Taliban 2.0: Governance, Legitimacy, and the Question of International Recognition
Nearly five years since the Taliban retook Kabul in August 2021, the question of what, if anything, has changed under the movement’s rule remains unresolved. In July 2025, Russia became the first country to formally recognize the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan as its legitimate government, breaking the informal international consensus against recognition and reopening a […]
Another Evidence Emerges of Afghan Soil Being Used for Terrorism against Pakistan
A recent incident in which an Afghan national was killed during a clash between militants of Fitna al-Khawarij and Jamaat-ul-Ahrar in Pakistan’s Orakzai district serves as another reminder of the regional security challenges posed by the continued use of Afghan soil for launching terrorist attacks against Pakistan. As reports continue to emerge about Afghan nationals […]
The Future of Pakistan’s Textile Industry Lies Beyond Cost Competitiveness
Pakistan’s textile industry remains the backbone of the national economy, contributing around 60 per cent of the country’s exports while providing direct and indirect employment to millions of people. For decades, its competitiveness has been built on abundant cotton production, an integrated value chain, and relatively low manufacturing costs. However, the global textile industry is […]
Pakistan’s Textile Industry’s Labour, Environmental, And Sustainability Standards
The recent wave of allegations about Pakistan’s textile sector exports being produced under exploitative working conditions originated from a UK-based advocacy group, Labour Behind the Label, which claimed that parts of the country’s garment export sector were violating workers’ rights through systemic wage violations, forced overtime, and inadequate mechanisms for labour compliance. Such claims naturally […]
Killings of Taliban Officials in Badakhshan Deepen Internal Divisions
The assassination of Zabihullah Amiri, the Taliban’s own Director of Information and Culture for Badakhshan, on the Faizabad-Baharak road has punctured one of the regime’s most persistent claims: that four years of Taliban rule have delivered peace to Afghanistan. Officials in Kabul confirmed the attack, though as with so many recent killings in the northeast, […]
The Taliban’s War on Afghan Childhood
Reports that the Taliban are recruiting and training children as young as ten for military and ideological purposes should alarm anyone who cares about Afghanistan’s future. This is not a marginal abuse or an isolated incident. It reflects a systematic policy, one where young minds are deliberately exposed to extremist ideology in place of education, […]
From Paper Leaks to Political Pressure: India’s Youth Challenge the Modi Government
The Cockroach Janata Party achieved a significant breakthrough when the education minister, Dharmendra Pardhan, resigned on 25 July 2026. The resignation came after a week-long protest by India’s youth following multiple paper leaks of the medical examination NEET. It directly weakens the credibility of the Modi government, state institutions and domestic credibility as people start […]
US Citizen Forcibly Disappeared from Taliban Detention
The reported detention of an American citizen Todd Adam Baker on 17 July has reignited the debate on Taliban’s international legitimacy. Beyond the disappearance of a foreign national, the incident underscores a broader contradiction in the Taliban’s governance. Since returning to power, the Taliban have sought to expand diplomatic engagement, reduce international isolation, secure sanctions […]
Taliban Director of Information in Badakhshan Shot as Insurgency Expands
Zabihullah Amiri, the Taliban’s Director of Information and Culture in Badakhshan, was shot dead this morning by unidentified gunmen riding motorcycles on the Faizabad–Baharak road. Local sources reported the attack while authorities in Kabul had issued no official statement by the time of writing, and no group had claimed responsibility. Amiri’s profile makes this killing […]