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The Pulse
South Asia is a story of promise and peril where Asia’s conflicting forces of modernity and reaction meet head on. Home to a multitude of different cultures, ethnicities, and religions, The Diplomat's regional correspondents and experts will provide the insight you need to navigate one of the world's most consequential regions.
India Must Champion the Cause of Afghan Refugees More Inclusively
By Mohamed Zeeshan
Even as it leads global action on Afghanistan at the UNSC, India must salvage its own credibility as a hospitable destination for asylum seekers.
The Taliban’s Careful Cheerleaders: Pakistan’s Statements on the Fall of Kabul
By Krzysztof Iwanek
Islamabad has always secretly supported the Taliban. Now it is laying the ground to do so openly.
India’s Harsh Anti-Terror Law Comes Under Rare Scrutiny
By Sheikh Saaliq
The law allows authorities to designate someone as a terrorist and detain them without producing any incriminating evidence.
Taliban’s Return Has Afghan Women Living in Fear
By Allia Bukhari
For Afghan women, the threat from the Taliban is very real.
Taliban Take Kabul Via Path Paved by Corruption
By Catherine Putz
Ghani reportedly fled Afghanistan with bags of cash; Dostum’s palace was rococo dictator chic. Corruption lies at the heart of Kabul’s fall.
Kabul Is Not Quite Saigon, and It Was All Too Easy
By Luke Hunt
Where was the Afghan military and the warlords?
The Taliban Ride Back to Power in Kabul
By Niha Dagia
Kabul’s fall to the Taliban is more the result of the Afghan government’s ineptitude and corruption than the Taliban’s strength.
US Sending 3,000 troops for Partial Afghan Embassy Evacuation
By Robert Burns, Matthew Lee and Ellen Knickmeyer
The Taliban now control more than two-thirds of the countryside, and a third of provincial capitals.
Can Pakistan’s Mangoes Sweeten Souring Ties with the US?
By Niha Dagia
Mangoes have always been in the frontline of Pakistan’s politics and diplomacy.
Implications of the Evolving Situation in Afghanistan
By Rajeswari Pillai Rajagopalan
The situation in Afghanistan continues to deteriorate.
Is There Space in Pakistan for Women on Their Own?
By Nushmiya Sukhera
The expected arc of a woman’s life in Pakistan is living in her parents’ home and then that of her husband. But more women are striking out alone, seeking independence.
Some Afghans Blame Neighboring Pakistan for Taliban Gains
By Kathy Gannon
As the Taliban swiftly capture territory in Afghanistan, many Afghans blame Pakistan for the insurgents' success.