US and Pakistan Maneuvers to Reshape Power in Kabul, says Analyst

DID Press: Afghanistan political analyst Ahmad Saeedi warned that recent visits by Pakistan’s Army Chief, Marshal Asim Munir, to the United States signal the start of a new strategic game over Afghanistan’s political landscape.

Writing on his Facebook page, Saeedi noted that Munir has traveled to the U.S. three times in the past three months, meeting with senior military and intelligence officials, and was also a guest of U.S. President Donald Trump. Saeedi also highlighted recent landing of Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif at a U.S. presidential-only airfield, interpreting it as an indication of Islamabad’s elevated status in Washington’s regional calculations.

Saeedi cautioned that these high-level visits should not be seen as routine. He suggested that the US and Pakistan are planning a new scenario to restructure power in Afghanistan, potentially sidelining the current Taliban leadership in favor of more moderate and internationally acceptable figures—individuals who would meet Pakistan’s geopolitical interests and U.S. security concerns.

According to Saeedi, this strategy could pave the way for a “national and relatively inclusive” government that appears to represent Afghanistan’s diverse communities, but in practice would operate under the guidance of international and regional actors, particularly the U.S. and Pakistan.

Saeedi warned that while these changes might alter Afghanistan’s political appearance, they could merely represent a reshuffling of power structures. “History will repeat itself in Afghanistan; many will leave, and many others will return,” he added.