“The world will see changed Taliban. We want to keep workable relations with the world in general and friendly relations with our neighbors in particular,” said the Taliban Spokesman in a press conference after the Taliban’s quick blitz over the Capital Kabul. He further committed to keeping the trade activities unhindered. Afghanistan is a landlocked country at the crossroads of Central and South Asia bordered by Pakistan, Iran, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, and China. Its geographical importance has witnessed numerous military campaigns making it a graveyard of oodles of empires. Any upheaval in Afghanistan will undoubtedly affect the whole region. After the lightening take-over of Kabul by the Taliban against all expectations of the defense analysts, Afghanistan’s neighbors are under dire pressure. All of them are looking towards Pakistan with hopeful but skeptical eyes. Pakistan’s establishment has allegedly successfully buoyed up the Afghan Taliban into victory against ever-increasing Indian influence in Afghanistan. Some defense analysts, nonetheless, fear this Afghan Taliban’s success may ultimately backfire into encouraging Pakistan’s Taliban, the TTP, which is savoring safe havens along the Pak-Afghan border. However, the Afghan Taliban are always at odds with its Pakistani version and has pledged not to let Afghanistan’s land be used against … Continue reading Afghanistan-Neighbors Dilemma