Afghanistan Post US Withdrawal

Panelists: Dr. Arian Sharifi, Senior Foreign Policy Advisor to the Afghan Foreign Minister and former Director, National Threat Assessment of NSC Kabul; Mr. Rahimullah Yusufzai, Resident Editor, The News International, Peshawar, Pakistan; and Shri Vishal Chandra, Research Fellow, Manohar Parrikar Institute for Defence Studies and Analyses, New Delhi 

Chair: Maj. Gen. Ashok K. Mehta (retd.)

Afghanistan is on the cusp of a monumental change. After the withdrawal of Soviet troops, three decades later, USA and Nato troops will leave Afghanistan unconditionally by 11 September without any reassuring mechanisms to ensure that Afghanistan can preserve the gains of two decades of democracy and its security forces can withstand Taliban's military assaults. The future of the Doha peace process and credibility of the UN-led regional approach are also up in the air. Who will fill the power vacuum? How will Pakistan, Afghanistan and India secure their national interests are some of the many questions.