Evolving Situation in Afghanistan: Role of Major Powers and Regional Countries

Islamabad Policy Institute Research, 2016. — 152 p.Afghanistan is a country at the crossroads of change. Change, that can either take it out of its past and present existential crisis towards wholeness; or push it towards abysmal chaos. What the country and its people need more than anything else in the days and years ahead is decisive leadership, whether from the world’s major powers, its regional neighbours or even from within. In this regard, the ongoing efforts of the U.S., Pakistan and China have been encouraging. However, to save and salvage this country and its future generations require far greater efforts from all the stakeholders.From conceptualising a peace framework of political reconciliation to proposals for minimising the human cost of war; to country-specific perspectives on Afghanistan – from the U.S., China, Turkey, Iran, Saudi Arabia, Russia, Central Asia and, last but not least, Pakistan – provide a global worldview of the myriad of complex, often intractable socio-political, economic and security challenges the country faces.