AfPak File: What’s Going On In Panjshir And What Does It Mean?

In recent days, reports have emerged of new fighting in the Afghan region of Panjshir, with the National Resistance Front (NRF), the main armed opposition group to the Taliban, engaging in battles with Taliban forces.

Due to information shortages because of the lack of media personnel and other independent sources on the ground, the full extent of the fighting is unclear. But this development, in a country where the Taliban hasn’t faced a true viable opposition since its takeover, is significant.

The latest episode of The AfPak File Podcast tries to make sense of recent events in Panjshir, what it could entail for broader resistance efforts in Afghanistan, and what the implications could be for Taliban rule.

Joining the debate are Rateb Noori, Kabul chief editor of RFE/RL's Afghan service Radio Azadi; Obaidullah Baheer, lecturer at the American University of Afghanistan, currently a visiting scholar at the New School in New York; Nilofar Sakhi, lecturer at the George Washington University and expert on security studies and armed conflict in her native, Afghanistan; and Michael Kugelman, senior associate for South Asia at the Wilson Center.

Muhammad Tahir, Washington DC media manager at Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, moderates the debate.

This podcast originally appeared on RFE/RL.