Episodes
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In this compelling episode of the Afghan Eye Podcast, host Sangar Paykhar sits down with Mir-Ali Askerov, a political scientist from the Higher School of Economics in Saint Petersburg, to discuss the recent high-level Russian delegation visit to Kabul, led by Sergei Shoigu, Secretary of Russia's Security Council.
Together, they dive deep into the historical context of Russia-Afghanistan relations, the implications of Shoigu’s visit, and the broader geopolitical shifts at play. Key topics include:
Russia's plans for economic cooperation with Afghanistan, including mineral extraction and the trans-Afghan railway.The legal and political significance of removing the Taliban from Russia’s blacklist.The historical legacy of the Soviet-Afghan war and its influence on Russia’s modern policy.Afghanistan’s potential observer membership in the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO).Shoigu’s sharp critique of U.S. policies, including the freezing of Afghan assets.This episode offers an in-depth analysis of Russia’s strategic pivot to Afghanistan amidst increasing global tensions. Don’t miss this insightful discussion that unpacks what Shoigu’s visit means for Afghanistan, Russia, and the wider region.
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In this episode of the Afghan Eye podcast, hosts Sangar Paykhar and Ahmed-Waleed Kakar dive into the implications of Afghanistan’s attendance at the recent 16th BRICS Summit in Kazan. We discuss Afghanistan’s potential strategic interests, regional cooperation, and the impact of BRICS on a multipolar world order. Amid ongoing economic sanctions, political isolation, and recent infrastructure developments with BRICS members, what could Afghanistan gain from aligning with BRICS countries? We’ll also cover the summit's calls for peace, human rights, and the future of international relations. Join us as we explore Afghanistan's evolving role on the world stage.
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On 18th March 2024, Afghanistan's remote and southeastern Paktika province found itself subject to aerial bombardment. The airstrikes, carried out in the early hours of the morning, were conducted by Pakistani military planes from across the Durand Line. A statement soon released by Islamabad confirmed the airstrikes, claiming these were in response to a recent a deadly TTP attack in Mir Ali, South Waziristan, that had killed scored of Pakistani troops. The target of the airstrikes was reported to be Abdullah Shah: a commander in the TTP's Hafiz Gul Bahadur faction, rumoured to be hiding in Afghanistan.
The airstrikes triggered a barrage of artillery fire from the Afghanistan side in response, whilst locals in Paktika Birmal said that the airstrikes had only killed civilians. Videos soon circulated on social media purportedly showing Abdullah Shah alive and in South Waziristan.
In this episode, Sangar Paykhar hosts Ali Mustafa to discuss what the unexpected flare-up between the two neighbours means for their complex and difficult relationship, and what the attack reveals about the fragility of Pakistan's own domestic politics in the aftermath of a controversial election marred by allegations of fraud and rigging.
Ali Mustafa is a Pakistani-Canadian journalist and a graduate from Columbia University's School of Journalism. He has produced content for Canadian Broadcasting’ Corporation, Dawn News Network and CNBC as a producer, video-journalist and news-anchor, and later worked at TRT World as a correspondent in which he covered the Afghan peace process and the end of the US occupation in 2021. He supports the SAMRKAND initiative for better journalism in South Asia.
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Qatar again has served as the location for Afghanistan-centred gatherings. As a UN-convened conference kicked off, representatives from different countries, international bodies as well as Afghan civil society gathered in Doha as part of what was supposed to be a discussion on how to transition Afghanistan out of its state of diplomatic and legal isolation following the Taliban's takeover in 2021. More important than those who attended, as events transpired, were those who were absent. Following a series of diplomatic breakthroughs, and amidst expectations that it too would attend, the Taliban-led government announced abruptly that it would not be attending the conference. Its conditions to attend the meeting, per its spokesman, had not been met. Kabul's conditions, UN Secretary General António Guterres later claimed, essentially amounted to a demand for full recognition of the Taliban-led government as the legitimate representative of the Afghan state.
Elsewhere, controversy in Pakistan continues. After weeks of instability following controversial elections, a coalition government was formed between the parties that came second and third in recent elections was formed. Independents affiliated with now jailed ex-Prime Minister Imran Khan remain excluded.
The new Prime Minister is Shahbaz Sharif: a former Prime Minister and brother of two-time ex-Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif. Asif Ali Zardari: former President, husband of ex-PM Benazir Bhutto and father of Bilawal Bhutto (leader of the Pakistan People's Party), is to serve as new President.
As fragile coalitions are formed and widespread allegations of election rigging, Pakistan's powerful military continues to crack down on social media and supporters of former Prime Minister Imran Khan.
Amidst Pakistan' persistent political instability, Ahmed-Waleed and Sangar discuss whether and how the South Asian country's woes will impact Afghanistan.
Links/references:
Chinese envoy 'regrets' Taliban absence at Doha conference:
https://www.khaama.com/china-regrets-the-un-doha-meetings-failure-to-engage-in-dialogue-with-taliban/US Special Envoy Thomas West's reflections on Doha Conference: https://twitter.com/US4AfghanPeace/status/1760815035419381856
UN Secretary General: 'We want a peaceful Afghanistan': https://news.un.org/en/story/2024/02/1146657
Pakistan's dire economic situation:
https://www.ft.com/content/fbdf57c2-cce4-4c35-827a-1528899f5fb7Mawlana Fazlur Rahman on his links to Afghanistan: https://x.com/adilkha89345692/status/1757789279839797482?s=46
Mawlana Fazlur Rahman on Imran Khan's ouster:
https://www.dawn.com/news/1814484Pakistan's new coalition government: https://www.aljazeera.com/program/newsfeed/2024/2/21/pakistan-parties-agree-deal-to-form-coalition-government
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Pakistan concluding fiercely contested elections amidst turmoil and mass claims of irregularities is only the latest development in an eventful 2024. The year has been similarly eventful for Afghanistan's foreign relations. On 29th January, the Taliban-led Afghan government organised an unprecedented conference in Kabul attended by the representatives of neighbouring and regional countries. These included India, Russia, Kazakhstan and China. Meanwhile, an interview of Pakistani interim Prime Minister Anwar ul-Haq Kakar seemed to indicate a shifting attitude toward Afghanistan from trouble South-Asian country, whilst the Afghan embassy in Uzbekistan was handed over to diplomats of the Taliban-led government in Kabul.
Those developments, however, were shadowed by the events of 30th January. At a ceremony in Beijing attended by the diplomats of over 40 countries, Afghan ambassador-designate Bilal Karimi was formally received and accepted by Chinese President Xi Jinping. Karimi had previously been received by officials at the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs, (covered in S.2 E.4) but his reception by the Chinese President was unparalleled as far as Kabul's quest for diplomatic recognition is concerned. International media quickly reported the meeting's significance, whilst the US State Department publicly called on China for 'clarity' on whether the reception constituted its formal recognition of the Taliban's government.
Speaking amongst themselves as well as to experts, Ahmed-Waleed and Sangar discuss whether the events mark the beginning of greater overseas legitimacy of the post-2021 Taliban-led government, the effects of these developments, and what they reveal about Kabul's diplomatic priorities.Support the show
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Amidst deteriorating relations between Kabul and Islamabad, news emerged on 18th December. The Afghan ambassador to Pakistan confirmed that an invitation had been extended to Pakistani politician Maulana Fazlur Rahman to visit Kabul. The visit, according to many sources, was intended to defuse tensions between the neighbours; Fazlur Rahman, an influential politician and religious scholar, could mediate between the two.
In Episode 5 of Season Two of The Afghan Eye podcast, Ahmed-Waleed Kakar discusses Maulana Fazlur Rahman: who is he, what is his background, and why is he important enough to serve as a mediator between Afghanistan and Pakistan? Ahmed-Waleed Kakar also asks experts about their views on the prospects of any mediation being successful.
Fazlur Rahman invited to visit Kabul:
https://tribune.com.pk/story/2450369/fazl-invited-to-kabul-amid-rising-tensions
Fazlur Rahman to visit Kabul on Wednesday: https://www.ariananews.af/maulana-fazal-ur-rehman-to-visit-kabul-on-wednesday/
Fazlur Rahman interview with BBC Pashto:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ldg-oLctJ2M
US sanctions on two Taliban leaders:
https://www.state.gov/promoting-accountability-in-support-of-the-75th-anniversary-of-the-universal-declaration-of-human-rights/Support the show
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On 1st December 2023, the Taliban's ambassador was greeted by an official at the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Bilal Karimi formally presented his credentials to and was received by Hong Lei: the Director General of the Chinese Foreign Ministry's Protocol Department.
The picture was shared triumphantly by the Taliban on X (formerly known as Twitter) and thereafter quickly circulated across social media as it was reported by various global outlets. Analysts and commentators quickly jumped onto the discussion, debating whether the meeting and reception of the Taliban's ambassador constituted Beijing's official recognition, by extension, of the Taliban's government. If so, it would make China the first country to recognise the Taliban, and would mark a huge victory for the group in their hitherto unsuccessful quest for international acceptance.
In this episode, Ahmed-Waleed Kakar examines the meeting and the underlying context behind the widely perceived official recognition of the Taliban by China. Did this meeting really mean the official recognition of the Taliban and if so, what did it mean for Afghanistan and the region? What was the larger context of the Taliban's control over foreign embassies staffed by the previous regime's diplomats? What is the nature of the bilateral relationship between the Taliban and Beijing, and the various factors and common interests influencing these?
Links/references:
China formally receives Afghan (Taliban) ambassador: https://www.voanews.com/a/taliban-say-afghan-embassy-in-india-set-to-resume-operations-soon/7377115.html
Taliban 'handed keys' to embassy in India: https://www.independent.co.uk/asia/india/afghan-embassy-delhi-taliban-zakia-wardak-b2456762.html
Trilateral summit statement: https://www.mfa.gov.cn/eng/zxxx_662805/202305/t20230509_11073522.html
Taliban open to joining the Belt and Road Initiative: https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/taliban-says-plans-formally-join-chinas-belt-road-initiative-2023-10-19/
Taliban sign mining contracts: https://apnews.com/article/afghanistan-taliban-mining-contract-dfd109247a44e46a9d41d8e1db76e541
Mullah Hassan welcomes newly appointed Chinese ambassador: https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2023/9/13/taliban-gives-a-warm-welcome-to-chinas-new-ambassador-to-afghanistanSupport the show
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On 24th November 2023, a conference was convened in the Russian capital of Moscow. Attendees included Russian politicians and an Iranian government representative. The conference was also attended by a number of exiled Afghan politicians: Shukria Barakzai, Fawzia Koofi, Muhammad Muhaqqiq, Ahmad Wali Massoud, and Ahmad Massoud.
The event follows months of conflicting statements made by Russian officials about Afghanistan. In particular, Russian Special Envoy to Afghanistan Zamir Kabulov has repeatedly reprimanded the Afghan government and highlighted its lack of ethnopolitical inclusivity. At the same time, Kabulov has stressed the need for engagement with Kabul and praised its counter-narcotics efforts as well as its ongoing campaign against Daesh (ISKP).
What is driving Russia's seemingly mixed signals to Kabul? Ahmed-Waleed Kakar examines the conferences, and assesses what it reveals and signifies about Russo-Afghan relations.
Links/references:
Massoud’s speech at the Moscow Conference: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WsUL230Px3c&t=4s
Kabulov: The Afghan government is currently not inclusive. Link: https://tolonews.com/afghanistan-183805
Kabulov: The Taliban must ensure ethnopolitical inclusivity for recognition. https://tass.com/politics/1681639?
Kazan Declaration: https://mid.ru/en/foreign_policy/news/1906997/
Kabulov: Ethnic minorities are over half of the Afghan population.
https://www.aa.com.tr/en/europe/ties-with-afghanistan-should-not-be-hostage-to-taliban-recognition-russian-president-s-envoy/3017031#
Russian Ambassador meets Afghan Foreign Minister. https://twitter.com/HafizZiaAhmad/status/1728399725706281378Support the show
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On 6th November 2023, senior and former American diplomat Annie Pforzheimer wrote an article for World Politics Review. In the article, Pforzheimer, who has previously worked extensively as an American diplomat in Afghanistan, highlighted the signs that the Biden Administration was mulling widening and upgrading its ties with the Taliban, now the government of Afghanistan. Pforzheimer argued that, based on lingering concerns regarding human rights as well as the Taliban's perceived ties to terrorist organisations, that Washington ought to desist from improving its ties with the Taliban.
In the second episode of Season 2 of The Afghan Eye Podcast, Ahmed-Waleed Kakar dissects Pforzheimer's article, the references it sources, and the arguments presented within it.
Are improved American-Afghan relations really on the horizon? What does this mean for Afghanistan?
(Thumbnail photo of Afghan Interior Minister Sirajuddin Haqqani by AHMAD SAHEL ARMAN/AFP via Getty Images. Instagram @a.sahel_arman)Articles referenced:
The article:
https://www.worldpoliticsreview.com/us-afghanistan-taliban/Annie Pforzheimer's biography:
https://www.csis.org/people/annie-pforzheimerCSIS’ funding and donors:
https://www.csis.org/about/financial-informationThe UN's 2023 report: https://documents-dds-ny.un.org/doc/UNDOC/GEN/N23/125/36/PDF/N2312536.pdf?OpenElement
The UN's 2022 report:
https://documents-dds-ny.un.org/doc/UNDOC/GEN/N22/333/77/PDF/N2233377.pdf?OpenElementThe Doha Agreement:
https://www.state.gov/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/Agreement-For-Bringing-Peace-to-Afghanistan-02.29.20.pdfAfghan Ministerial Visit to Islamabad:
https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2023/11/14/taliban-minister-raised-refugee-assets-issue-during-pakistan-visit-embassyAfghan goods held in Karachi:
https://www.arabnews.pk/node/2387031/pakistanPeace in Afghanistan a 'nightmare':
https://tolonews.com/afghanistan-185983Regional recognition of Taliban to be 'simultaneous':
https://www.voanews.com/a/regional-countries-mulling-simultaneous-taliban-recognition-pakistani-envoy-says/7357983.htmlSupport the show!
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On 2nd October 2023, Pakistan's Interior Minister Sarfaraz Bugti announced that illegal immigrants residing in the country would be given one month to return to their home countries. Whilst not explicitly aimed at Afghans, the majority of projected deportees, roughly numbering 1.73 million, would be Afghans. Since 1st November, with the passage of a month's deadline, deportations have been carried out in earnest. Disturbing reports have surfaced; Afghans have been subject to physical abuse in addition to having their wealth seized by Pakistani police at border crossings. Afghans legally registered and residing in Pakistan have also reported harassment from the country's notorious security apparatus.
Pakistani Caretaker Prime Minister Anwar ul-Haq Kakar on 8th November stated that the deportations were down to Kabul's refusal to cooperate with Islamabad on curtailing the increased activity of Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), widely considered to be under Kabul's influence. Afghan refugees, Kakar also claimed, were largely responsible for Pakistan's perilous security situation.
Ahmed-Waleed Kakar analyses the motivations behind the drastic decision by Islamabad, explaining the larger context of Afghan-Pakistani relations since 2021 and what effects could be expected going forth.
Articles referenced:
Reuters: https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/pakistan-pm-says-expulsion-afghans-response-taliban-non-cooperation-2023-11-08/
Al Jazeera English: https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2023/10/3/pakistan-wants-undocumented-migrants-to-leave-by-november-1-or-get-deported
Al Jazeera English: https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2017/2/7/afghan-refugees-status-extended-until-end-of-yearSupport the show
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In the beginning of April 2023, the Taliban notified the United Nation mission in Afghanistan that Afghan women are no longer permitted to work for the U.N. There are approximately 400 Afghan women who work for the U.N mission in Afghanistan. This decision was condemned by the international community and the U.N. is currently assessing whether to continue or halt all aid activities in Afghanistan.
In this episode, Sangar is joined by seasoned conultant and academic Sepi Azarbaijani-Moghaddam. She was one of the foreign aidworkers in Kabul when the Taliban took over the country in the 1990's. Sepi has in total, more 29 years of experience in conflict and post-conflict countries, especially in Afghanistan.Support the show
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A flurry of diplomatic activity over the past months has seen Afghan embassies and consulates in Iran and the UAE handed over to the new Afghan Taliban government.
As this diplomatic momentum increases, reports circulate that Tajikistan, initially hostile to the Taliban government, is poised to follow suit and submit control of Afghan consular premises to the Taliban.
What does this mean for the new Afghan government and its lack of recognition so far? What does it mean for Afghanistan? What opportunities do a greater diplomatic presence overseas present for Kabul?
In this episode of The Afghan Eye podcast, Sangar Paykhar hosts Afghan political analyst and scholar in international relations, Abdul Hai Qanit, to dissect these questions further.
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In this episode of The Afghan Eye podcast, Sangar hosts Jeff Rigsby. Jeff Rigsby was a US military contractor and aid worker during the occupation who is currently living in Afghanistan. Jeff sheds light in the lack of transparency in the Western NGO industry and details his experiences as an American living in the new, post-occupation, and Taliban-governed Afghanistan.
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What is liberalism? What makes liberalism an aggressive ideology that motivates the militarism of Western states? How can dissecting liberalism help us understand the American occupation of Afghanistan?
To answer these questions further, Ahmed-Waleed and Sangar dive into The Great Delusion by the renowned political scientist Dr. John J. Mearsheimer.Support the show
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The Afghan Eye is back!
In 2023's first episode, Sangar interviews Ahmed-Waleed on his recent article on the history and legacy of politicised education in Afghanistan. Amidst increasing Taliban restrictions on Afghan women's right to work and a ban on female secondary and university education, the duo discuss predictions for the directions that could be taken by Afghanistan under the Taliban's government.
The article: https://afghaneye.org/2022/12/21/afghanistan-girls-education/Support the show
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This episode of The Afghan Brief focuses on the three day long 'Scholar's Conference' gathered by the Taliban in Kabul and its 11-point Declaration. Ahmed-Waleed and Sangar discuss the assembly's Declaration, its lack of political inclusivity and the Declaration's reference to women's rights and modern education. and analyse why it wasn't labelled, as per national custom, a 'jirga'.
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Who is to blame for the current diplomatic deadlock between the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan and the West?
Have the Taliban really changed?
Is there such thing as Taliban 2.0? If so, how and why is it different from Taliban 1.0?
To discuss these questions and more, Ahmed-Waleed Kakar hosts former humanitarian aid worker Cathal Ó Gabhann (@AnOGabhannOg) to discuss his latest oped for the National Interest: 'The West is Getting Afghanistan Wrong, Again'.
Cathal Ó Gabhann has spent four years working in Afghanistan, in which he dealt with the Taliban on a daily basis, and has spent the past fourteen years interacting with armed insurgent groups throughout Asia, as well as with prisoners of war and victims of alleged war crimes.Support the show
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In the third episode of The Afghan Brief, the latest issue of national significance from Afghanistan is discussed. Sangar and Ahmed-Waleed dissect the convening of a grand assembly of three thousand religious scholars and tribal elders from across Afghanistan. They analyse the name given to the gathering, the ambiguity surrounding its stated purpose, the lack of female participation and its potential effects on the Afghan government and Afghanistan going forth.
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In the second episode of The Afghan Brief, Sangar and Ahmed-Waleed discuss ongoing rescue efforts by the Afghan government and the international reaction to a devastating earthquake in Afghanistan's southeast Loya Paktia region. They also discuss the crippling constraints posed by continued US sanctions on Afghanistan, as well as the earthquake's potentially accelerating pre-existing geopolitical and regional trends.
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On the first ever episode of The Afghan Brief, Ahmed-Waleed and Sangar cover the latest news coming out of Afghanistan, including a travel ban on two officials of the Afghan government. They also discuss signs of seemingly warming ties between Westminster and Kabul.
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