Syed Fazl-e-Haider

Syed Fazl-e-Haider is a contributing analyst at the South Asia desk of Wikistrat. He is a freelance columnist and the author of several books including the Economic Development of Balochistan (2004). He has contributed articles and analysis to a range of publications including Dawn, The Express Tribune, Asia Times, The National (UAE), Foreign Affairs, Daily Beast, New York Times, Gulf News, South China Morning Post, and The Independent.

Contact Syed Fazl-e-Haider

Articles by Syed Fazl-e-Haider

Mullah Noorullah Noori: Afghan Taliban Leader Questions Border with Pakistan

Executive Summary Mullah Noorullah Noori has recently questioned the validity of the Durand Line, the internationally recognized border between Pakistan and Afghanistan, raising tensions between Kabul and Islamabad. Noori is

Central Asia Cracks Down on Drug Trafficking

Executive Summary: The Central Asian states are becoming more concerned with the surge in drugs being trafficked from Afghanistan since the Taliban retook power in 2021. The Taliban has banned

Focus on High-Value Military Targets Emphasizes the TJP’s Link to the TTP

Executive Summary The Tehreek-e-Jihad Pakistan's (TJP) assaults on high-profile military targets reflect a similar attack pattern to the Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan's (TTP), providing additional evidence to the argument that the former

Afghanistan’s Canal Project Looks to Deepen Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan’s Water Woes

Executive Summary: Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, and Afghanistan are facing severe water shortages, which Kabul plans to counter with the Qosh Tepa canal, which will likely exacerbate water issues in Central Asia.

Abdul Kabir: A Profile of the Taliban’s Former Acting Prime Minister Pro Tempore

From May to July, Maulvi Abdul Kabir served as acting prime minister pro tempore of Taliban-ruled Afghanistan for Mullah Muhammad Hassan Akhund, who had been suffering from health problems (Etemaad,

CPEC at Ten: A Road to Nowhere

2023 marks the 10th anniversary of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), the flagship project of China's Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). The project was initially thought so significant that it

Qari Fasihuddin Fitrat: The Afghan Taliban’s Tajik “Commander of the North”

Qari Fasihuddin Fitrat is the military commander of the armed forces of the Taliban-led Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (IEA). An ethnic Tajik, Fitrat is currently leading the war on Islamic

TJP: A Front Group for the Pakistani Taliban?

On July 12, nine Pakistani army soldiers and five militants were killed after security forces retaliated for a “dastardly attack” on Zhob garrison in the northern part of Pakistan's southwestern

India Losing Its Steep Discount on Russian Crude Oil

The discount enjoyed by India on Russian crude oil since Moscow’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 has now shrunk from around $30 to $4 per barrel. Yet, while

A Profile of Wadhawa Singh Babbar: The Pakistan-Based Leader of the Pro-Sikh Babbar Khalsa International

Wadhawa Singh Babbar is the leader of Babbar Khalsa International (BKI), or “Tigers of the True Faith,” which is a proscribed terrorist and separatist organization operating in India's state of

Revival of TAPI Pipeline Project Brings Serious Geopolitical Implications for Russia

Turkmenistan and Pakistan continue their talks on the revival of the Turkmenistan–Afghanistan–Pakistan–India (TAPI) pipeline, and a bilateral meeting on the issue in Islamabad will be announced soon—possibly in late June

The Implications of the Arrest of Imran Khan on Pakistan’s Stability

[Editor’s Note: This is a developing story. Since the writing of this article, the Islamabad High Court (IHC) has declared Imran Khan’s arrest “invalid and unlawful,” releasing him from jail

Escaping Justice Through Geopolitics in Pakistan: Jaish-e-Mohammed Leader Abdul Rauf Azhar

Mufti Abdul Rauf Azhar (Abdul Rauf) is the deputy leader of the Pakistan-based group Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM), which was proscribed by Pakistan in 2002. The group is most notable for targeting

India: One of the Biggest Beneficiaries of the War in Ukraine

On April 10, during her first official visit to India after Russia launched its all-out war against Ukraine in February 2022, Ukrainian Deputy Foreign Minister Emine Dzhaparova urged the Indian

Pakistan Taliban Shifts Strategy to Attack Police in Urban Areas

On February 17, the police chief’s office in Karachi, Pakistan's largest city, was stormed by militants armed with grenades and automatic weapons. However, security forces killed at least three attackers

The Conviction and Sentencing of International Terrorist Sajid Majeed Mir

Sajid Majeed Mir was previously the deputy head of the international operations wing of Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), a proscribed Pakistan-based militant group. The 44-year-old Mir has been a key player in

Is Pakistan Truly Sending Military Aid to Ukraine for Its Fight Against Russia?

On January 30, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov commended Pakistan for maintaining a neutral position in the Russo-Ukrainian war and vowed to fully cooperate with Islamabad in meeting its energy

A Portrait of Shahid Mehmood: Lashkar-e-Taiba’s International Financier

Shahid Mehmood is a senior leader of Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), which is a Pakistan-based proscribed terrorist group. Mehmood has been affiliated with LeT since 2007 and previously served as the deputy

Why Is Russia Recruiting Former Afghan Soldiers for Its War Against Ukraine?

According to multiple reports, Russia is recruiting Afghan security personnel, who were previously trained by the United States, for its war effort against Ukraine. The former Afghan elite commandos and

China-Pakistan Relations: The “All-Weather” Partnership Navigates Stormy Times

Introduction In a joint statement issued during Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s two-day visit to China in November, Beijing reiterated that relations with Islamabad will always be given the highest

Perils of ‘Water Wars’ in Central Asia

On November 3, Uzbekistani Foreign Minister Vladimir Norov and his Kyrgyzstani counterpart Jeenbek Kulubaev signed a bilateral deal in Bishkek, under which Kyrgyzstan agreed to cede to Tashkent the territory

In the Name of the Father: Ahmad Massoud’s Continuing Struggle Against Taliban Rule in Afghanistan

The 33-year old Ahmad Massoud is the leader of the National Resistance Front (NRF), which is an Afghan insurgent group waging an insurgency in the northern Panjshir Valley against the

Sindhi and Baluch Separatists Team Up to Target Chinese Interests in Pakistan

On September 28, a Chinese national was killed and two others were injured when an unidentified assailant opened fire at a dental clinic in Pakistan's largest city of Karachi, the

Russia’s Greater Eurasian Partnership Passes Through the CPEC

On September 27, the Taliban government in Afghanistan disclosed a deal it signed with Russia to import petroleum products and wheat at a discounted rate (Al Jazeera, September 28). The

China Increases Support for Pakistan’s Naval Modernization with an Eye on the Indian Ocean

Introduction In mid-July, the People's Liberation Army (PLA) Navy and the Pakistan Navy (PN) held the “Sea Guardians-2” exercise in the waters off Shanghai (China Brief, October 4; Pakistan Television,

Al-Zawahiri’s Killing Raises Tensions between Pakistan and Afghanistan

On July 30, al-Qaeda leader Ayman al-Zawahiri, who replaced Osama bin Laden in 2011, was killed in a U.S. drone strike in Afghanistan. U.S. President Joseph R. Biden announced his

Putin Sees Pakistan as Russia’s Priority Partner in South Asia

On September 15, Russian President Vladimir Putin, during a meeting with Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) summit in Uzbekistan, declared Pakistan

Abdul Rehman Makki: the Leader of Pakistani Militant Group Jamat-ud-Dawa

Hafiz Abdul Rehman Makki is the leader of the Pakistani-based militant group, Jamaat-ud-Dawa (JuD). The 74-year-old Makki is a U.S-designated terrorist and, under its Rewards for Justice program, the U.S has

Will the China-Pakistan Corridor Get a Boost with a New Government in Islamabad?

Introduction On June 10, the Foreign Office in Islamabad received a diplomatic communication from the Pakistani ambassador in Beijing (The News, June 13). China assured Prime Minister (PM) Shehbaz Sharif,

Allah Nazar: The Face of Baluch Separatist Militancy in Pakistan

Allah Nazar is the leader of the Baluchistan Liberation Front (BLF), a banned militant group engaged in a war against Pakistan and seeking the independence of Baluchistan province. As a separatist

Pakistani Taliban Launches Spring Offensive amid Political Turmoil in Islamabad

On April 11, five policemen were killed when their patrol vehicle was ambushed by militants in Dera Ismail Khan in Pakistan’s northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province (The News , April 12).

China and the Ongoing Political Crisis in Pakistan

Introduction The People’s Republic of China (PRC) is closely monitoring the rapidly developing political crisis in Pakistan. The current upheaval stems from the introduction in Parliament of a no-confidence vote

The Life and 50-Year Struggle of Baluch Nationalist Mir Yousuf Mastikhan

The 77-year old Mir Yousuf Mastikhan [1] is a veteran Baluch nationalist and separatist leader, who has continued his struggle with various political parties in Pakistan. Presently, Mastikhan is the

Is There an Iranian Connection to the Militancy in Pakistan’s Balochistan?

On February 14, Iran’s interior minister Dr. Ahmad Vahidi paid a visit to Pakistan against the backdrop of a recent spike in terrorist attacks by Baluch separatists on Pakistani security

Moscow, Beijing Play the ‘Pakistan Card’ to Crack the Quad Over Ukraine War

On February 24, Russian President Vladimir Putin met one-on-one with visiting Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan in Moscow. The two leaders discussed important regional and bilateral issues in a meeting

The China-India-Pakistan Triangle: China Strengthens Ties with Pakistan Amid Border Standoff with India

Introduction The failure of military talks in the fall to ease a one-and-half year border standoff between India and China could lead to further militarization of the Line of Actual Control

Pakistani Taliban to Benefit from Afghanistan-Pakistan Border Fencing Dispute

On December 18, 2021, Afghan Taliban soldiers disrupted the erection of a security fence by the Pakistani military along the two countries’ mutual border and seized spools of barbed wire

Sanan Khan Qureshi: A Pakistani Sindhi Nationalist Leader Struggling to Match His Predecessors

Sanan Khan Qureshi is the current chairman of Jeay Sindh Qaumi Mahaz (“Long live Sindh Nationalist Front,” or JSQM), a Sindhi nationalist and separatist political organization in Pakistan’s southern province of

Pakistan’s Deal with Tehreek-i-Labbaik Pakistan: Statesmanship or Surrender?

On November 1, supporters of Tehreek-i-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP) abandoned their two-week long protests and marched to the Pakistani capital Islamabad after the group signed a deal with the government, whose details

Mullah Mohammad Hassan Akhund: The UN-Sanctioned Theologian Leading the Taliban Government in Afghanistan

Mullah Muhammad Hassan Akhund is the new Prime Minister of Afghanistan in the Taliban's interim government formed in September (Dawn, September 7). The Taliban captured Kabul on August 15, but

Tajikistan-Afghanistan Tensions a Hurdle for Russia-Taliban Relations

The governments of Russia and Pakistan are uneasy over the continued tensions between Tajikistan and the Taliban-led Afghanistan, and they are urging both neighbors to exercise restraint. The exchange of

Opportunities and Challenges for China’s Plans in Afghanistan

Introduction In a September meeting between China’s Ambassador to Afghanistan Wang Yu and Afghanistan's acting Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi, China declared that its first batch of humanitarian aid will

China and Pakistan to Increase Counter-Terrorism Coordination with the Afghan Taliban

On July 14, thirteen people, including nine Chinese nationals and four Pakistanis, were killed and 28 others were injured when a bus carrying them to a construction site of the

Pakistani Separatist Renounces Anti-State Activities: Abdul Hameed Khan

On July 3, Abdul Hameed Khan, the former chief of the outlawed Balawaristan National Front (BNF Hameed group or BNF-H) formally announced his return to politics in Pakistan's northern Gilgit-Baltistan

Pakistan Braces for U.S. Withdrawal from Afghanistan through Extra-Regional Partnerships

While the United States is expected to withdraw its forces from Afghanistan well before its September 11 deadline, the countries bordering the violence-plagued nation are enhancing their capacity to combat

Pakistan’s TTP Mounts Comeback Under New Leadership of Wali Mehsud

On May 5, four Pakistani soldiers were killed and six injured on the Pakistani-Afghan border in the Baluchistan region when militants opened fire from Afghan territory, where Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP)

‘Creating Anarchy in the Country’: The TLP’s New Challenges Under Saad Hussain Rizvi

Saad Hussain Rizvi is the emir, or chairman, of Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP), a right-wing politico-religious party, which Pakistani authorities banned in April under the country's anti-terrorism laws. In November 2020,

The Pulwama Suicide Bombing and Youth Radicalization in India-Administered Kashmir

Introduction On April 2, Indian forces launched a counter-terrorism operation in a village in the Pulwama district of India-administered Kashmir, killing three people. They were allegedly involved in the murder

Pakistan’s Dual Counter-Terrorism Challenges: Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan’s Merger and Cross-Border Campaign from Afghanistan

On February 26, Nooristan, known as Hasan Baba, was killed by Pakistani security forces. He was a commander of the Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), who had been involved in the murder