Publication

This commentary looks at what the announcement of the death of Mullah Omar, who was the commander of the Taliban in Afghanistan, might demonstrate about Pakistan’s attempts to increase its influence over the Taliban and in Afghanistan. The author also discusses 1) Pakistan’s support for peace talks between the Afghan government and the Taliban; 2) how this support is informed by Pakistan’s efforts to counter the regional influence of India as well as the threat posed by the Taliban regaining power in Afghanistan; and 3) the appointment of Mullah Mansour as leader of the Taliban and why Pakistan may have played a role in this appointment.