Tag Archives: Hamid Karzai

As long as the US remains disinclined to demonstrably leverage its relations with India for a matter-of-fact dialogue between the two south Asian neighbors, peace in Afghanistan will also remain a distant dream – no matter how much pressure Nicholson or his political bosses in Washington ratchet up on Pakistan, claims one Pakistani analyst.

India can be a useful ally to the Afghan government. It cannot be a substitute for the United States. Its best chance for influencing Afghanistan’s trajectory lies in a close partnership with Washington in which the US provides the military support necessary to ensure the survival of the Afghan government and eventually brings the insurgency to the negotiating table. But in the broader picture, New Delhi’s margins of maneuver are slowly but surely diminishing. Karzai needs to take realities into account when he next makes political calculations.

Outsiders can only facilitate but find solutions to Afghanistan's internal problems. It rests in the hands of the Afghan leadership only. Upping the ante in the cover of blame-game - like the recent tensions- will neither serve Afghan peoples nor benefit the region.

Mullah Omar’s pro-talks message is a morale booster for Ghani.

Islamabad must build on the unusual goodwill in Kabul to prove it is sincere in cooperating against terrorism.

The war in Afghanistan is largely forgotten in the West with all the attention on Gaza, Iraq, Syria, Libya, Nigeria and elsewhere, but it is far from over. And judging by the killing of General Greene, US involvement in Afghanistan will stretch over many years to come.

The current confusion in Afghanistan’s political crisis highlights the paradoxical nature of Afghan politics: both highly fluid at times of uncertainty, as well as inherently rigid. Amid all this, Karzai still remains the most important player in the current crisis. All depends on how he plays it. He has emerged as the strongest player in mediation.

Claims of massive rigging in Afghanistan’s landmark elections to replace President Hamid Karzai have thrown the country into worst political crisis in years. Leading Afghan commentator Dr. Hussain Yasa analyzes different possible options to pull the country out of the mess. But he expects little flexibility from Dr Ashraf Ghani who will not be ready for any settlement which could nullify his victory.

Millions of Afghans once again proved on June 14 – the day run-off elections for the country’s presidency were held – that despite terrorist threats and widespread low-level violence, they are vested in a democratic future.   However, the entrenched elites affiliated to the two contending camps backing Abdullah Abdullah and Ashraf Ghani are at odds over ballot tallying, irregularities and procedural …

When, Nadir Khan, the father of Zahir Shah, the last king of Afghanistan and Father of the Nation, decided to draft a constitution for his absolute monarchy, the sycophants in his court opposed the idea. They advised him that while his majesty king was alive Afghanistan did not need constitution. They said that the will of the king is law …