Abstract

Afghanistan has a unique politico-strategic position on the world map. There are multiple reasons that always draw the attention of regional and foreign players for their national interests. The event of 9/11 again turned Afghanistan into an arena of competition for self-interests of regional and international powers.  The study observes the great powers USA, China and Russia’s convergence and divergence of interests in Afghanistan in the merrier of “Offensive Realism” theory. This aim of the study is to analyze the involvement of great powers in Afghanistan and its impacts on Pakistan. This qualitative research work analyze through content analysis. The study finds out that Afghanistan’s good and bad situation always affects Pakistan.

Key Words

Afghanistan, 9/11, Pakistan, USA, China, Russia, Offensive Realism

Introduction

Asia remained a play arena for great powers. Afghanistan has exclusive bridge ability on the world map between South Asia and Central Asia. It is a land-locked country bordering Central Asia from the north, China from the east, Iran from the West, and Pakistan from South East. Central Asian States (CARs) increase the importance of Afghanistan by providing the crossing way Asia to Europe as they were part of the former USSR (Rais, 1993). 

Since the 19th century, Afghanistan has remained a central and attractive place for great powers. In this century, the country had played a role as a buffer state between two great powers Britain and Russia. In the 1980s era, when the Soviet Union invaded Afghanistan then the security situation became even worse. The bipolarity of the world led great powers USA and USSR to fight a proxy war in Afghanistan. USSR was following the expansion policy for access to warm waters and the USA followed containment policy and blocked her in Afghanistan. After USSR withdrew from Afghanistan in 1989, Afghanistan became a destabilized state. Almost one million Afghans were killed, five million fled abroad and more than three million left their homes (Rashid, 2013).

Along with the loss of life, the power vacuum in Afghanistan resulted in the emergence of terrorism, and extremism that create a security threat for regional and international countries like Pakistan, China, Iran, India, Russia, and the US.  These states have their own economic and political interest in the landlocked country, Afghanistan due to its congruous proximity to the Central Asian States (CARs) which are rich with untouched natural resources. They all are pursuing their own economic and political interest in Afghanistan that often clash with each other. Thus, the eradication of terrorism from Afghanistan is their convergence interest because only stable Afghanistan provides a sustainable economic environment for them. 

This study has discussed the great powers’ (USA, China, and Russia’s) role in Afghanistan to know the teleological bases of convergence and divergence of interests with one another. Further, how their interests in their variants of convergence and divergence at the epicenter of Afghanistan had affected Pakistan’s geopolitical interests?




Great Powers USA, China and Russia 

Great powers are independent states that have put forth the influence in the world through their hard and soft power capabilities and technical skills. According to the international experts, those sovereign states which have a strong military and economic power maybe they are middle or small states- are considered as great powers. John Mearsheimer (Mearsheimer, 2001, p. 55) says that states have two types of power, 1) Latent power and 2) military power. Latent power has consisted of raw potential, of all over wealth and population to build military power. During the Cold War, the USA and USSR fought a proxy war based on their strong military and economic power. In the Cold War era, the USA perceived a threat from the economic growth of the USSR and now she has the alike threat perception from China’s rapid economic growth and more than 1.2 billion population (Mearsheimer, 2001, p. 56). 

Many theories can explain the interests of the great powers in Afghanistan. But this study discusses the theory of ‘Offensive Realism’ because this theory is applicable to define the interests of the great powers in Afghanistan. The theoretical analysis starts with realism in its offensive form to uncover great powers’ intentions and interests in Afghanistan.

Mearsheimer views that the USA is the only great power who get the regional hegemony and the main goal of the USA is to establish the status quo of the international system and in front of potential states create hurdles that cannot compete it (Mearsheimer, 2001, pp. 236-237).

On the other side if we look at China is also trying to get regional hegemony in Asia but the USA does not want that China gets regional hegemony and rise as a competitor in the world. China is interested to learn more experience from the great power's ups and downs and its wonderful past. She is following its foreign policy and wants access to other countries and work together in the context of mutual benefits.  

John Mearsheimer says that China continually increasing her economic growth and trying to dominate Asia in the way of the USA who got the domination in its western Hemisphere and got the hegemony, but the USA check on it and never wants that China gets regional hegemony(Mearsheimer, 2001, p. 361). China wants security and stability in this region because it is very important for its uninterruptable economy and peace for her country.

If we look into the matter of Russia, Russia is also a great power. Russia has also an economic and strategic interest in Afghanistan and this region. According to John Mearsheimer, the main objective of great powers is to control the world resources, to get and catch the maximum wealth (Mearsheimer pp.140-147). Further, Mearsheirmer’s fourth assumption is survival is the key objective of the great powers. Russian foreign policy is evolving to secure itself from Islamic fundamentalists who are Afghan-based and a threat to Russia’s territory and exploring untapped mineral deposits in Afghanistan. These Great Powers have different convergence and divergence interests on each other in Afghanistan.

Importance of Afghanistan

Afghanistan’s geographical location remained very important throughout history. Afghanistan is located in Central Asia with Iran to the west and Pakistan to the South-East. However, easy access to the trade centers through this made it more capable and competitive.  The great power's domination struggle in this area has destabilized it. In the 19th century, when Britain dominated on (subcontinent) India, Afghanistan became a part of ‘Great Game’( Great Game was the name of the struggle between England and Russia, there was the concept that which one country dominated in Afghanistan and Central Asia then it will be dominated in this region) between Russia and England. England wanted to use Afghanistan as a buffer zone against the Soviet Union.  At that time the Soviet Union was following the policy of Expansionism and creating political and strategic influence in Asia. Afghanistan is a very important place for Russia because they wanted to access Europe via the route of the Indian Ocean and they could not get access to that on the route without occupying Afghanistan. Therefore, Afghanistan remained an arena of great powers due to its geographical location, and global powers always used it as a route to access the Central Asian States and their minerals. In recent times, Afghanistan’s importance has more increased because it is located nearest to the de-facto nuclear states like China, Russia, and de-jure nuclear states like India and Pakistan and it is a junction point of Islamic, Indian and Chinese culture. Afghanistan’s geographical location makes it prominent in the world albeit economic interests are not very significant inside it. The USA has made a research on Afghanistan’s mineral deposits and concluded that Afghanistan can help to solve the supply problem of Rare Earth Elements. Afghanistan has deposits of Aluminum, iron ore, molybdenum, cobalt, gold, silver, copper, niobium, fluorspar, beryllium, and lithium.  For the better and much cheaper trade, Afghanistan was the easily approachable route. Afghanistan had an image of a “potential energy corridor” since 1991 and this is the reason many world powers are interested in Afghanistan. Many countries like Turkey, India, Pakistan, the USA, Uzbekistan, and Turkmenistan have tried to connect Afghanistan with South Asia and Central Asia but their projects could not be implemented successfully. Next see how the great powers USA, Russia and China together on the same point and do cooperation where they have divergence interests in Afghanistan.




Great Powers Convergence and Divergence Interests in Afghanistan

This significant placement of Afghanistan between world powers China and Russia also attracted the USA. Russia had a history of the invasion of Afghanistan and as China was an emerging economy at that time, to the USA, which could disturb the power balance of the world. As Afghanistan is a gateway for Europe to reach South Asia that is why it is an important trade route for the world. However, USA hold its position in Afghanistan for more than 20 years. Afghanistan has been the battleground for many world powers.

For forty years the great power rivalry made Afghanistan a quagmire unfortunate its geo-strategic shape. In South Asia, Afghanistan has served as the main ground for Washington’s multifaceted security interests.  In 1989, international support to regional players compelled the Soviet Union to pull out its forces from Afghanistan. Almost, after eleven years of Soviet withdrew the USA got the legitimate permit for intervention in Afghanistan in the backdrop of the Global War on Terror (GWOT) and toppled the Taliban regime (1996-2001) (Sattar, 2013, pp. 114-125). In August 1998, Al-Qaeda attacked the USA’s embassies in Nairobi and Tanzania made furious at the USA leadership and this action of Al-Qaeda provided the stage for intervention. In revenge, before 9/11, the USA dropped the cruise missiles on Afghanistan from the Arabian Sea (Brisard & Dasquie, 2002, p. 17). Nonetheless, the USA had completed its plan to physical control Afghanistan earlier than the assault on its twin towers in New York.   

In 1991, the USA petroleum company Unocal got shares 75 percent of Caspian Sea oil reserves (Martin, 2001). But the Taliban tried to create the hurdle of the USA pipeline construction from the Central Asian oil reserves (Martin, 2001). Nonetheless, Transportation was the major problem across the landlocked region of Central Asia. On the other side, access was possible to the global market via Russia or Iran to the Persian Gulf. But unfortunately, Washington's twisted relations with the Taliban and Iran impaired oil transportation from the Caspian Sea and Central Asia. However, the Bush administration overlooked the Taliban’s angriness and allowed oil transportation via Afghanistan (Imran, 2019).

The USA military action toppled the Taliban government and established a new government of Hamid Karzai who was favored in the USA and secured its interests not only in Afghanistan but also in Central Asian States (Imran, 2019). However, the USA military presence in Afghanistan made China afraid because it was just on its doorstep. The USA and NATO action in Afghanistan was a violation of international norms, this military involvement badly affected the USA-China relations (Imran, 2019). 

Washington’s main objective in Kabul is to hold China’s increasing influence in Southwest Asia. China and the USA had divergent interests at all three stages: strategic, political, and economic.  Strategically, the USA military presence in Afghanistan and its surroundings irked China because now the USA and China sharing the Wakhan Corridor. Politically, the USA promoting the Indian role in Afghanistan’s internal affairs which is conflicted with China’s expanding influence in South Asia. Economically, China has economic interests and wants access to mineral resources in Afghanistan but here the USA has interests to compete it. 

The Russian expert and strategist General Leonid Ivashov has stated that the USA's aim is not to promote democracy neither restore order but is using Afghanistan as a strategic bridgehead where it could be keep put pressure on China, Pakistan, Iran, and Central Asia (Sangar, 2016).

China’s influence has also come major changes on the international scene. With the changing status of it, China became more active and involved in different regions of the world with its peaceful rising policy. But where its interests and security becomes the subject of dispute it can secure them to using force (Bijan, 2005). In the world, the USA has possessed the title of the most powerful country (Mearsheimer, 2014a), and still, it did not define any clear policy towards China. Etzioni saying about China-USA relations “Changes in attitude were common and obvious in several presidencies of the United States and nowadays it is also the case if we take a look at the new Trump presidency” (Etzioni, 2017).

China shares the border with Afghanistan and it remained less involved in the internal affairs of Afghanistan. It shares an almost 76 km long border with Afghanistan and China has no ethnic community in Afghanistan, which compels them to interfere less in the internal politics of the state. After the Soviets withdraw from Afghanistan, an unending series of conflicts emerged and it disturbed the surrounding areas as well. This unending series of conflicts and instability in Afghanistan disturbed the Western Xinjiang province of China, since then China is much concerned with the security and stability of Afghanistan to maintain stability in Xinjiang province. In a broader sense, Afghanistan’s instability not only disturbed Xinjiang, but also disturbed the other regions of Central and South Asia. The emergence of the Taliban in Afghanistan provided the platform to those who do not have Xinjiang’s stability. With these issues, some fresh challenges like drug trafficking, smuggling, narcotics, and terrorism were faced by China. When the United States invaded, Afghanistan in 2001, these issues accelerated and it created a disturbing environment for the whole region. The presidents of both China and Afghanistan met and stated to cooperate strategically and in intelligence sharing against terrorism. China also granted $23 million in military aid to Afghanistan to tackle these issues. Along with this, China does not Afghanistan to be under the control Taliban because they are under the command of the Turkestan Islamic Movement, which is led by Uighurs, and this militant group wants independence from the Xinjiang Province of China, withdraw from Afghanistan, an unending series of conflicts emerged and it disturbed the surrounding areas as well. This unending series of conflicts and instability in Afghanistan disturbed the Western Xinjiang province of China, since then China is much concerned with the security and stability of Afghanistan to maintain stability in Xinjiang province. In a broader sense, Afghanistan’s instability not only disturbed Xinjiang, but also disturbed the other regions of Central and South Asia. The emergence of the Taliban in Afghanistan provided the platform to those who do not have Xinjiang’s stability. With these issues, some fresh challenges like drug trafficking, smuggling, narcotics, and terrorism were faced by China. When the United States invaded, Afghanistan in 2001, these issues accelerated and it created a disturbing environment for the whole region. 

China has always expanded its economic interests in the rest of the world including Afghanistan. From China’s ancient silk route to China’s modern developmental projects, China is now Afghanistan’s largest business investor it has pledged increasing amounts of aid to the country and Chinese investors have been involved in construction projects (library.fes.de), China’s main interests were economically based. Although, Afghanistan's geopolitical and geostrategic importance has been a great challenge in history Afghanistan has played an important role in the international market as the transit state. Its position in the ancient Silk Route, South Asia, and presence in the middle of important neighboring countries are the factors, which have served as an advantage as well as a disadvantage for the country. Afghanistan is the vital transit route, which can connect China to the Central Asian region and Europe. As China’s economy is based more on, selling its products rather than consuming that is why China’s economy is on the rise. To sell its products China needs to find new markets and for that, trade routes are essential. Although China’s future programs according to Afghanistan are unclear China will need Afghanistan to extract resources and fuel China’s state-owned enterprises. China is waiting for Afghanistan’s stability even if it has to use its economic influence. Nevertheless, China has worked on many developmental projects in Afghanistan but the two Aynak Copper mine and Amu driver oil projects are of great value. Aynak copper mine is known as Mes Aynak it is expected to be of great value but it also threatens the site's archaeological remains (asiasociety.org). 

The other Great Power is Russia; it has also convergence and divergence interests in Afghanistan.  Russia’s interest in Afghanistan mostly overlaps. The economic interests of Russia in Afghanistan have some objectives to achieve which are to expand Russian trade through international trade, largely based on bilateral agreements. Russia wanted to expand its economic influence on other countries. Russia is not in the favor of connectivity of Afghanistan with other countries because all of these projects excluded it. It is not in the favor of Russia as these projects Bypass Russia to connect Afghanistan with other states.  In Afghanistan, Russia wants to formulate a single economic zone in which Central Asia will play a great role.

There is the huge example that the USA is supporting since September, 2001 the Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan -India (TAPI) project albeit China is backed on Termez-Kabul-Peshawar-India (TKPI) pipeline project.  However, because of the instability in Afghanistan these projects are delayed. So this thing is clear that in both projects Russia has been excluded and it is worried to maintain its hegemonic statues and Central Asian States energy recourses. Dmitri Trenin elaborated the two main objectives of Russia’s polices in this region ; First to stop any gas pipeline construction which is bypassing it , second except the coastal states to avoid any military presence in other states (Trenin, 2010).

Now the question is this why Afghanistan has been made an important arena for the world power states; well it is because Afghanistan is located at the crossroads of the world’s richest oil, gas, and energy resources. Saudi Arabia, Iran, Iraq on the one hand, and Central Asia and the West Siberian region on the other. These regions contain 80 percent of reservoirs of gas and energy resources of the world.

The main interest of Russia in this region is to maintain its status as a transit route for exporting of energy resources from Central Asia to Europe and limiting the role of other foreign and regional players who are trying to create influence its backyard.      

Russia has concerns over Islamic fundamentalists, terrorism, and warlordism. One another challenge ‘Drug trafficking’ is the biggest challenge for Russia. Afghanistan’s 90 percent GDP is based on the production of opium. The opium trade of Afghanistan has reached Europe and even the USA. This issue was bothering Russia to secure its perimeter. This challenge of securing Russia from the illicit drug trade of the Afghan region is an attention seeker. The drug lords are highly influential in Afghanistan because they are super-rich in comparison to other Afghans. Russia’s -anti-narcotic efforts in Afghanistan started alongside the USA but now they are quite different. Russia started its efforts in 2001 after US intervention in Afghanistan. An October 2016 UN report, which revealed a 43 percent spike in Opium production in Afghanistan from 2015-2016, was widely cited by Russian state media outlets as proof of the ineffectiveness of the U.S. military’s anti-narcotics policy (The Diplomat, 2017) with 6 percent of the population using drugs, Russia is suffering from serious and problematic drug consumption and a growing public health crisis. Inter-regional and international trafficking is getting stronger moderately. In the words of Viktor Ivanov, head of Russia’s Federal Anti-Narcotics Service (FSKN), “Afghan drug traffic is like a tsunami constantly breaking over Russia—we are sinking in it.

Impacts on Pakistan

The 9/11 event provided a big opportunity for the USA to occupy Afghanistan so it declared the Taliban as terrorists and toppled the Taliban government. According to Mearsheimer “the great powers look for opportunities to gain power and take advantage of them when they arise” (Mearsheimer, 2001, p. 168). However, an anarchic system in Afghanistan brought attention to the other powers. Terrorism can have a very dangerous and diverse effect on any country. Its immediate effects can be the direct destruction of infrastructure, transportation, machines or vehicles, and people or workers. The impact of terrorism is always negative for the country’s economy and the physical destruction is a major reason. When a country loss a fair share of productive resources, which also has vulnerable security for the investors the foreign investors invest less in that country. This uncertainty in the markets damages the economy of the country and even those who are not directly linked to the incident. As the investment from abroad is affected, the tourism industry also is affected by the terror wave. Foreigners do not prefer a country that has national security issues and which fails to provide security to its civilians how foreigners are secured in that country. Tourism adds a huge portion to the country’s GDP. Countries like Maldives, Bahamas, Britain, Thailand, France and other countries rely on Tourism for their economic development. When hatred for those native people emerged in the other nationals, nationalism emerged and skepticism of foreign cultures, immigrant workers, and refugees. This nationalism can lead to closing down the borders, which reduces the diverse economic transactions and limits productive resources. 

War in Afghanistan has not only damaged the economy of Afghanistan but it had an impact on neighboring countries like Pakistan. Pakistan’s economy has suffered direct and indirect losses of up to $67.93 billion, since 2001, due to its role as a frontline state in the ‘war against terrorism’ (Dawn, 2011). Pakistan has lost almost 60,000 peoples since War on Terror (Dawn, 2018) and has catered thousands of refugees from Afghanistan. The above-mentioned factors have led the Pakistani economy to decline. The Foreign investment was crippled, the tourism industry suffered, the issue of immigrants and the security threat made Pakistan face many challenges. War on terror not only affected the social fabric of Pakistani society but also had an impact on the economy of a developing country. Terrorism or war affects developing countries much more severely than developed ones, as developed countries have diverse economies. The ongoing war on terrorism has affected Pakistan's economy from all sides. The foreign investment is crippled, terrorism has caused closing in industries, low agriculture production, no access to European and American markets, and the human loss in drone and other terrorist activities have damaged Pakistan a lot. So far, the war has brought huge destruction to Pakistan by slowing down the economic growth, devastating the social structure, and harming the country politically. Pakistan, as a frontline state, has suffered immensely. 

Pakistan was enjoying good relations with the Afghanistan (Taliban) but the event of 9/11 changed the whole scenario. General Musharraf who came into power in 1999 had taken a U-turn in its foreign policy. USA put pressure on Pakistan President Musharraf and forced him that break off the relations with the Taliban government and support the USA “War against Terror”. However, Pakistan cut off its relations with the Taliban, provided information and logistical support to the USA against the Taliban as a frontline state against War on Terror. After the toppled of the Taliban regime, the Musharraf government (1999-2008) provided unconditional help in establishing a new government in Afghanistan. Nonetheless, After Musharraf, the new government of Pakistan who came into power as a result of the 2008 elections continued its support in the favor of Afghanistan’s President Hamid Karzai and the USA to tackle the terrorism policies (Sinno & Rais, 2008, p. 10). Therefore, since 2001, both Pakistani governments Musharraf and Pakistan People’s Party received allegations from the Afghanistan side that Pakistan is still supporting Islamic militants and providing help to them to cross the border. 

Afghanistan always remained an important factor for Pakistan in terms of ideology, political identity, domestic politics, trade roots with Central Asia, and security. Throughout history, Pakistan relations have been upsetting with its neighbors, India and Afghanistan. However, particularly last three decade’s external interference in Afghanistan continually creating problems for Pakistan? Pakistan wanted to protect its western border because its eastern border is already victimized by Indian enmity. In the aspect of security and trade with the Central Asian states via Afghanistan is the interest of Pakistan and Pakistan wanted stability and smooth relations with Afghanistan. Both countries Afghanistan and India came near to each other because of clashes with Pakistan and Indian influence in Afghanistan created distance between Pakistan and Afghanistan. Thus, when Pakistan establishes its foreign policy towards India it also keeps an eye on Afghanistan.

Recommendations

Some core recommendations which can be lessen the intensity between Pakistan and Afghanistan so that Pakistan save and strong in security issues.

Although, it is difficult to implement the desired recommendations because in the past different types of struggles had been done that Afghanistan became a peaceful hub, and then Pakistan relations began to improve in positive dimension but all in vain. Therefore, for the implementation of the recommendations, two things are very important first successful political attempts and second complete peace in Afghanistan. Pakistan and Afghanistan must be create strong communication to each other and lessen the trust deficit. Both countries are victimized of misunderstandings and this is the reason Pakistan had to bear much lose in history and current situation. If both countries have good wishes to each other the peace and security would be manage not only in Pakistan but the whole region. While, Pakistan is politically and economically strengthen then Afghanistan so it must be more efforts to improve relations and infrastructures of Afghanistan. It should also keep away of the reservations of Afghanistan and do work not only its own interests but also for the Afghanistan’s bright and peaceful future because Peaceful Afghanistan is in the favor of Pakistan. Somehow, Pakistan always blamed that it wants to  try to manage its favorite government in Afghanistan so Pakistan should be avoid such activities and match the interests with them. 

However, we observed the different aspects to improve the complex situation so that for the next time Pakistan would not be affected by it. As we can never deny this reality that integration or disintegration must be affected the neighboring country and Afghanistan is the best example in this region. So Pakistan and Afghanistan have not only existed in the same region but also neighboring states and neighboring states must be left the bad and good impacts its adjoining states. Pakistan has the advantage that Afghanistan is an Islamic country, both have the same region, language, and ethnicity but in the international system, the relations are based on the mode of interest’s not on friendship. 

Conclusion

In the 19th century, three Anglo-Afghan wars have been fought for power dominance in Afghanistan.  In the 20th century, the Soviet Union's failure in Afghanistan has been added to a new chapter in history.  Since 2001, the USA invasion in Afghanistan again highlighted the geo-political-strategic importance of Afghanistan in the world politics. Afghanistan remains in the limelight of the international system due to security issues. Key players like the USA, China, Russia, Iran, and India are involved in Afghanistan for its interests. So, this regional and foreign stakeholder’s involvement in Afghanistan left a directly positive and negative impact on Pakistan.

Because of the complex situation of Afghanistan, Afghan refugees are burdened on Pakistan's economy so Pakistan should participate in the reconstruction of Afghanistan and support them in their education, economy, industry, political system, healthcare, banking, and defense so that the Afghan refugees go back to their homes and settle in their country. 

During this war period, the presence of the USA and India Afghan government attitude remained non-cooperative and strained with Pakistan, and the trust level remain minimal. However, India is the third-largest country that invested in Afghanistan and trained Afghan National Army (ANA), established private links with the Afghan government, and contributed to Afghanistan’s reconstruction. India put all efforts to make Pakistan’s West border vulnerable. Pakistan talked with the Afghan government and unveiled Indian intrigues against Pakistan. Pakistan also maintains good relations with Afghanistan and worked to improve its institutions, gives the scholarship of Afghan students, develops free trade with them. 

China’s interest in Afghanistan’s mining excavation like lithium, copper, and iron ore is a positive sign for Afghanistan's reconstruction and development as well as Pakistan. In this way Afghanistan’s economic situation will become better and it can be a developed, stable and prosperous Afghanistan which is in the favor of Pakistan. Pakistan also participates in such projects and provides Pakistani labor to mining excavation in Afghanistan to China.   In the current strategic environment, Russia wants to access warm water in a friendly way via Afghanistan-Pakistan so Pakistan must provide them and receive heavy toll taxes from them.  The great and regional powers Russia and China wants the USA and NATO out from this region and peace and stability come in Afghanistan. There are many Economic Connectivity projects like BRI and its flagship project CPEC, TAPI, CASA-1000, EAEU that are related to peace and stability of this region.  So these great powers can play a positive and constructive role in Afghanistan. So Pakistan’s benefits are related to this region and it should be a preferred regional alliance and not just rely on the USA. In the end, Pakistan adopts the policy of balance that can help out them in peace and stability because Pakistan’s prosperity is interlinked with Afghanistan’s prosperity.

While recently on August 15, 2021, the Taliban defeated the world Superpower and came into power in Afghanistan. The military presence of the USA that remained for twenty years in Afghanistan raised many questions that what are the key strategic objective US achieved from Afghanistan and it adversely it affect the regional stability and instability?  After the US withdrawal, Taliban's emerged as a key political party to run the government in Afghanistan that has shifted dynamics of the region.

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