Category: AfPak

Since the Taliban’s ascension to power in Afghanistan and considering recent developments within Pakistan, the regional security landscape has witnessed a discernible deterioration, primarily because of the escalating terrorist menace emanating from Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP).

The strategic positioning of the Khorasan region is pivotal for the facilitation of trade and cultural interchange with adjacent nations. In this regard, implementing Special Economic Zones (SEZs) might strengthen the relations between Afghanistan and Iran.

Turkmenistan and Pakistan seek to confirm and expand their cooperation, notably in the domain of energy cooperation, with a focal emphasis on the Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan-India (TAPI) natural gas pipeline project.

The assassination of Qari Mohammad Dawezi in Afghanistan, a field commander affiliated with the Jamaat-ul-Ahrar, a faction withing the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), highlights the intensifying factional infighting within the organisation and the significant role that the Afghan territory has for jihadist militants.

The Azerbaijani State Security Service recently detained an Afghan citizen who had been planning a terrorist attack within the country. This alarming development highlights the ongoing global threat of terrorism and the importance of maintaining public stability and security.

By improving security and defence cooperations, Pakistan is trying to increase its influence on Tajikistan and the regional security system of Central Asia as a whole and prevent the rise of jihadist groups.

The Taliban continue their effort to contrast and eliminate the Islamic State’s threat, confirming the Islamic Emirate necessity to stabilise the country to attract foreign investors and international consensus.

Turkmenistan accomplished the mission to export its natural gas to Pakistan through Afghanistan, an economic goal that Ashgabat aimed to reach to diversify its exports and trade partners and increase the revenue.

In the context of the Ukraine conflict and the changing geopolitical scenario in Eurasia, Islamabad denied the ammunition supply to Ukraine to avoid any possible deterioration of the relations with the Russian Federation, which is actively involved in promoting the Pakistani energy and logistic markets.

The Islamic State terrorist attack against the Foreign Affairs Ministry of Afghanistan in Kabul stressed the unstable situation in the country and the Taliban’s inability to face terrorism and jihadist groups. Although the Taliban claimed that they had upgraded the national security situation since they took power in August 2021, the number of violent attacks and bomb blast have increased.

In 2023, foreign actors’ interests, terrorism, authoritarianism, and economic slowdown might threaten Central Asia and AfPak’s security and stability and increase regional geopolitical risk.

Since Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) ended the ceasefire with the Pakistani Government, security has worsened in the country. Recent violent attacks in Pakistan and militants’ seizure of the Counter-Terrorism Department (CTD) compound in the Bannu district have also alarmed neighbouring countries and foreign investors who are worried about future Pakistani stability.

SpecialEurasia had the opportunity to interview Hamid Saifi, a former Afghanistan National Army commanding officer (5thBrigade of the 203rd Thunder Corps) and current member of the National Resistance Front of Afghanistan, to discuss the actual situation on the ground, the NRF strategy and deepen our knowledge about the local dynamics in Afghanistan.

Russia and the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (IEA) signed the most significant deal since the Taliban movement came to power last year, confirming Kremlin’s interests in the country and Moscow’s will to become a key regional actor.

The Russian Federation’s humanitarian help to Pakistan might strengthen the political and economic relations between Moscow and Islamabad and support the Russian desire to expand its influence and presence in Central and South-East Asia.

Since the U.S. troops’ withdrawal and the Taliban’s rise to power, Afghanistan has witnessed huge uncertainty, instability and destabilisation due to the terrorist threat and criminal activities, economic problems, interethnic confrontation aggravated by the Taliban interim government, and regional and international geopolitical interests.

The neighbouring Iran and Pakistan might expand their cooperation in the tourism industry to create job opportunities and support regional development in a period characterised by huge geopolitical risk in Eurasia.

In the last couple of months, Islamic State Khurasan Province (ISKP) and its local Central Asian militants have been increasing their propaganda output by directly targeting regional countries (especially Uzbekistan), calling for attacks against local governments and jihad in Central Asia.

Geopolitical Report ISSN 2785-2598 Volume 18 Issue 2 – The 2021 proclamation of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan reveals several straightforward and/or controversial relationships with state and non-state figures at the regional level. This intricate web of relations plays a role in outlining the Taliban regime’s assets and challenges.

The Islamic State continues promoting its propaganda and organising violent attacks against the members of Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam in Pakistan, confirming that the group represents a severe threat to Pakistani domestic stability and security.

The possible signing of the JCPOA might support Pakistan’s desire to play a strategic and logistic role in the Eurasian energy market linking transit corridors and pipelines.

The recent terrorist attack in Peshawar underlined security problems in Pakistan linked to different terrorist groups that operate in the region, especially between the Afghan-Pakistani border, and stressed Islamabad and Kabul’s current inability to completely contrast the Islamic State’s threat.

In Afghanistan, the Taliban are arresting or kidnapping the Balochi to please Islamabad. Last week, the Balochistan Liberation Army organised violent attacks which severely hit the Pakistani army and threatened Chinese interests in the region.

Iran and Pakistan share borders and strategic interests in Eurasia. Both Tehran and Islamabad are interested in strengthening their cooperation in political, economic, social and cultural issues and overcoming their differences to exploit several opportunities, such as the partnership with China and other regional actors.

The Foreign Affairs Minister of the Taliban interim Government Amir Khan Muttaqi said that he had met with the head of the National Resistance Front Ahmad Massoud and the leader of the Herat militia Mohammad Ismail Khan in Tehran.

The presence of Uyghur suicide bombers in the ranks of the Islamic State-Khorasan increases Beijing’s fears about the threat to China’s national security emanating from Afghanistan.

We have monitored terrorist and violent attacks in Afghanistan in 2021 and produced an interactive map to assess which regions are affected mainly by terrorist organisations and analyse how terrorism has evolved or changed since the Taliban’s rise to power.