Umar Khalid Dar, a freelance writer, explains why the USA has withdrawn its forces despite zero military casualties in the last two years. He argues that the main reason for the USA withdrawal is because of changes in its strategic interest.

Shane Quinn, explains US involvement in the covert operations in Afghanistan and why the CIA was surveying Afghanistan as a replacement for its essential TACKSMAN signals intelligence (SIGINT) collection facilities, which had been located in Iran.

Rana Kanwal talks about how Pakistan's education system is entirely focused on dress codes instead of improving the quality of education. Moreover, educational crimes are on the rise among teachers in Pakistan because our justice system is being neglectful as ever.

Prof Zamir Ahmed Awan thinks the US has always used Pakistan's soil for its own strategic interests and when it could not do it anymore, it immediately distanced itself from Pakistan and got closer to India. It proves true that Pakistan is a pivotal state.

Dr. Farid A Malik talks about Pakistan's efforts of jumpstarting the stalled bureaucracy of the country as Kamran Ali Afzal has taken charge as Chief Secretary (CS). He further stresses the need for effective monitoring which will provide data for real accountability.

Dr. James Dorsey thinks that the Taliban’s record in recent weeks on making good on promises to respect human and women’s rights, as well as upholding freedom of the press, is mixed at best. The Taliban made it clear that their definition of inclusivity is different.

Even before the Taliban took control of Kabul, China started deepening diplomatic ties with the group. Since then, Chinese officials have said that Beijing respects Afghan's right to decide their future, implying that the Taliban’s victory reflects the people’s will.

According to Sameed Basha, Soft power differs from hard power through the display of one's cultural identity, history and values rather than its militaristic character. This is to aid in the construction of its own cultural image and project its identity to the world.

Apart from occupying Jammu and Kashmir in 1947, India went through an act of aggression transgressed upon the Muslim-ruled princely state of Junagadh and occupied it by force. This was done soon after the partition of the Indo-Pak sub-continent.

Enforced disappearance has become a global problem and is not restricted to a specific region of the world. The feeling of insecurity generated by this practice is not limited to the close relatives of the disappeared but also affects their communities and society as a whole.

Syed Ali Geelani's defined goal of freedom made him stand out among other leaders as the Kashmiri youth looked up to him as a beacon of hope. Defying all odds, Syed Ali Geelani left his people with the will to fight and ensure that oppression doesn't last forever.

Umar Khalid Dar, a freelance writer based in Manchester, UK thinks the Taliban are the future of Afghanistan and they can bring stability. Regional powers like China, Russia, Iran, and Pakistan must spearhead the movement in recognizing the government.