Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan set the cat among the pigeons on September 25 when he said people living along the tribal belt in his country had affinity with the Taliban not because of their religious identity but because of Pashtun nationalism. He claimed that Pakistani Pashtuns had affinities and sympathy with the Afghan Taliban.

Mohsin Dawar, a member of Pakistan’s National Assembly from North Waziristan, responded in a tweet. Quote: “Just shocked at how the PM of Pakistan can describe Taliban as Pashtun nationalists. The Taliban is a project of Pakistan’s generals for decimating Pashtun nationalism”. Unquote.

So what’s the reality? How true are Prime Minister Imran Khan’s claims made in his recent at the United Nations General Assembly?

Guest: Dr. Ayesha Siddiqa, Research Associate at the SOAS South Asia Institute in London. A former member of Pakistan’s civil service, she is the author of “Military Inc. Inside Pakistan’s Military Economy.

Host: Amit Baruah, Senior Associate Editor, The Hindu

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Behind Imran Khan's defence of the Taliban at the UN | In Focus