The Afghan Eye

Revealed: Pakistan’s Plot to Drag The US Back Into Afghanistan | The Afghan Eye Podcast

In the opening episode of Season 3 of The Afghan Eye Podcast, host Sangar Paykhar is joined by analyst Ahmed-Waleed Kakar to examine newly disclosed US lobbying records that raise serious questions about Pakistan’s intentions toward Afghanistan.  The episode analyses documents filed under the US Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA), revealing that Pakistan has retained a Washington lobbying firm to advance proposals linked directly to Afghanistan, counterterrorism cooperation, and regional security. The Afghan Eye argues that these disclosures substantiate longstanding claims that Pakistan’s military establishment is seeking to internationalise its tensions with Afghanistan and draw the United States back into the region. Previous episode references in this episode:  Support the show [https://www.patreon.com/Afgeye] ♦ Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/Afgeye  ♦ PayPal: https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/afghaneye  ♦ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/afghaneyeinsta/  ♦ X: https://X.com/AfgEye ♦ Spotify: https://tinyurl.com/yb4sz7bh  ♦ Apple Podcasts: https://tinyurl.com/ycjlytsz  ♦ Google Podcasts: https://tinyurl.com/y5qsvqq2

Pakistan’s Military, Islam, and the Theatre of Authority | The Afghan Eye Podcast

In this episode of the Afghan Eye Podcast, host Sangar Paykhar is joined by Afghan Eye’s in-house historian Ahmed-Waleed Kakar to examine a revealing speech by Pakistan’s most powerful general, Asim Munir, delivered to a gathering of religious scholars in Islamabad.  The discussion explores how Pakistan’s military leadership is increasingly instrumentalising Islam to assert political authority, delegitimise dissent, and externalise internal crises, particularly by shifting blame onto Afghanistan and the Pakistani Taliban. Support the show [https://www.patreon.com/Afgeye] ♦ Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/Afgeye  ♦ PayPal: https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/afghaneye  ♦ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/afghaneyeinsta/  ♦ X: https://X.com/AfgEye ♦ Spotify: https://tinyurl.com/yb4sz7bh  ♦ Apple Podcasts: https://tinyurl.com/ycjlytsz  ♦ Google Podcasts: https://tinyurl.com/y5qsvqq2

India, Afghanistan and Pakistan: Power, Pragmatism and the Taliban | Afghan Eye Podcast

In this episode of the Afghan Eye Podcast, Sangar Paykhar speaks with Indian strategic analyst Sushant Sareen about the rapidly shifting geopolitics of South Asia. The conversation examines India’s evolving engagement with Taliban-ruled Afghanistan, rising tensions between Kabul and Islamabad, and Pakistan’s deteriorating leverage over Afghan affairs. Sareen offers a candid Indian perspective on regional stability, sovereignty, and why Afghanistan remains central to Asian geopolitics despite Western disengagement. Key topics discussed include: * India’s pragmatic approach to the Taliban since 2021 * Afghanistan–Pakistan tensions and cross-border security crises * The limits of coercion and proxy politics in the region * Connectivity via Iran, Chabahar, and Central Asia * Why Afghanistan still matters in a multipolar Asia Sushant Sareen's page: https://www.orfonline.org/people-expert/sushant-sareen Sushant Sareen on X: https://x.com/sushantsareen Support the show [https://www.patreon.com/Afgeye] ♦ Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/Afgeye  ♦ PayPal: https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/afghaneye  ♦ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/afghaneyeinsta/  ♦ X: https://X.com/AfgEye ♦ Spotify: https://tinyurl.com/yb4sz7bh  ♦ Apple Podcasts: https://tinyurl.com/ycjlytsz  ♦ Google Podcasts: https://tinyurl.com/y5qsvqq2

Adil Raja on the Pakistani Military, Afghanistan & Regional Power | The Afghan Eye Podcast

In this episode of the Afghan Eye Podcast, Sangar Paykhar speaks with retired Pakistani Army Major Adil Raja for a rare, wide-ranging conversation on power, policy, and politics in Pakistan, and what they mean for Afghanistan.  Adil Raja discusses Islamabad’s Afghanistan policy, the enduring influence of the intelligence services, the politics of militancy narratives, and why negotiations between Kabul and Islamabad so often collapse.  The conversation also explores:  - Who actually negotiates with Afghanistan on Pakistan’s behalf  - The legacy of “strategic depth” and the Durand Line  - Pakistan’s signalling to Washington through counterterrorism claims  - Gulf and Turkish influence in South Asia  - Afghanistan’s diplomatic agency despite economic isolation  - The personal cost of dissent within Pakistan’s security state This episode is essential listening for anyone seeking to understand Afghanistan–Pakistan relations, civil–military imbalance in Pakistan, and the wider geopolitics of South and Central Asia.  Support Adil Raja's work: https://soldierspeaks.org/ Support the show [https://www.patreon.com/Afgeye] ♦ Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/Afgeye  ♦ PayPal: https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/afghaneye  ♦ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/afghaneyeinsta/  ♦ X: https://X.com/AfgEye ♦ Spotify: https://tinyurl.com/yb4sz7bh  ♦ Apple Podcasts: https://tinyurl.com/ycjlytsz  ♦ Google Podcasts: https://tinyurl.com/y5qsvqq2

Afghanistan's Long Shadow Over Pakistan’s Identity Crisis | Afghan Eye Podcast

In this episode, Sangar Paykhar speaks with Ahmad-Waleed Kakar, about his latest article exploring Pakistan’s deepening identity crisis. Triggered by Defence Minister Khawaja Asif’s remark calling Mahmud of Ghazni a “plunderer”, the discussion unpacks how Pakistan is renegotiating its relationship with the very historical figures that once shaped its ideological foundations.  Far more than a debate about medieval history, this conversation traces the crisis through Pakistan’s shifting national myths, the military’s search for legitimacy, and Islamabad’s evolving relationship with the Islamic Emirate in Kabul.  Read Ahmed-Waleed Kakar's article here: https://afghaneye.net/2025/12/08/pakistan-identity-crisis/ Support the show [https://www.patreon.com/Afgeye] ♦ Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/Afgeye  ♦ PayPal: https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/afghaneye  ♦ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/afghaneyeinsta/  ♦ X: https://X.com/AfgEye ♦ Spotify: https://tinyurl.com/yb4sz7bh  ♦ Apple Podcasts: https://tinyurl.com/ycjlytsz  ♦ Google Podcasts: https://tinyurl.com/y5qsvqq2