There has been a lot of confusion about the recently-announced Azm-e-Istehkam effort, which was initially dubbed as an operation but later revised to be a vision by the Sharif-led government. To talk about what the state is trying to do and to better understand the growing security crisis across Pakistan, Uzair invited Iftikhar Firdous to the podcast. Iftikhar is founder and editor of The Khorasan Diary, an organization that closely follows security issues in the region.

We talked about the role of China and the Afghan Taliban in the ongoing crisis, the regional dynamics at play, and why the political division across Pakistan is exacerbating the crisis.

If you want to stay on top of these topics, follow Iftikhar at @IftikharFirdous. You should also follow The Khorasan Diary at @khorasandiary and subscribe to their YoutTube channel at https://www.youtube.com/c/TheKhorasanDiary

Chapters:

0:00 Introduction

2:20 What is Azm-e-Istehkam?

14:40 Militancy and illicit economy

26:20 No-go areas and growing insecurity

40:10 Chinese demands from Pakistan

46:02 Relationship with Afghan Taliban

53:10 Regional security dynamics at play