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The Taliban’s Broken Promises: Time for a New U.S. Strategy in Afghanistan

Since the Taliban’s return to power, Afghanistan has once again become a hub for militant activity despite their promises under the 2020 Doha Accord. UN and SIGAR reports reveal that Afghan soil now shelters TTP, Al-Qaeda, and ISIS-K operatives involved in cross-border attacks, particularly against Pakistan. The Taliban’s failure to uphold intra-Afghan dialogue, misuse of international aid, human rights abuses, and deception in regional agreements have eroded trust globally. With terror networks thriving under their protection, it is time for the U.S. and international community to adopt a new, accountable strategy toward Afghanistan’s Taliban regime.

LATEST ⦿

The Taliban’s Broken Promises: Time for a New U.S. Strategy in Afghanistan

Since the Taliban’s return to power, Afghanistan has once again become a hub for militant activity despite their promises under the 2020 Doha Accord. UN and SIGAR reports reveal that Afghan soil now shelters TTP, Al-Qaeda, and ISIS-K operatives involved in cross-border attacks, particularly against Pakistan. The Taliban’s failure to uphold intra-Afghan dialogue, misuse of international aid, human rights abuses, and deception in regional agreements have eroded trust globally. With terror networks thriving under their protection, it is time for the U.S. and international community to adopt a new, accountable strategy toward Afghanistan’s Taliban regime.

Themes

Centralized Power and the Core–Periphery Divide in Afghanistan

The Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan’s return in 2021 brought rapid consolidation of power, but also the revival of a historical flaw. By concentrating authority in the hands of southern Pashtun elites, the Taliban have recreated the core–periphery divide that has destabilized every Afghan regime since the 19th century. This hyper-centralization, rooted in ethnic exclusivity and Kandahar dominance, risks a repeat of past collapses as non-Pashtun regions turn toward functional autonomy.

Broken Promises: The Taliban’s Betrayal of Global Commitments

Nearly three years after seizing power, the Taliban’s systematic violation of their international commitments under the 2020 Doha Accord has transformed Afghanistan into a sanctuary for terrorism, entrenched an autocratic regime, and institutionalized gender apartheid. Beyond moral failure, this deceit poses a grave threat to regional stability, international counterterrorism efforts, and the credibility of global diplomacy. Holding the regime accountable is now a strategic necessity, not a choice.

India’s Climate Policy after COP28: Net Zero 2070 — A Fair Promise or a Risky Postponement?

India’s Net Zero 2070 target reflects a delicate balance between development equity and climate urgency. While progress in renewables, green finance, and adaptation is visible, the absence of clear interim milestones risks turning ambition into delay. The real challenge lies in translating a distant horizon into measurable, near-term climate action before 2030.

Playing the Victim: How the Taliban Endorse and Amplify Online Propaganda Against Pakistan

Following the October 2025 border clashes, the Taliban have shifted their battlefield online, using propaganda, selective history, and digital disinformation to paint Pakistan as the aggressor. Through controlled media releases, colonial-era references, and victimhood narratives, Kabul seeks to manipulate regional perception and deflect blame for its own failures.

The Terrorist Ecosystem

"The critical evidence was not that he was in Afghanistan, but where. Al-Zawahiri was not hiding...He was living comfortably in a safe house...This location, teeming with Taliban security, implies high-level protection, not an intelligence failure."

Zabihullah Mujahid’s Rhetoric and the Reality of Pakistan-Afghanistan Relations

Recent statements by Taliban spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid attempt to shift blame for strained Pakistan-Afghanistan ties onto Islamabad. Yet the real source of tension lies in Kabul’s refusal to dismantle terror networks like the TTP and BLA operating freely from Afghan soil—a failure that continues to endanger regional peace and Pakistan’s security.

Diplomacy & geopolitics

Broken Promises: The Taliban’s Betrayal of Global Commitments

SAT Editorial Desk November 6, 2025

Nearly three years after seizing power, the Taliban’s systematic violation of their international commitments under the 2020 Doha Accord has transformed Afghanistan into a sanctuary for terrorism, entrenched an autocratic regime, and institutionalized gender apartheid. Beyond moral failure, this deceit poses a grave threat to regional stability, international counterterrorism efforts, and the credibility of global diplomacy. Holding the regime accountable is now a strategic necessity, not a choice.

Playing the Victim: How the Taliban Endorse and Amplify Online Propaganda Against Pakistan

SAT Commentary November 3, 2025

Following the October 2025 border clashes, the Taliban have shifted their battlefield online, using propaganda, selective history, and digital disinformation to paint Pakistan as the aggressor. Through controlled media releases, colonial-era references, and victimhood narratives, Kabul seeks to manipulate regional perception and deflect blame for its own failures.

Zabihullah Mujahid’s Rhetoric and the Reality of Pakistan-Afghanistan Relations

SAT Editorial Desk November 2, 2025

Recent statements by Taliban spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid attempt to shift blame for strained Pakistan-Afghanistan ties onto Islamabad. Yet the real source of tension lies in Kabul’s refusal to dismantle terror networks like the TTP and BLA operating freely from Afghan soil—a failure that continues to endanger regional peace and Pakistan’s security.

Economy & Trade

India’s Deepening Socioeconomic Crisis: Inequality, Unemployment, and the Erosion of Livelihoods

Prof. (Dr.) Akhilesh Chandra Prabhakar October 13, 2025

India’s rapid economic growth hides a deepening crisis of inequality, unemployment, and poverty. As corporate wealth expands, millions struggle for basic survival—exposing the fragility of the country’s neoliberal growth model.

CPEC 2.0 marks a new phase in Pakistan-China ties, with trade, industry, and Gwadar at the center of regional connectivity and economic revival.

CPEC 2.0: A Lifeline for Pakistan’s Economic Revival and Regional Integration

SAT Commentary September 7, 2025

Pakistan and China have launched CPEC 2.0, shifting from roads and energy to industries, technology, and trade. With $64 billion in projects and Gwadar Port at its heart, the initiative promises jobs, growth, and regional integration at a critical time.

India’s Balancing Act Collapses: US Tariffs Expose Fragile Foreign Policy

SAT Commentary August 27, 2025

India’s long-standing strategy of balancing ties with Washington and Moscow has unraveled. Sweeping US tariffs on Indian exports signal that New Delhi’s ambiguous stance on Russian oil is no longer sustainable, with severe economic and diplomatic consequences that could reshape its foreign policy trajectory.

Environment & Climate Change

India’s Climate Policy after COP28: Net Zero 2070 — A Fair Promise or a Risky Postponement?

Manya Singhal November 4, 2025

India’s Net Zero 2070 target reflects a delicate balance between development equity and climate urgency. While progress in renewables, green finance, and adaptation is visible, the absence of clear interim milestones risks turning ambition into delay. The real challenge lies in translating a distant horizon into measurable, near-term climate action before 2030.

From Policy to Action: Analyzing Pakistan’s Climate Change Framework in Light of IPCC Insights

Aiza Jaffery October 15, 2025

Pakistan’s National Climate Change Policy (NCCP) presents a comprehensive roadmap to tackle the country’s growing climate challenges. From managing water resources and protecting biodiversity to empowering women and promoting renewable energy, the NCCP blends adaptation and mitigation for a sustainable future. Yet, implementation gaps: limited funding, institutional weaknesses, and policy incoherence, threaten its potential. Strengthened governance, transparency, and international cooperation remain key to turning this vision into climate resilience for Pakistan.

US-Pakistan relations must evolve beyond security. Climate change cooperation offers resilience for Pakistan and leadership for the United States.

Reimagining US-Pakistan Relations Through Climate Change Cooperation

SAT Editorial Desk September 28, 2025

Pakistan faces an existential crisis from climate change, despite contributing less than 1% to global emissions. Reimagining US-Pakistan relations through climate change cooperation offers a pathway to resilience, climate finance, and regional stability while advancing US global climate leadership.

Governance & Public Policy

Centralized Power and the Core–Periphery Divide in Afghanistan

SAT Editorial Desk November 7, 2025

The Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan’s return in 2021 brought rapid consolidation of power, but also the revival of a historical flaw. By concentrating authority in the hands of southern Pashtun elites, the Taliban have recreated the core–periphery divide that has destabilized every Afghan regime since the 19th century. This hyper-centralization, rooted in ethnic exclusivity and Kandahar dominance, risks a repeat of past collapses as non-Pashtun regions turn toward functional autonomy.

When Insurgents Rule: The Taliban’s Crisis of Governance

SAT Editorial Desk October 30, 2025

The Taliban’s confrontation with Pakistan reveals a deeper failure at the heart of their rule: an insurgent movement incapable of governing the state it conquered. Bound by rigid ideology and fractured by internal rivalries, the Taliban have turned their military victory into a political and economic collapse, exposing the limits of ruling through insurgent logic.

Kashmir’s Fading Legacy: Mythology, Etymology, and the Erosion of Cultural Identity under Indian Occupation

Saba Ghulam Nabi October 14, 2025

Jammu and Kashmir, once celebrated as the “paradise on Earth,” carries a 4,500-year legacy of diverse civilizations, faiths, and cultures. From ancient myths of “Kashyap Mar” to the enduring spirit of Kashmiriyat, every era has left an imprint on its identity. Yet, decades of Indian occupation and demographic manipulation under the Hindutva agenda now threaten to erase this timeless heritage. Preserving Kashmir’s culture is not just a regional necessity, it’s a global responsibility.

Security & Counter Terrorism

The Terrorist Ecosystem

SAT Editorial Desk November 3, 2025

“The critical evidence was not that he was in Afghanistan, but where. Al-Zawahiri was not hiding…He was living comfortably in a safe house…This location, teeming with Taliban security, implies high-level protection, not an intelligence failure.”

Pakistan’s Doctrine of Verifiable Peace: Realism in the Face of Proxy Politics

Farwa Imtiaz October 31, 2025

Pakistan’s Doctrine of Verifiable Peace represents a major shift from fraternal idealism to strategic realism in South Asia’s volatile security landscape. Rooted in classical realist thought, the doctrine emphasizes verification over trust, deterrence over sentiment, and conditional diplomacy over blind faith. Confronting the twin challenges of cross-border militancy and Indian-backed proxy networks in Afghanistan, Islamabad now seeks peace that is enforceable, monitored, and verifiable, anchoring regional stability on responsibility, not rhetoric.

Inside the Istanbul Talks: How Taliban Factionalism Killed a Peace Deal

SAT Editorial Desk October 28, 2025

The collapse of the Turkiye-hosted talks to address the TTP threat was not a diplomatic failure but a calculated act of sabotage from within the Taliban regime. Deep factional divides—between Kandahar, Kabul, and Khost blocs—turned mediation into chaos, as Kabul’s power players sought to use the TTP issue as leverage for U.S. re-engagement and financial relief. The episode exposed a regime too fractured and self-interested to act against terrorism or uphold sovereignty.

Social issues

The Terrorist Ecosystem

SAT Editorial Desk November 3, 2025

“The critical evidence was not that he was in Afghanistan, but where. Al-Zawahiri was not hiding…He was living comfortably in a safe house…This location, teeming with Taliban security, implies high-level protection, not an intelligence failure.”

Pakistan’s Doctrine of Verifiable Peace: Realism in the Face of Proxy Politics

Farwa Imtiaz October 31, 2025

Pakistan’s Doctrine of Verifiable Peace represents a major shift from fraternal idealism to strategic realism in South Asia’s volatile security landscape. Rooted in classical realist thought, the doctrine emphasizes verification over trust, deterrence over sentiment, and conditional diplomacy over blind faith. Confronting the twin challenges of cross-border militancy and Indian-backed proxy networks in Afghanistan, Islamabad now seeks peace that is enforceable, monitored, and verifiable, anchoring regional stability on responsibility, not rhetoric.

Inside the Istanbul Talks: How Taliban Factionalism Killed a Peace Deal

SAT Editorial Desk October 28, 2025

The collapse of the Turkiye-hosted talks to address the TTP threat was not a diplomatic failure but a calculated act of sabotage from within the Taliban regime. Deep factional divides—between Kandahar, Kabul, and Khost blocs—turned mediation into chaos, as Kabul’s power players sought to use the TTP issue as leverage for U.S. re-engagement and financial relief. The episode exposed a regime too fractured and self-interested to act against terrorism or uphold sovereignty.

South Asia

Instability as Strategy: How India Benefits from the Afghan-Pakistan Breakdown

The escalating tensions between Pakistan and Afghanistan’s Taliban-led regime have reignited South Asia’s most volatile frontier. As cross-border attacks intensify and the Taliban refuses to dismantle the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), Islamabad faces mounting security and sovereignty challenges. Yet, amid this chaos, India emerges as the silent beneficiary, leveraging regional instability to weaken Pakistan strategically while maintaining its image as a victim of terrorism. This calculated exploitation threatens to entrench South Asia in a new cycle of proxy conflict.

The Istanbul Dialogue: How the Taliban’s Intransigence Doomed Diplomacy

The highly anticipated Istanbul dialogue, facilitated by Turkey and Qatar, has ended in deadlock. The Taliban’s refusal to act against the Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and their introduction of provocative counter-demands have effectively derailed the diplomatic process, underscoring the ideological rigidity driving Kabul’s foreign policy.

Afghanistan

Centralized Power and the Core–Periphery Divide in Afghanistan

The Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan’s return in 2021 brought rapid consolidation of power, but also the revival of a historical flaw. By concentrating authority in the hands of southern Pashtun elites, the Taliban have recreated the core–periphery divide that has destabilized every Afghan regime since the 19th century. This hyper-centralization, rooted in ethnic exclusivity and Kandahar dominance, risks a repeat of past collapses as non-Pashtun regions turn toward functional autonomy.

Broken Promises: The Taliban’s Betrayal of Global Commitments

Nearly three years after seizing power, the Taliban’s systematic violation of their international commitments under the 2020 Doha Accord has transformed Afghanistan into a sanctuary for terrorism, entrenched an autocratic regime, and institutionalized gender apartheid. Beyond moral failure, this deceit poses a grave threat to regional stability, international counterterrorism efforts, and the credibility of global diplomacy. Holding the regime accountable is now a strategic necessity, not a choice.

India

India’s Climate Policy after COP28: Net Zero 2070 — A Fair Promise or a Risky Postponement?

India’s Net Zero 2070 target reflects a delicate balance between development equity and climate urgency. While progress in renewables, green finance, and adaptation is visible, the absence of clear interim milestones risks turning ambition into delay. The real challenge lies in translating a distant horizon into measurable, near-term climate action before 2030.

Bihar Should Reject Modi’s War Politics

Bihar’s election is shaping up as a test of Modi’s war-driven politics. With rising discontent over unemployment and poor governance, voters may choose to look past jingoism and focus on the real issues that shape their daily lives.

Pakistan

Zabihullah Mujahid’s Rhetoric and the Reality of Pakistan-Afghanistan Relations

Recent statements by Taliban spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid attempt to shift blame for strained Pakistan-Afghanistan ties onto Islamabad. Yet the real source of tension lies in Kabul’s refusal to dismantle terror networks like the TTP and BLA operating freely from Afghan soil—a failure that continues to endanger regional peace and Pakistan’s security.

Pakistan’s Doctrine of Verifiable Peace: Realism in the Face of Proxy Politics

Pakistan’s Doctrine of Verifiable Peace represents a major shift from fraternal idealism to strategic realism in South Asia’s volatile security landscape. Rooted in classical realist thought, the doctrine emphasizes verification over trust, deterrence over sentiment, and conditional diplomacy over blind faith. Confronting the twin challenges of cross-border militancy and Indian-backed proxy networks in Afghanistan, Islamabad now seeks peace that is enforceable, monitored, and verifiable, anchoring regional stability on responsibility, not rhetoric.

Events

From The Periphery to the Center: What People at Our Margins Endure

The South Asia Times (SAT) hosted a national webinar titled “From the Periphery to the Center: What People at Our Margins Endure,” spotlighting how Pakistan’s border regions, Balochistan, Gilgit-Baltistan, Azad

Governance, Protests, and Identity: Decoding the Crisis in Azad Jammu and Kashmir

South Asia Times’ X Space session on AJK protests featured insights from Farzana Yaqoob and Sardar Sohail Hassan, examining JAAC’s demands, Pakistan’s subsidies, governance challenges, youth mobilisation, and India’s shifting

SAT X Space

Governance, Protests, and Identity: Decoding the Crisis in Azad Jammu and Kashmir

South Asia Times’ X Space session on AJK protests featured insights from Farzana Yaqoob and Sardar Sohail Hassan, examining JAAC’s demands, Pakistan’s subsidies, governance challenges, youth mobilisation, and India’s shifting narratives. The dialogue unpacked how local grievances are exploited by vested and external interests.

Roundtables

The Kashmir Equation: Rethinking Strategy Amid Shifting Geopolitics

At a SAT roundtable in Islamabad, key voices from policy, academia, and activism called for inclusive, strategic, and diplomatic approaches to the Kashmir crisis.

Webinars

From The Periphery to the Center: What People at Our Margins Endure

The South Asia Times (SAT) hosted a national webinar titled “From the Periphery to the Center: What People at Our Margins Endure,” spotlighting how Pakistan’s border regions, Balochistan, Gilgit-Baltistan, Azad Jammu & Kashmir, and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, face deep-rooted governance challenges, economic neglect, and communication voids. Experts called for shifting from a security-centric to an inclusion-driven policy model to rebuild trust, empower youth, and turn Pakistan’s peripheries into engines of national resilience.

Features

The Great Unknotting: America’s Tech Break with China, and the Return of the American System

As the U.S. unwinds decades of technological interdependence with China, a new industrial and strategic order is emerging. Through selective decoupling, focused on chips, AI, and critical supply chains, Washington aims to restore domestic manufacturing, secure data sovereignty, and revive the Hamiltonian vision of national self-reliance. This is not isolationism but a recalibration of globalization on America’s terms.

India’s Deepening Socioeconomic Crisis: Inequality, Unemployment, and the Erosion of Livelihoods

India’s rapid economic growth hides a deepening crisis of inequality, unemployment, and poverty. As corporate wealth expands, millions struggle for basic survival—exposing the fragility of the country’s neoliberal growth model.

Colonial Legacies of Bombay and Calcutta

Bombay and Calcutta were more than colonial capitals, they embodied imperial urban planning, economic integration, and cultural hybridity. From segregated ‘white’ and ‘black’ towns to thriving ports, industries, and nationalist thought, these cities reveal how British rule reshaped India’s urban life while leaving enduring legacies still visible today.