Since the Taliban returned to power in August 2021, Afghanistan’s political and moral landscape has changed sharply. Although the group’s founder, Mullah Mohammad Omar Mujahid, died years ago, he remains […]
This special report offers a detailed, evidence-based analysis of the sharp escalation in Taliban–Pakistan tensions, culminating in the cross-border airstrikes and clashes of October 2025. It traces the roots of
A Proxy No More? Pakistan, the Taliban, and the Collapse of a Patron–Proxy Model Read More »
How a quiet U.S.–Pakistan arrangement and Trump’s “deal-making” politics risk another cycle of chaos in Afghanistan and the region. By: Tariq Jahan The month of October turned into
Trump’s War of Illusions: Creating Conflicts to Resolve Them Read More »
By: Tariq Jahan Following Pakistan’s airstrikes on Kabul and other Afghan provinces on 9 October, the Taliban retaliated two days later with heavy and light weaponry along multiple points
By Tariq Jahan On the night of 9 October 2025, the skies above Kabul—the heart of Afghanistan—were pierced by Pakistani airstrikes. Pakistan claimed it was targeting the leader of
Bombing Brotherhood: Pakistan’s ‘Good Taliban’ Strategy Backfiring Read More »
By Tariq Jahan This policy brief makes the case that Afghanistan’s religious education system under Taliban rule has been transformed into an instrument of ideological control. Since August 2021, the
Safeguarding Afghanistan’s Next Generation from Taliban Indoctrination Read More »
Research is central to ACSTD’s mission. We believe that knowledge must be produced responsibly, with full respect for participants and communities. Our research ethics are built on the following
Research Ethics Policy Read More »
© 2026 ACSTD. Afghanistan Center for the Study of Terrorism and Democracy (ACSTD) Ltd, Company No. SC859228.
Trading as ACSTD.