Najam Speaks on Afghanistan-Pakistan Tensions for the BBC
In a recent interview for the BBC, Dr. Adil Najam, Dean Emeritus and Professor of International Relations at the Pardee School, discussed the growing tensions in South and West Asia, most notably the cross-border escalations of conflict between Afghanistan and Pakistan.
Najam emphasized that the recent escalation must be understood within a broader regional, and potentially global, context. While the immediate trigger lies in the Taliban’s unrealistic assumptions in Kabul and Pakistan’s mounting frustration over repeated terrorist attacks originating from extremist groups operating in Afghanistan, the underlying dynamics reflect deeper, interconnected geopolitical pressures that neither government is fully able or willing to control.
Najam argued that although both Kabul and Islamabad are clearly paying a high price and even though both seem to prefer de-escalation neither has been able to find an off-ramp. All this despite many attempts from other regional players in the Gulf who had been involved in earlier, and now failed, attempts at mediation.
Adil Najam is Dean Emeritus and Professor at the Pardee School of Global Studies at Boston University. He served as the Inaugural Dean of the Frederick S. Pardee School of Global Studies from 2014-2022. He is also a former Vice-Chancellor of the Lahore University of Management Sciences (LUMS). Read more about Najam on his Pardee School faculty profile.