Humayun Shafi

Ceasefire in the Syrian civil war commenced from end of December last year. The ceasefire arranged by Turkey and Russia, is between the Syrian government and the several proxy groups fighting against President Bashar al Assad and was announced after the victory in Allepo by the Syrian army in December 2016. The ceasefireis in a […]

The long-running war in Afghanistan tragically does not appear to be moving towards an early resolution. The informal contacts for peace talks between the Afghan government and Taliban in Doha, Qatar are seemingly mired in suspicion and opposing demands, and hence at the moment expectations from such contacts are low. America committed itself to the […]

This year Afghanistan’s 97th independence anniversary in August passed with a sense of concern for this nation. The security situation in Afghanistan portrays a rather bleak picture than ever before, defying all solutions. This is rather worrisome for the neighbouring countries, especially Pakistan. There is a heavy presence of the Taliban on the outskirts of […]

In October 2001 Afghanistan faced the first US military engagement in global war on terror, and now after 15 years of fighting, sadly enough, the Afghan government is still facing challenges to the very existence of the State structure itself, and there does not appear to be an end to difficult times. The Afghan Taliban […]

The ceasefire in Syria that went into effect on February 27, 2016 may just be another passing event in the strife-torn lives of the people in the Middle East. The ceasefire arranged with the efforts of Russia and the US has made it possible to distribute food and medicines among the distressed people locked in […]

The situation in Afghanistan does not augur well. The distressing part is that no viable solutions towards peace and stability seem to be available. Kandahar, Sangin, Kunduz, Lashkar Gah — all are under threat of Afghan Taliban takeover. How events in Afghanistan, over the decades, have gradually been overtaken for the worst can be imagined […]

Present events in the Middle East portray a rather tragic picture and there does not appear to be any sign of a hopeful situation at the moment. Attempts to contain Islamic State (IS) have proved futile; in fact IS has adopted the means and mobility to evade detection by the intelligence apparatus many a time. […]

The influence and territory seized by Islamic State (IS) in the Middle East and beyond is gradually on the increase. In June last year IS declared itself a state and gained global prominence as it occupied large territories and urban centres in Iraq and Syria, and now in parts of Libya. Global coalitions and strategies […]

Excessive militancy and terrorism in the Middle East, North and West Africa are spreading at a pace faster than previously thought. The alarming part is the absence of a strategy or a common vision and trust among countries in the Middle East to contain the threat of violent militancy perpetuated by Islamic State (IS). Saudi […]

Events indicate ominous signs of a deepening crisis, caused by the ever-increasing influence of Islamic State (IS), which now has spread from the Middle East, North Africa and into the Northern Caucasus in Russia. In one year, IS has gone much beyond occupying and holding large territories in Iraq and Syria; it has a large […]