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Afghanistan, a country plagued by invasion, occupation, and domestic conflicts, is approaching a historic turning point in its turbulent history. The implications of decades of strife, compounded by current developments, resonate not just inside its boundaries, but also throughout the region, notably in neighboring Pakistan. As Afghanistan faces continuous problems ranging from political instability and economic downturn to humanitarian crises and human rights violations, the implications for Pakistan become far-reaching and more complex.

Afghanistans recent past has been affected by several waves of conflict and intervention. The Soviet invasion in 1979 ushereda protracted era of resistance and internal struggle, culminating in the creation of the Taliban in the 1990s. The US-led interventionfollowing the 9/11 attacks attempted to disrupt terrorist networks and restore stability. However, despite enormous global efforts and investment over the last two decades, Afghanistan remains plagued by violence and insecurity.

The withdrawal of US forces in 2021 provoked a swift comeback of Taliban, resulting in the fall of the Afghan Government and the resumption of control by Taliban. This power transfer has not only resulted in predicted stability, but has brought about a new era of uncertainty and turbulence. The Talibans harsh governance model and discriminatory policies have alienated a huge portion of the Afghan populace, sparking internal opposition and compounding humanitarian disasters.

One of the most significant concerns about Afghanistans instability is the spread of extremist organizations and their cross-border activities. Talibans rise has led to other extremist organizations, notably ISIS-K, that continues to pose substantial security challenges in Afghanistan and adjacent countries, such as Pakistan.

The instability across the Durand Line has immediate security consequences for Pakistan, which has a long and porous border with Afghanistan. The flood of refugees, arms smuggling, and militants freemovement between the two countries all worsen Pakistans security issues. To minimize the spillover effects of Afghanistans conflict, Pakistans military has been conducting counterterrorism operations throughout its border areas. Furthermore, the continued presence of extremist organizations in Afghanistan has traditionally had an impact on regional stability, influencing Pakistans attempts to combat terrorism inside its own borders. The Afghan Talibans nefarious connections with militant groups in Pakistans tribal areas have occasionally caused strain in diplomatic relations and besides hindering efforts to cooperate on security problems.

Afghanistans economic collapse, caused by the withdrawal of foreign aid and the implementation of sanctions, has far-reaching implications. The Afghan economy, which was already unstable, has plunged into a crisis, resulting in increasing unemployment, widespread poverty, and an emerging humanitarian disaster. The failure of Afghan banking system and currency depreciation have compounded financial missenses, plunging millions of Afghans into extreme destitution besides causing widespread displacement.

The humanitarian situation in Afghanistan remain catastrophic, with millions of people in desperate need of assistance. The severe weather conditions including the floods in upcoming monsoon season intensify the suffering, especially among vulnerable groups like children and the elderly. The inability of humanitarian organizations to access certain regions due to ongoing conflict hampers relief efforts, compounding the humanitarian crisis.

The turmoil in Afghanistan has enormous strategic, economic, and humanitarian repercussions for Pakistan. A peaceful, state and prospering Afghanistan is always in favour of Pakistan. Nobody wants to have fire sparks in its backyard. That is the reason, Pakistan has always supported peace and stability measures in Afghanistan.

Pakistan continues to face security concerns from extremist organizations operating along its border with Afghanistan. The surge of migrants, as well as the smuggling of weaponry and narcotics, put extra strain on Pakistans security apparatus. Efforts to safeguard the border and combat extremist elements necessitate ongoing monitoring and coordination with Afghan authorities.

Economicinstability in Afghanistan has serious implications towards Pakistan, particularly in bordering districts, where trade and cross-border trading are affected. Pakistan has provided humanitarian aid to Afghan refugees, while also seeking foreign assistance to deal with the crisiss economic consequences.

Pakistan has one of the largest Afghan refugee populations in the world. The surge of people escaping conflict and economic hardship in Afghanistan puts a strain on Pakistans resources, such as healthcare, education and infrastructure. Pakistan continues to face considerable challenges in managing refugee populations, while guaranteeing humane treatment and access to essential amenities.

Diplomatically, Pakistan has played an important role in promoting peace talks and negotiations to stabilize Afghanistan. Pakistans relations with the Afghan Taliban are complex and impacted by a variety of variables, including security concerns and considerations for regional stability. However, Pakistans efforts to mediate and foster negotiations between the Afghan Government and the Taliban have been met with uneven results, reflecting the larger obstacles of attaining long-term peace and stability in Afghanistan. Pakistans support for a peaceful and inclusive political agreement in Afghanistan remains critical to regional stability and security.

To put it simply, Afghanistans continued turmoil has far-reaching consequences for its immediate neighbor, Pakistan. To address these difficulties, a coordinated regional approach is required, as well as international cooperation and support. As Afghanistan continues to struggle for stability and recovery, Pakistans role as a vital regional actor remains critical. Pakistan could assist to build peace and stability in Afghanistan by resolving security issues, supporting economic recovery efforts, and emphasizing humanitarian assistance, all of which advance mutual interests and promote regional prosperity. The road ahead is riddled with difficulties, but concentrated efforts and continuous involvement provide promise for a more peaceful and prosperous future for Afghanistan and Pakistan.

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Afghanistan: A Nation In Turmoil And Its Regional Implications OpEd - Eurasia Review

Taliban officials attended a rare, United Nations-led conference of global envoys to Afghanistan on Sunday, the first such meeting Taliban representatives have agreed to engage in, after organizers said Afghan women would be excluded from the talks.

The two-day conference in Doha, Qatar, is the third of its kind. It is part of a United Nations-led effort, known as the Doha process, started in May 2023. It is meant to develop a unified approach for international engagement with Afghanistan. Envoys from around 25 countries and regional organizations, including the European Union, the United States, Russia and China, are attending.

Taliban officials were not invited to the first meeting and refused to attend the second meeting, held in February, after objecting to the inclusion of Afghan civil society groups that attended.

The conference has drawn a fierce backlash in recent days after U.N. officials announced that Afghan women would not participate in discussions with Taliban officials. Human rights groups and Afghan womens groups have slammed the decision to exclude them as too severe a concession by the U.N. to persuade the Taliban to engage in the talks.

The decision to exclude women sets a deeply damaging precedent and risks legitimatizing their gender-based institutional system of oppression, Agns Callamard, the secretary general of Amnesty International, said in a statement referring to the Talibans policies toward women. The international community must adopt a clear and united stance: The rights of women and girls in Afghanistan are nonnegotiable.

Since seizing power from the U.S.-backed government in 2021, Taliban authorities have systematically rolled back womens rights, effectively erasing women from public life. Women and girls are barred from getting education beyond primary school and banned from most employment outside of education and health care, and they cannot travel significant distances without a male guardian.

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Taliban Talks With U.N. Go On Despite Alarm Over Exclusion of Women - The New York Times

Jennifer Brick Murtazashvili*

July 2024

This paper critically examines the shortcomings of post-conflict reconstruction efforts in Afghanistan from 2001 to 2021, arguing that an overemphasis on measurable results and causal inference led to overly narrow, community-driven development interventions that failed to appreciate the complex political realities of the country.

While these interventions espoused community control, they were in fact the result of a top-down approach reminiscent of earlier state-building efforts, neglected the importance of customary authority structures, and treated Afghanistan as a blank slate for experimentation. Such community-based programmes also lead to a myopic focus on quantifiable metrics at the expense of political considerations, reflecting a broader methodological bias in development studies exemplified by the popularity of randomized controlled trials.

Drawing on extensive field observations, the paper contends that such programmes worked against the grain of Afghan society and paradoxically undermined the legitimacy and effectiveness of local governance institutions.

The paper concludes by advocating a more holistic, adaptive, and politically informed approach to grassroots development in conflict-affected regionsone that empowers authentic local ownership, aligns with endogenous social and political structures, and grapples with the messy realities of fostering legitimate governance in fragile contexts.

The hard-earned lessons from Afghanistans recent past should prompt a fundamental rethinking of what constitutes effective development assistance in post-conflict environments.

Read more here:
The experimented society: interventions, social science, and the failure of post-conflict reconstruction in Afghanistan ... - ReliefWeb

Speaking in the Qatari capital, Doha, after the Third Meeting of Special Envoys on Afghanistan, UN political chief Rosemary DiCarlo expressed deep concern over the situation of women and girls in the country.

Running through all the discussions was the deep international concern from special envoys and from me about the ongoing and serious restrictions on women and girls, she stated.

Afghanistan cannot return to the international fold, or fully develop economically and socially, if it is deprived of the contributions and potential of half its population, asserted Ms. DiCarlo, the UN Under-Secretary-General for Political and Peacebuilding Affairs.

The consultations follow talks in May 2023 and February 2024. They build upon the proposals outlined in an independent review on an integrated and coherent approach conducted by Feridun Sinirliolu, in line with Security Council resolution 2679.

Focused discussions with Afghan women and civil society are scheduled to take place on Tuesday.

Ms. DiCarlo further stressed that the concerns and views of Afghan women and civil society remain front and center.

For the United Nations, the meaningful inclusion of women in political and peace processes is a guiding principle, she said.

And while women and civil society were not sitting across the table from the de facto authorities the last two days, they made their voices heard. Civil society has a rightful role to play in shaping Afghanistans future, she asserted.

Since the Taliban seized power in Afghanistan in August 2021, women and girls have faced systemic discrimination, including a ban on girls education.

That ban is heartbreaking, Ms. DiCarlo maintained.

If you prevent half the population from education, from being involved in the economy and various professions, it just means that it delays the develop of Afghanistan, Ms. DiCarlo replied to one woman reporter.

Just imagine if you were only allowed to go through sixth grade, you would not be sitting here being a journalist, I would not be here being a UN official. [It is] heartbreaking frankly but let us see and let us keep at it, that is all I can say. We have to make clear how important is and how it is going to be better for Afghanistan.

She explained that in organizing the meeting, the UN faced a very tough, maybe impossible, choice, aiming to bring the Taliban and the special envoys together for direct talks.

Regrettably, the de facto authorities will not sit across the table with Afghan civil society in this format. But they heard very clearly the need to include women and civil society in all aspects of public life, she said.

She further emphasized that the meeting and process of engagement does not mean normalization or recognition of the Taliban de facto authorities.

Ms. DiCarlo expressed hope that the exchanges on the various issues during the meeting moved us a little closer to resolving some of the problems devastating the Afghan people.

To conclude, I would like to reiterate the United Nations commitment to continue to support this process of principled engagement for the benefit of all Afghans, she said.

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UN pushes for inclusive future in Afghanistan at Doha talks - UN News

After Afghanistan beat Australia in the T20 Cricket World Cup league match in June 2024, an old video appearing to show men dancing with firearms has been viewed millions of times in social media posts that falsely claimed it showed celebrations in the country after the match. The video has circulated online since at least March 2021.

"Afghanistan Shock #Australia By 21 Runs In Super 8s Match Of #T20 World Cup. Massive celebrations in Afghanistan after their team stunned world champions Australia in the T20 World Cup," read a Facebook post on June 23, 2024.

It was shared on the same day Afghanistan beat world champion Australiafor the first time in the T20 World Cup Super-Eight.

The post included a video -- viewed more than eight million times -- which shows a group of men dancing while holding what appear to be firearms.

Thousands of cricket fans celebrated by lighting fireworks in the streets of Afghanistan following the country's victory over Australia.

Since the Taliban took over in August 2021 and introduced an austere vision of Islam, scenes of public jubilation have been rare.

Afghanistan's dream of reaching the World Cup final wasshattered after losing to South Africa in the semi-final match on June 27 (archived link).

The video was shared with similar false claims onsocial media site X and on Facebook.

However, it predates Afghanistan's win over Australia by at least three years.

The same video was previouslydebunked by AFP here in 2021 after it circulated with another false claim.

A reverse image search of a keyframe from the footage found it was uploaded on YouTube on April 11, 2021 (archived link).

The video's headline read: "Bannu DJ Full HD Video 2021/Bannu Wedding Dance", referring to a district in Pakistan's Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province.

Its description read: "This video is for entertainment only peacefully and Pathan culture wedding Dance# Bannu DJ Full HD Video 2021."

"Pathan" is a term that refers to the Pashtun ethnic group residing primarily in Afghanistan and northwestern Pakistan.

Below is a screenshot comparison of the video in the false posts (left) and the 2021 YouTube footage (right):

Several other online posts also shared the video here, here and here in 2021 (archived links here, here and here).

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Dancing armed men clip falsely linked to Afghanistan's historic cricket win over Australia - Yahoo News UK