Widespread Armed Resistance Exposes Severe Vulnerabilities Within Taliban Security
Over recent days, armed resistance against the Taliban regime has significantly intensified and geographically expanded across the country. Factions such as the Afghanistan Freedom Front (AFF), Afghanistan United Front (AUF), National Resistance Front (NRF), and Afghanistan Green Trend are launching coordinated strikes. These operations have targeted key personnel, checkpoints, and fortified military installations across ten […]
The assassination of Tajmir Jawad strategically penetrates the Taliban heartland
The targeted killing of Mullah Tajmir Jawad on August 30, 2026, represents a seismic shift in Afghanistan’s rapidly evolving security landscape. Claimed by the National Independence Front, the bold operation took place near Aino Mina Square in Kandahar. This was not a random skirmish in a peripheral rural district, but a highly calculated assassination. Jawad […]
Why Does Bangladesh Not Utilize the Bay of Bengal?
From the ancient period of time, strongest nations were highly dependent on their navy and ship cause they considered sea or ocean as the most powerful place. Most Alfred Thayar Mahan’s Sea Power theory, the world understood the importance of sea. But this essay will be critically analysed why Bangladesh cannot utilize its maritime domain […]
Occupation, Not Governance: The Reality of Taliban Rule in Afghanistan
The international debate surrounding the diplomatic status of the Taliban frequently centers on the conditions required for formal recognition. This discourse, however, relies on a fundamentally flawed premise: the assumption that the Taliban are operating as a national government. An empirical analysis of their administrative, security, and economic behavior over the past five years yields […]
Cricket is Not a Backdoor for Political Campaigning
The fundamental sanctity of international sports lies in its separation from geopolitical disputes and domestic political controversies. This principle was blatantly violated during the recent England-Pakistan Test match at Lord’s, where Sky Sports chose to air an 18-minute, pre-recorded political interview with the sons of Imran Khan during the lunch break. By utilizing a premier […]
Strategic Implications of Abdul Haq Wasiq’s Confidential India Visit
The geopolitical landscape of South Asia is witnessing a highly consequential realignment, underscored by the recent, unannounced visit of the Afghan Taliban’s Director of Intelligence, Abdul Haq Wasiq, to New Delhi. Arriving in India under a veil of strict secrecy approximately ten days ago, Wasiq reportedly held high-level meetings with senior Indian security and political […]
Iran Engaging the Afghan Opposition Amid Taliban Ties
In the complex geopolitical theater of South and Central Asia, Iran is meticulously executing a multi-vectored foreign policy designed to maximize its regional leverage. The recent invitation extended by Tehran to senior Afghan opposition figures to attend a high-profile ideological summit underscores a calculated strategic hedging strategy. On August 28, 2026, Iran hosted Mawlawi Habibullah […]
Five Years of Taliban Rule in Afghanistan: Trajectory, Challenges, and the Road Ahead
South Asia Times (SAT), in collaboration with the Institute of Regional Studies (IRS), is pleased to announce a Roundtable Discussion marking five years since the Taliban’s return to power in Afghanistan. The discussion will bring together policy experts, analysts, and journalists to examine the trajectory of Taliban rule, the challenges confronting the Afghan state and […]
The Strategic Imperative of the Pakistan-Kuwait Defence Protocol
The geopolitical landscape of the Middle East is currently undergoing rapid and volatile shifts, compelling regional states to recalibrate their security architectures and seek out reliable alliances. In this highly complex environment, the recent signing of a new defense protocol between Pakistan and Kuwait represents a critical milestone in Gulf security dynamics. This agreement, formally […]