Publication

This paper discusses proposals to call for a grand jirga meeting of Pushtun tribes from Afghanistan and Pakistan. It examines suggestions to involve the Taliban aimed at finding a political solution to the unsustainable situation in Afghanistan and the persistent terrorist threat. The paper explains what a jirga is, reviews the history of the Afghan-Pakistan border demarcation and sheds light on the parties involved. Subsequently, the paper assesses the effects of NATO and Pakistani efforts to beat down the insurgency and examines the reactions to and reasons for the jirga proposal.