‘The Lost War’ launched

Islamabad:Asif Durrani, Pakistan’s Special Envoy to Afghanistan, has said that Ishaq Khattak's book on Afghan war offers a realistic assessment of the events that enabled the Taliban's resurgence and triumph after two decades of conflict.

Mr Durrani was addressing the launch of Brig (r) Ishaq Ahmed Khattak’s book “The Lost War: Why the Taliban Re-emerged to Claim Victory in Afghanistan” hosted here by Institute of Regional Studies (IRS) in collaboration with Pakistan House. “His analysis correctly highlights the governance issues under the Karzai and Ashraf Ghani administrations and the US's failure to promote reconciliation as key factors in lingering the Afghan crisis,’ he remarked.

Brigadier Khattak speaking at the event reflected on his challenging yet rewarding journey as an author. He noted that capturing the memories of the tumultuous years during the US invasion posed significant complexities, especially in addressing the book's central question: why the Taliban re-emerged to claim victory in Afghanistan. The author also described how his passion for writing about Afghan affairs began in 1998 during his posting in Peshawar where frequent interactions with Afghans and the Taliban sparked his interest in the Afghan culture, history, and the struggle. Lt Gen (r) Asif Yasin Malik, former Secretary Defence, praised the author for effectively leveraging his extensive experience with the land and its people to analyse events and their repercussions for Pakistan and the region.