Post-US Withdrawal Challenges to the Security of Newly Merged Districts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan

Abstract

US decision to fully withdraw from Afghanistan under Doha Accord has significantly altered the geo-strategic environment of the whole region. This withdrawal directly resulted in re-rise of Taliban regime in Afghanistan. These developments have had a direct bearing on regional states, most notably Pakistan, which partnered with US in War on Terrorism post 9/11. Pakistan’s border region with Afghanistan and particularly Newly Merged Districts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (formerly FATA), have been most affected due to strategic shifts in Afghanistan. The fundamental purpose of this paper is to explain the ways in which US withdrawal and subsequent developments in Afghanistan have created enabling environment for security threats (resurgence of terrorism) in NMDs. The study is an attempt to provide insights into the localized developments of Pakistan-Afghanistan border region for broader policy options for the state.