Zafar Iqbal Yousafzai

With the US withdrawal from Afghanistan at the end of August 2021 ended the US-Pakistan cooperation in Afghanistan that lasted for two decades. Despite huge losses borne by Pakistan in war on terror since the US invasion of Afghanistan, Washington is not happy with Islamabad over the precarious situation and the Taliban takeover in Afghanistan. […]

Pakistan has been facing an immense energy crisis for quite a long time. According to a World Bank report, electricity shortage is a bigger obstacle to business as compared to corruption. To fulfil, or at least shorten, its energy shortage, Pakistan and China are working in close collaboration. Some states like India have been questioning […]

The Taliban’s swift return to power shocked the world; bringing humiliation for Washington and Ghani administration. Questions about such a quick collapse of the Afghan forces keep boggling minds everywhere. The world wondered why Washington and Kabul did not do anything to handle the situation—both on the ground and table. This article seeks to answer […]

Pak-Uzbekistan relations are growing in recent times and cooperation is on the rise. The recent visit of Pakistani Prime Minister, Imran Khan, to Uzbekistan indicated the two states are expanding their multi-faceted cooperation. During his two-day visit, Mr Khan addressed Uzbekistan-Pakistan Business Forum on “Central and South Asia 2021: Regional Connectivity and Opportunities.” He expressed […]

Last month, leaders at the NATO summit declared China as a constant security threat that could undermine world order—a matter of serious concern. “We recognise that China’s growing influence and international policies present both opportunities and challenges that we need to address together as an Alliance,” read NATO’s declaration. Similarly, G7 announced the Build Back […]

As the US starts pulling out of Afghanistan, Taliban are advancing across the Afghan territory clearly indicating their victory in the war against the US-led NATO and ISAF troops. The US officials on one hand accept they have lost the Afghan war although in grim words, while the Taliban have been repeatedly and bluntly proclaiming […]

Afghanistan’s political and security situation is quite precarious given the intensity of Taliban advances, lack of progress in intra-Afghan talks, and, most importantly, the accelerated US withdrawal. This is not to overlook the American quest to establish bases in the neighbourhood to keep an eye on Afghanistan. Yet things seem to be proceeding in the […]

The ceasefire between Hamas and Israel brokered by Egypt, although violated within a few hours, holds so far. Indeed, the situation is returning to ‘normal’. However, the conflict has cost both the parties dear. More than 217 Palestinians, including 63 children and 38 women, have been martyred and 1400 wounded. The Israeli side lost 12 […]

Afghanistan’s sputtering peace process effectively stalled following President Biden’s announcement of a delayed timetable for US troop withdrawal from the country. And while he failed to acknowledge that this revision violated the US-Taliban Doha agreement — the Taliban, nevertheless, responded by announcing a boycott of all peace talks. Indeed, the Istanbul process scheduled for April […]

History is poised to witness a second superpower’s exit from Afghanistan in four decades. Earlier this month, when US President Joe Biden announced that it was “time to end the forever war”, he was standing in the same Treaty Room as George W Bush when the latter had informed the American people of the retributive […]