Abubakar Siddique, a journalist for RFE/RL's Radio Azadi, specializes in the coverage of Afghanistan and Pakistan. He is the author of The Pashtun Question: The Unresolved Key To The Future Of Pakistan And Afghanistan.
Authorities in Pakistan’s northwestern city of Bannu have closed a female-only park following protests by Islamists. The decision has sparked uproar among women.
Senior religious clerics supporting the Taliban and the rival Islamic State-Khorasan (IS-K) have recently become the primary targets in the widening conflict between the two militant groups.
This special edition of the Gandhara Briefing recaps our extensive coverage of the Taliban's first year in power in Afghanistan and why locals oppose the return of the Pakistani Taliban.
For many Pakistanis, the return of hundreds of armed Tehrik-e Taliban Pakistan (TTP) militants is a terrible sign. They are worried about once again having to live under the oppressive rule of the TTP, whose violence killed tens of thousands and displaced millions.
Tens of thousands of foreigners and Afghans were flown out of the Afghan capital after the Taliban takeover nearly one year ago. Among those who lost their lives was a young dentist who fell from a moving plane at Kabul airport. RFE/RL's Radio Azadi spoke to his family.
The Taliban toppled the Western-backed Afghan government and seized power one year ago. Since then, the militant group has solidified its grip on power and crushed domestic opposition to its harsh rule. Experts say the biggest threat to the Taliban comes from within as internal divisions intensify.
This week's Gandhara Briefing brings insight into the killing of top Pakistani Taliban commanders, the brain drain from Afghanistan, and why private schools are shutting down in the country.
This week's Gandhara Briefing brings you insights into the assassination of Al-Qaeda chief Ayman al-Zawahri, the Taliban's ongoing media crackdown, and a spike in targeted killings in Pakistan’s North Waziristan district.
For years, experts believed that Al-Qaeda chief Ayman al-Zawahri lived in the mountainous border areas between Afghanistan and Pakistan. In an ironic twist, Zawahri was killed on July 31 in a U.S. air strike in Shirpur, a wealthy neighborhood in central Kabul that was largely built with U.S. money.
The Taliban has turned to Afghanistan’s easy-to-extract coal reserves to generate much-needed revenue. Most of the coal has been exported on the cheap to neighboring Pakistan, a move that has triggered a public outcry in Afghanistan.
This week's Gandhara Briefing brings you insights about former Afghan soldiers living in hiding, how women are being stopped from taking foreign scholarships, and the Taliban’s new observation post on the Afghan-Tajik border.
Many members of the former Afghan armed forces and their families are living in hiding nearly a year after the Taliban takeover. They complain of persecution and harassment despite the Taliban's announcement of a general amnesty when it seized power in August 2021.
This week's Gandhara Briefing brings you insights into the Taliban's grand assembly, atrocities during the Taliban offensive against rebel Hazara commander Mehdi Mujahid, and the Taliban's efforts to convert secular schools into religious seminaries.
International human rights watchdogs are concerned about alleged Taliban atrocities during an offensive against a rebel commander.
This week's Gandhara Briefing brings you insights into Afghanistan's deadly earthquake, the fear among the tiny Sikh community, and the suffering of Afghan widows.
This week's Gandhara Briefing brings you insights into the black market for Pakistani visas in Afghanistan, the Taliban imposing higher taxes on Afghans, and the Taliban ordering Afghan bodybuilders to cover up.
The Taliban has ordered Afghan bodybuilders to cover up their bodies during training and competitions, a move that has been criticized by athletes. The Taliban order is the latest attempt to control the appearances of Afghans, both men and women, in public.
This week’s Gandhara Briefing brings you our reporting on the growing opposition to Pakistan’s impending deal with the Tehrik-e Taliban Pakistan extremist group, anger over the seemingly coerced confession of an Afghan YouTuber, and forced evictions by the Taliban.
As Pakistan moves closer to a peace deal with the Tehrik-e Taliban Pakistan, many in the country are questioning the concessions Islamabad is offering the group -- which they blame for killing tens of thousands of civilians and soldiers.
This week’s Gandhara Briefing brings you insights on growing Taliban divisions, the plight of Afghan musicians in Pakistan, and how the Taliban is profiting from the booming people-smuggling trade.
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