Episode 229 - Pakistan's Afghan Dilemma and the Path Forward

In this episode Uzair talks to Ali Nazari about the current state of affairs in Afghanistan, the status of the resistance against the Taliban, and the ways in which the Taliban are allowing transnational terrorism to occur from Afghanistan. Ali Nazari is Head of Foreign Relations for the National Resistance Front of Afghanistan (NRF). Ali began his career in communications at Khorasan TV, hosting a weekly show on politics and current affairs in Afghanistan. He then was Director of Media Affairs for Abdullah Abdullah's 2014 presidential campaign. As tensions between the Taliban and the government grew amidst the drawdown of NATO forces from Afghanistan, Nazary served as a chief foreign policy advisor and a liaison between Ahmad Massoud and foreign diplomats up until his departure from Kabul a few days after August 15, 2021. Since then, Nazary has served as Head of Foreign Relations for the NRF. Chapters: 0:00 Introduction 1:50 The NRF and state of play in Afghanistan 6:50 Life under the Taliban 12:40 Pakistan’s bet on the Taliban 17:40 How can Pakistan change its Afghanistan policy? 24:30 Regional strategy 29:50 NRF and Pakistan relations 38:40 Expectations from Trump administration 43:40 Reading recommendations Reading recommendations: - In the Name of my Father: Struggling for Freedom in Afghanistan by Ahmad Massoud - Afghanistan: A History from 1260 to the Present by Jonathan L. Lee - Pakistan-Afghanistan Relations: Pitfalls and the Way Forward edited by Huma Baqai and Nausheen Wasi