stalling affects the progress of these initiatives: the CASA-1000 aims to transport electricity from Central Asia to South Asia, the TUTAP project focuses on improving Afghanistan’s infrastructure to facilitate electricity delivery from Central Asia to Afghanistan and Pakistan, and the TAPI pipeline is designed to transport natural gas from Turkmenistan to Afghanistan, Pakistan, and India.[1] Domestic challenges within Afghanistan are significantly impeding efforts to establish reliable regional connectivity. Since NATO's withdrawal in 2022, the country has faced ongoing insurgent attacks, political instability, and...

In his paper for the Friedrich Naumann Foundation (FNF), Imtiaz Gul, the Executive Director of the Center for Research and Security Studies (CRSS), provides a comprehensive exploration of Pakistan's policy shifts towards Afghanistan following the Taliban's takeover in August 2021. The analysis sheds light on the growing security threats posed by the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and the challenges these developments create for Pakistan-Afghanistan relations. Gul also addresses the broader regional context, emphasizing the importance of pragmatic diplomatic efforts and humanitarian interventions to mitigate the crises facing Afghanistan. This paper offers valuable insights for policymakers, academics, and anyone interested in the evolving dynamics between Pakistan and Afghanistan and the wider implications for the region. Read more: https://www.freiheit.org/de/pakistan/pakistan-und-afghanistan

Warmongers and rumour mills, it seems, are working overtime to convince their electorate in Europe and the US of the august nature of their support for Israel and Ukraine. In essence their statements on Ukraine and Israel betray the double-faced exceptionalism that stems from their national and block interests. Truth and letigimate interests of smaller nations become the direct victim of such geopolitical endeavours - often at the cost of individual nations' sovereignty. The latter stands compromised when most developing nations begin suffering the consequences of the reckless and self-serving governance by the ruling elites. Invariably, these nations increasingly become dependent on aid, handouts and loans via the IMF and World Bank. These tools simply ensnare the countries - mostly in the South - into a dependence syndrome and thus deprives them of independent decision-making. Pakistan's nearly total reliance on IMF loans and the goodwill of Saudi Arabia, the UAE and China for survival is a case in point. It represents a living example of a member of the Global South sandwiched between the interests of the US-led West on the one hand and those of China and Russia on the other. Ukraine represents another extreme. Being a beneficiary of NATO's love, it is acting now as a willing instrument of geopolitics, trying to enlist the states of the Global South for an anti-Russian partnership and thus enforce a geopolitical shift. This effort includes initiatives such as peace summits, multilateral and bilateral dialogues and extensive media campaigns to pave the way in favour of Kiev's "peace process" that is also meant to extract ever more financial resources from Western capitals. Let us not forget that former American president Donald Trump had publicly dubbed Ukraine as "the third most corrupt country in the world". "Why should we give money to a country that's known corrupt? It's a very corrupt country. I mean, I love the people in Ukraine. I know Ukrainian people....

Three years of Taliban rule reveal a fragile peace overshadowed by severe human rights restrictions, especially for women and girls. As Afghanistan faces deep economic and social challenges, critical questions arise about the international community's role and future engagement. August 2024 marks three years since the Taliban returned to power in Afghanistan, a milestone that brings with it mixed emotions and a complex legacy. The Taliban's takeover in August 2021 was swift and decisive, a moment that abruptly ended two decades of U.S. and NATO intervention in the country. Since then, the group has struggled to maintain its grip on power, balancing the implementation of its strict interpretation of Islam with the pragmatic demands of governance. As the Taliban celebrate their "victory" with military parades and symbolic gestures, the world watches closely, torn between the harsh realities of the regime's rule and the fragile hopes for Afghanistan's future. One of the most glaring aspects of Taliban rule has been the deterioration of rights and freedoms, particularly for women and girls. Afghanistan's current government is arguably the most discriminatory in the world when it comes to gender, imposing draconian restrictions that have effectively erased women from public life. Bans on education, employment, and even leisure activities for women reflect a deeply entrenched system of gender apartheid. This regression has not only limited the opportunities for half the population but has also diminished the overall potential for Afghanistan's development. The silence that has descended on Afghanistan's political scene is equally troubling. The once vibrant and chaotic political landscape, characterized by intense competition and occasional violence, has given way to a one-party state. The Taliban's intolerance of dissent has driven many former politicians, journalists, and activists into exile or forced them into silence. The stifling of political and media freedoms...

Hamza Boltaev Head of Centre for Afghanistan and South Asian Studies at Institute for Advanced International Studies hamza.boltaev@iais.uz Aziza Mukhammedova Research fellow at Institute for Advanced International Studies aziza.mukhammedova@iais.uz Abstract: This article examines the challenges faced by international organizations in addressing the denial of women's rights in Afghanistan under Taliban rule and explores strategies to foster regional collaboration between Western countries and Afghanistan's Central Asian neighbours. Despite previous efforts, progress has been limited due to factors such as funding and support issues, cultural and ideological differences, a lack of direct influence, diminished international support, and a lack of a common strategy. To overcome these challenges, a new vision is proposed, which includes engaging neighbouring countries, empowering women at the local level, respecting local culture, and implementing scholarship initiatives and infrastructure development. The article highlights the importance of strategic engagement, grassroots empowerment, and cultural sensitivity in paving the way for tangible progress in women's rights. The internal ideological splits within the Taliban also offer a glimmer of hope, as pragmatists within the movement recognize the need to address women's rights within the framework of Sharia law. By involving the right actors and adopting a nuanced approach, there is a possibility of achieving tangible results in collaboration with the Taliban. The article concludes by emphasizing the need for a shift in strategy and united international support to effectively address the denial of women's rights in Afghanistan. Since the Taliban came to power in Afghanistan, the efforts of international organizations, in collaboration with local stakeholders, have proven ineffective in achieving desired outcomes. Recognizing the urgent need to address the denial of women’s rights to higher education, employment, and...

In a world where the truth often struggles to be heard amidst the noise of misinformation, the importance of ethical journalism cannot be overstated. Recognizing this, the Center for Research and Security Studies (CRSS) recently organized a dialogue titled "Ethical Journalism in Pakistan: Navigating Issues and Challenges." This dialogue underscored the significance of integrity, accuracy, and responsibility in journalism, addressing the prevalent lack of adherence to ethical standards among media outlets and journalists in Pakistan. Mr. Sabookh Syed, a seasoned journalist, delivered the keynote address to audience comprising young professionals, aspiring journalists, and media students. He centered on the principles, challenges, and best practices of ethical journalism within the Pakistani media landscape. Syed critically recalled the evolution of media ethics, from journalism's golden age between 1900 and 1950 to the challenges faced during the Cold War. He also discussed the transformative impact of email, the internet, and the digital age on journalism. In his view, the digital era necessitates rigorous verification processes and an unwavering commitment to ethical standards. Syed highlighted several current challenges in the media environment, including the proliferation of fake news, state-sponsored propaganda that promotes specific narratives, and the mainstream media's tendency to prioritize content that drives viewership over content that serves the public interest. He also noted the increasing influence of marketing departments due to their financial power. Additionally, the rise of social media has exacerbated the spread of fake news, given the absence of thorough fact-checking processes that are more typical of traditional media. The participants discussed the lack of focus on local issues in the media and highlighted the disparity in coverage between international and domestic matters. They pointed out that while the media extensively covers events in...

BY SHAHANA NASEER & TARIQUE HAFEEZ Amidst the international sanctions and humanitarian crisis that followed in August 2021 in Afghanistan, various international players have actively supported the country through humanitarian and economic assistance. The following is a breakdown of the substantial international efforts to provide development aid to Afghanistan amidst the ongoing political and economic challenges. Each country and organization that has played a crucial role in addressing the humanitarian crisis and supporting the Afghan population in various critical sectors is listed below: U.S. 2021 S. humanitarian aid for the country and for Afghan refugees in the region has totaled nearly $474 million so far this year. https://www.nytimes.com/2021/12/22/us/politics/afghanistan-sanctions-aid-taliban.html S. Assistance to Afghanistan. The United States remains the largest donor to programs supporting the Afghan people, disbursing more than $2.8 billion for humanitarian and development assistance since the Taliban takeover in August 2021. https://www.sigar.mil/interactive-reports/sigar-quarterly-report-2024-01-30/#:~:text=U.S.%20Assistance%20to%20Afghanistan,-An%20Afghan%20woman&text=The%20United%20States%20remains%20the%20largest%20donor%20to%20programs%20supporting,Taliban%20takeover%20in%20August%202021. More than $1.73 billion of the nearly $2.52 billion appropriated for assistance to Afghanistan since the end of FY 2021 has gone toward humanitarian assistance, representing 69% of the total, and another $404 million, or 16% of the total, went toward development assistance. https://www.sigar.mil/pdf/quarterlyreports/2023-10-30qr.pdf Amount: $2.8 billion Purpose: Humanitarian aid Source: https://thediplomat.com/2024/05/what-is-the-state-of-us-assistance-to-afghanistan-and-afghans/:~:text=The%20%242.8%20billion%20in%20appropriations,falling%20precipitously%20since%20October%202021. Amount: $12 million Purpose: Items such as food, health care and shelter...