Geographic positioning of Kashmir in proximity to Afghanistan and the latest update on the former president of Afghanistan which is now controlled by the Taliban

Geographic Positioning of Kashmir Relative to Afghanistan

Kashmir is located in the northwestern part of the Indian subcontinent, bordered by several regions, including Afghanistan to the northwest. The greater Kashmir region spans approximately 222,200 square kilometers and is situated between latitudes 32° and 36° N and longitudes 74° and 80° E. It is a mountainous area dominated by the Western Himalayas, including ranges like the Karakoram, Ladakh, Zanskar, Great Himalaya, and Pir Panjal. Key geographic features include the Vale of Kashmir, the basin of the upper Jhelum River, and high-altitude areas like Aksai Chin.

To the northwest, Kashmir borders Afghanistan’s Wakhan Corridor, a narrow strip connecting Afghanistan to China. This proximity places Kashmir near Afghanistan’s northeastern Badakhshan province. The border with Afghanistan is relatively short and lies in a rugged, high-altitude region, with the Karakoram Range and Pamir Mountains forming natural barriers. Kashmir also shares borders with Pakistan to the west (Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Punjab provinces), China to the north and east (Xinjiang and Tibet), and India to the south (Himachal Pradesh and Punjab). The region’s strategic location has historically made it a contested area, with India, Pakistan, and China administering different parts: India controls Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh, Pakistan administers Azad Kashmir and Gilgit-Baltistan, and China holds Aksai Chin and the Trans-Karakoram Tract.

Latest Update on Former Afghan President Ashraf Ghani

Afghanistan is currently under the control of the Taliban, a Sunni Islamist group that regained power in August 2021 following the U.S. military withdrawal. The Taliban, not classified as a terrorist organization by the U.S. but designated as such by some countries, established the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan, led by Hibatullah Akhundzada. Their rule has imposed strict Islamic law, curtailed women’s rights, and struggled to provide basic services, though violence has decreased compared to previous decades.

Ashraf Ghani, Afghanistan’s former president, fled the country on August 15, 2021, as Taliban forces entered Kabul, effectively collapsing the U.S.-backed government. Ghani’s departure was confirmed by Abdullah Abdullah, head of the government’s negotiating team, and various reports indicated he left to prevent further chaos. He initially fled to the United Arab Emirates, where he has since resided in exile.

Since 2021, Ghani has maintained a low profile but has occasionally engaged in public discourse. In 2023, he spoke at events like the Atlantic Council, reflecting on Afghanistan’s collapse and advocating for international pressure on the Taliban to respect human rights, particularly for women. He has not returned to Afghanistan, and there is no indication he is actively involved in organizing resistance against the Taliban. Recent updates suggest he remains in the UAE, focusing on academic and advocacy work, including discussions on Afghanistan’s future governance and humanitarian crisis. No specific developments about Ghani were reported in 2025, but the broader context shows the Taliban consolidating power with no significant political opposition, as noted by former Afghan adviser Nader Nadery.

The Taliban face challenges from groups like the Islamic State-Khorasan Province (IS-KP), which has conducted attacks, such as a 2025 mosque bombing in Samangan province. Resistance groups like the National Resistance Front (NRF), led by Ahmad Massoud, and the Afghanistan Freedom Front exist but lack the strength to challenge Taliban control significantly. Ghani’s former vice president, Amrullah Saleh, is reportedly in Dushanbe, Tajikistan, but has not merged forces with the NRF due to strategic differences.

Kashmir’s proximity to Afghanistan places it in a geopolitically sensitive region, with the Wakhan Corridor as the primary link. Ashraf Ghani, now in exile in the UAE, remains a vocal but distant figure, with no direct role in Afghanistan’s current Taliban-controlled landscape, where internal security and humanitarian challenges persist.

17GEN4.com