Sarajuddin Isar
@isar2000.bsky.social
Research Fellow CICAM @radboudpol.bsky.socia, PhD Political Economy @soasuni.bsky.socia, Senior Researcher @IAB/Accountant, Visiting Scholar @AREU, Chief of Staff @Afghanistan Central Bank
Pinned
Taxation Under Pressure: The Systemisation of Rebel Taxation in Afghanistan (2001–2021)
Under which conditions do rebels build intensive taxation systems? Using the Taliban (2001–2021) as a theory-generating case, we conceive of rebel taxation as a form of ‘taxation under pressure’ sh...
www.tandfonline.com
1. Thrilled to share that my joint article (Open Access) with Romain Malejacq @afghanopoly.bsky.social “Taxation Under Pressure: The Systemisation of Rebel Taxation in Afghanistan (2001–2021),” is now out in Civil Wars. As the title suggests, we conceptualise...
www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10....
www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10....
1. Thrilled to share that my joint article (Open Access) with Romain Malejacq @afghanopoly.bsky.social “Taxation Under Pressure: The Systemisation of Rebel Taxation in Afghanistan (2001–2021),” is now out in Civil Wars. As the title suggests, we conceptualise...
www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10....
www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10....
Taxation Under Pressure: The Systemisation of Rebel Taxation in Afghanistan (2001–2021)
Under which conditions do rebels build intensive taxation systems? Using the Taliban (2001–2021) as a theory-generating case, we conceive of rebel taxation as a form of ‘taxation under pressure’ sh...
www.tandfonline.com
September 12, 2026 at 11:39 PM
1. Thrilled to share that my joint article (Open Access) with Romain Malejacq @afghanopoly.bsky.social “Taxation Under Pressure: The Systemisation of Rebel Taxation in Afghanistan (2001–2021),” is now out in Civil Wars. As the title suggests, we conceptualise...
www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10....
www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10....
Publication Alert 🚨🚨 🚨
I'm thrilled to share my new article, 'Trading Political Loyalty: The Political Economy of Aid in Afghanistan', which has been published in the Journal of International Development. The article explores the political economy of foreign
onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/...
I'm thrilled to share my new article, 'Trading Political Loyalty: The Political Economy of Aid in Afghanistan', which has been published in the Journal of International Development. The article explores the political economy of foreign
onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/...
Trading Political Loyalty: The Political Economy of Aid in Afghanistan
This article examines the political economy of aid in Afghanistan, analysing the relationship between foreign aid and political loyalty under the presidencies of Hamid Karzai and Ashraf Ghani, alongs...
onlinelibrary.wiley.com
July 15, 2026 at 2:10 PM
Publication Alert 🚨🚨 🚨
I'm thrilled to share my new article, 'Trading Political Loyalty: The Political Economy of Aid in Afghanistan', which has been published in the Journal of International Development. The article explores the political economy of foreign
onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/...
I'm thrilled to share my new article, 'Trading Political Loyalty: The Political Economy of Aid in Afghanistan', which has been published in the Journal of International Development. The article explores the political economy of foreign
onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/...
🚨 Webinar Alert 🚨 I will be discussing my recent article, Checkpoint Taxation and the Neo-Patrimonial Political Order in Afghanistan, which is part of a special issue published in Development and Change. The webinar, hosted by the International Centre for Taxation and...
www.ictd.ac/event/webina...
www.ictd.ac/event/webina...
Webinar: The politics of passage - New research on checkpoints and revenue in conflict - ICTD
This webinar launches the The Politics of Passage special issue which draws on the Roadblocks and Revenues research series.
www.ictd.ac
June 22, 2026 at 5:04 PM
🚨 Webinar Alert 🚨 I will be discussing my recent article, Checkpoint Taxation and the Neo-Patrimonial Political Order in Afghanistan, which is part of a special issue published in Development and Change. The webinar, hosted by the International Centre for Taxation and...
www.ictd.ac/event/webina...
www.ictd.ac/event/webina...
🚨 Publication alert 🚨
Thrilled to share that my article, 'Checkpoint Taxation and Neo-Patrimonial Order in Afghanistan,' has been published in the Journal of Development and Change. The article examines how checkpoint taxation shaped Afghanistan’s..
onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/...
Thrilled to share that my article, 'Checkpoint Taxation and Neo-Patrimonial Order in Afghanistan,' has been published in the Journal of Development and Change. The article examines how checkpoint taxation shaped Afghanistan’s..
onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/...
Checkpoint Taxation and Neo‐patrimonial Political Order in Afghanistan
This study examines the role of checkpoint taxation in both the emergence and the disintegration of neo-patrimonial political order in Afghanistan. While it focuses on the administrations of Hamid Ka...
onlinelibrary.wiley.com
March 30, 2026 at 8:12 AM
🚨 Publication alert 🚨
Thrilled to share that my article, 'Checkpoint Taxation and Neo-Patrimonial Order in Afghanistan,' has been published in the Journal of Development and Change. The article examines how checkpoint taxation shaped Afghanistan’s..
onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/...
Thrilled to share that my article, 'Checkpoint Taxation and Neo-Patrimonial Order in Afghanistan,' has been published in the Journal of Development and Change. The article examines how checkpoint taxation shaped Afghanistan’s..
onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/...
A true reflection of what has probably gone in the delusional mind of Trump. www.facebook.com/share/v/1RNX...
Redirecting...
www.facebook.com
March 11, 2026 at 1:58 AM
A true reflection of what has probably gone in the delusional mind of Trump. www.facebook.com/share/v/1RNX...
If you are in town, please join us for the Fall 2025 Textor Book Manuscript Workshop at Lehigh University in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania. We will be discussing my forthcoming book, Fiscal Failure in Afghanistan: The Political Economy of Taxation and State-Building. I am very much
lnkd.in/eR6BSxE9
lnkd.in/eR6BSxE9
December 5, 2025 at 11:05 PM
If you are in town, please join us for the Fall 2025 Textor Book Manuscript Workshop at Lehigh University in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania. We will be discussing my forthcoming book, Fiscal Failure in Afghanistan: The Political Economy of Taxation and State-Building. I am very much
lnkd.in/eR6BSxE9
lnkd.in/eR6BSxE9
Reposted by Sarajuddin Isar
Are we moving away from traditional aid or circling back to it? 🤔 Patterns of tied aid and inflated figures are resurfacing.
This blog unpacks what 'traditional aid' means, why it changed, and why current trends might feel more like backtracking.
👉 go.unu.edu/Q09zl
This blog unpacks what 'traditional aid' means, why it changed, and why current trends might feel more like backtracking.
👉 go.unu.edu/Q09zl
November 25, 2025 at 1:38 PM
Are we moving away from traditional aid or circling back to it? 🤔 Patterns of tied aid and inflated figures are resurfacing.
This blog unpacks what 'traditional aid' means, why it changed, and why current trends might feel more like backtracking.
👉 go.unu.edu/Q09zl
This blog unpacks what 'traditional aid' means, why it changed, and why current trends might feel more like backtracking.
👉 go.unu.edu/Q09zl
and future societal challenges. For more information about the conference, please visit the link below:
www.gu.se/en/event/ret...
www.gu.se/en/event/ret...
September 4, 2025 at 12:29 AM
and future societal challenges. For more information about the conference, please visit the link below:
www.gu.se/en/event/ret...
www.gu.se/en/event/ret...
an Authoritarian Regime: A Review of Fiscal and Monetary Policies. The conference brought together academics, scholars, and practitioners to explore the intersections between fiscal and monetary policies and how tax law reforms and the evolving role of taxation can help address both contemporary...
September 4, 2025 at 12:27 AM
an Authoritarian Regime: A Review of Fiscal and Monetary Policies. The conference brought together academics, scholars, and practitioners to explore the intersections between fiscal and monetary policies and how tax law reforms and the evolving role of taxation can help address both contemporary...
Last week, I had the pleasure of attending a three-day conference — Rethinking the Tax Paradigm — organised by the Critical Approaches to Taxation and Society (CATS) Network at the University of Gothenburg, Sweden, from 27–29 August 2025. I presented my new paper, Institutional Resilience under...
September 4, 2025 at 12:24 AM
Last week, I had the pleasure of attending a three-day conference — Rethinking the Tax Paradigm — organised by the Critical Approaches to Taxation and Society (CATS) Network at the University of Gothenburg, Sweden, from 27–29 August 2025. I presented my new paper, Institutional Resilience under...
Reposted by Sarajuddin Isar
📢 New Policy Brief: How to make aid work in fragile states
Aid in fragile contexts needs more than technical fixes. The brief calls for long-term, flexible support rooted in local legitimacy.
📄: go.unu.edu/pTvBB
#FragileAid @apvjustino.bsky.social @rgisselquist.bsky.social @anvaccaro.bsky.social
Aid in fragile contexts needs more than technical fixes. The brief calls for long-term, flexible support rooted in local legitimacy.
📄: go.unu.edu/pTvBB
#FragileAid @apvjustino.bsky.social @rgisselquist.bsky.social @anvaccaro.bsky.social
August 4, 2025 at 2:08 PM
📢 New Policy Brief: How to make aid work in fragile states
Aid in fragile contexts needs more than technical fixes. The brief calls for long-term, flexible support rooted in local legitimacy.
📄: go.unu.edu/pTvBB
#FragileAid @apvjustino.bsky.social @rgisselquist.bsky.social @anvaccaro.bsky.social
Aid in fragile contexts needs more than technical fixes. The brief calls for long-term, flexible support rooted in local legitimacy.
📄: go.unu.edu/pTvBB
#FragileAid @apvjustino.bsky.social @rgisselquist.bsky.social @anvaccaro.bsky.social
Interesting read.
theconversation.com/come-meet-us...
theconversation.com/come-meet-us...
‘Come meet us in Dubai’: the new offshoring of grand corruption
Sensitive business is moving towards more permissive jurisdictions in response to tighter regulations and greater media attention.
theconversation.com
July 16, 2025 at 10:05 PM
Interesting read.
theconversation.com/come-meet-us...
theconversation.com/come-meet-us...
Reposted by Sarajuddin Isar
The West African Economic and Monetary Union has been engaged in an ambitious project to harmonise its members’ domestic tax systems.
30 years later, what have been the challenges and successes of this policy? Find out here: www.ictd.ac/publication/...
#Taxation #WestAfrica #WAEMU
30 years later, what have been the challenges and successes of this policy? Find out here: www.ictd.ac/publication/...
#Taxation #WestAfrica #WAEMU
July 7, 2025 at 1:06 PM
The West African Economic and Monetary Union has been engaged in an ambitious project to harmonise its members’ domestic tax systems.
30 years later, what have been the challenges and successes of this policy? Find out here: www.ictd.ac/publication/...
#Taxation #WestAfrica #WAEMU
30 years later, what have been the challenges and successes of this policy? Find out here: www.ictd.ac/publication/...
#Taxation #WestAfrica #WAEMU
Reposted by Sarajuddin Isar
Joining #FfD4? Don’t miss our side event: “From Insight to Impact: Harnessing Research Collaboration to Build Better Tax Systems” co-hosted by @iisd.org, @ictdtax.bsky.social, @odi.global & @theifs.bsky.social
📍July 3, 8:30 a.m. | Room 12 | In person only
🔗Register eventbrite.co.uk/e/from-insig...
📍July 3, 8:30 a.m. | Room 12 | In person only
🔗Register eventbrite.co.uk/e/from-insig...
From Insight to Impact: Research Collaboration to Build Better Tax Systems
Join us as we explore how research collaboration can lead to tangible improvements in tax systems at our event, From Insight to Impact!
eventbrite.co.uk
June 25, 2025 at 9:14 AM
Joining #FfD4? Don’t miss our side event: “From Insight to Impact: Harnessing Research Collaboration to Build Better Tax Systems” co-hosted by @iisd.org, @ictdtax.bsky.social, @odi.global & @theifs.bsky.social
📍July 3, 8:30 a.m. | Room 12 | In person only
🔗Register eventbrite.co.uk/e/from-insig...
📍July 3, 8:30 a.m. | Room 12 | In person only
🔗Register eventbrite.co.uk/e/from-insig...
1. I had the pleasure of attending the @British International Studies Association (BISA 2025) conference, held in Belfast, Northern Ireland. This year’s event marked the 50th anniversary of BISA’s founding and brought together hundreds of scholars and academics from around the world. More than 1,000
June 22, 2025 at 12:01 AM
1. I had the pleasure of attending the @British International Studies Association (BISA 2025) conference, held in Belfast, Northern Ireland. This year’s event marked the 50th anniversary of BISA’s founding and brought together hundreds of scholars and academics from around the world. More than 1,000
Reposted by Sarajuddin Isar
Trump’s immigration policies leave Afghans in the US in Limbo #Khaama #Afghanistan
Trump’s immigration policies leave Afghans in the US in Limbo
The Afghanistan Analysts Network warned about the difficult situation faced by Afghan migrants in the United States amid slow asylum processes. The Afghanistan Analysts Network reports that many Afghan refugees in the United States, particularly in Texas, are experiencing severe uncertainty and hardship because of restrictive immigration policies implemented during the Trump administration. The organization […]
The post Trump’s immigration policies leave Afghans in the US in Limbo appeared first on Khaama Press.
dlvr.it
June 2, 2025 at 5:23 PM
Reposted by Sarajuddin Isar
In case you missed it! The latest #WIID release is here! 📊 Data up to 2022 for 202 countries is now available for free download. Explore the WIID Explorer for charts, tables, and inequality factsheets. We are very proud of it!
See it here: go.unu.edu/DI5xt...
See it here: go.unu.edu/DI5xt...
May 16, 2025 at 7:35 AM
In case you missed it! The latest #WIID release is here! 📊 Data up to 2022 for 202 countries is now available for free download. Explore the WIID Explorer for charts, tables, and inequality factsheets. We are very proud of it!
See it here: go.unu.edu/DI5xt...
See it here: go.unu.edu/DI5xt...
Reposted by Sarajuddin Isar
New book: Fragile Aid
Why does aid fail in fragile states? Our book looks into this—it's not just about how much we give, but how.
• Delivery methods matter.
• Top-down aid often fails without local understanding.
• We need adaptable, context-aware approaches.
👉 go.unu.edu/vnGwD
Why does aid fail in fragile states? Our book looks into this—it's not just about how much we give, but how.
• Delivery methods matter.
• Top-down aid often fails without local understanding.
• We need adaptable, context-aware approaches.
👉 go.unu.edu/vnGwD
May 8, 2025 at 6:25 AM
New book: Fragile Aid
Why does aid fail in fragile states? Our book looks into this—it's not just about how much we give, but how.
• Delivery methods matter.
• Top-down aid often fails without local understanding.
• We need adaptable, context-aware approaches.
👉 go.unu.edu/vnGwD
Why does aid fail in fragile states? Our book looks into this—it's not just about how much we give, but how.
• Delivery methods matter.
• Top-down aid often fails without local understanding.
• We need adaptable, context-aware approaches.
👉 go.unu.edu/vnGwD
Reposted by Sarajuddin Isar
Many will be glad to see Haji Zaher fall from grace. He abused his positions of power to enrich himself, strike at rivals and grab land, keeping millions of Afghans trapped in poverty and the Republic mired in corruption. #Afghanistan bit.ly/44dc8pk
Losing His Immunity: Former Afghan MP Haji Zaher extradited to US on drug charges
Kenya is extraditing the Afghan commander and politician, Haji Abdul Zaher Qadir, to the United States, after arresting him at a hotel in Nairobi. The US has charged Haji Zaher with drug and weapons t...
bit.ly
April 30, 2025 at 12:23 PM
Many will be glad to see Haji Zaher fall from grace. He abused his positions of power to enrich himself, strike at rivals and grab land, keeping millions of Afghans trapped in poverty and the Republic mired in corruption. #Afghanistan bit.ly/44dc8pk
Reposted by Sarajuddin Isar
Fragile contexts are home to 24% of the world’s population (1.9 billion people) and 73% of the world’s extreme poor.
Here are three reasons why donors should prioritise investment in strengthening tax systems and how to do so: ow.ly/GiMc50VJu4H
#FFD4 #PublicFinance #FragileStates
Here are three reasons why donors should prioritise investment in strengthening tax systems and how to do so: ow.ly/GiMc50VJu4H
#FFD4 #PublicFinance #FragileStates
Why tax matters in fragile states and how donors can support it
In fragile and conflict-affected states, taxation is often treated as a secondary concern. But this misses a central point: taxation is not just about raising revenue, it is also foundational to the s...
ow.ly
April 29, 2025 at 8:32 AM
Fragile contexts are home to 24% of the world’s population (1.9 billion people) and 73% of the world’s extreme poor.
Here are three reasons why donors should prioritise investment in strengthening tax systems and how to do so: ow.ly/GiMc50VJu4H
#FFD4 #PublicFinance #FragileStates
Here are three reasons why donors should prioritise investment in strengthening tax systems and how to do so: ow.ly/GiMc50VJu4H
#FFD4 #PublicFinance #FragileStates
Reposted by Sarajuddin Isar
Ali Yawar Adili, Non-Resident Fellow at @nyucic.bsky.social looks at the Islamic Emirate of #Afghanistan’s relations with six local #Hazara commanders, who were initially showcased, as proving the inclusiveness of the movement, but how well have they fared since the Taliban takeover? bit.ly/3G1JKwc
The Politics of Survival in the Face of Exclusion (2): The Emirate’s accommodation and suppression of local Hazara commanders
This report examines the Taliban’s incorporation of six Hazara commanders into its ranks and how they have fared since the re-establishment of the Islamic Emirate. Three of the commanders joined the T...
bit.ly
April 11, 2025 at 11:09 AM
Ali Yawar Adili, Non-Resident Fellow at @nyucic.bsky.social looks at the Islamic Emirate of #Afghanistan’s relations with six local #Hazara commanders, who were initially showcased, as proving the inclusiveness of the movement, but how well have they fared since the Taliban takeover? bit.ly/3G1JKwc
Reposted by Sarajuddin Isar
Today I got my copy of Authoritarian Consolidation in Times of Crisis, edited by @jpolga.bsky.social and Raúl Sánchez Urribarrí.
A nice present in troubled times.
Thanks to the editors for their amazing work and to @benedictebull.bsky.social and Manuel Sutherland for awesome team effort.
A nice present in troubled times.
Thanks to the editors for their amazing work and to @benedictebull.bsky.social and Manuel Sutherland for awesome team effort.
April 10, 2025 at 7:52 PM
Today I got my copy of Authoritarian Consolidation in Times of Crisis, edited by @jpolga.bsky.social and Raúl Sánchez Urribarrí.
A nice present in troubled times.
Thanks to the editors for their amazing work and to @benedictebull.bsky.social and Manuel Sutherland for awesome team effort.
A nice present in troubled times.
Thanks to the editors for their amazing work and to @benedictebull.bsky.social and Manuel Sutherland for awesome team effort.
Reposted by Sarajuddin Isar
It’s time for a broader, bolder feminist fiscal agenda, argue
Caren Grown, @giuliamascagni.bsky.social & @rhiannoncm.bsky.social.
🚺 Today's @un-ecosoc.bsky.social meeting on #gender and #tax is a key opportunity to move in this direction.
READ 👉 ow.ly/CejT50Vqixp
#IWD2025 @brookings.edu
Caren Grown, @giuliamascagni.bsky.social & @rhiannoncm.bsky.social.
🚺 Today's @un-ecosoc.bsky.social meeting on #gender and #tax is a key opportunity to move in this direction.
READ 👉 ow.ly/CejT50Vqixp
#IWD2025 @brookings.edu
Time for a broader, bolder approach to tax justice for women - ICTD
As policymakers gather to discuss gender and tax at the UN today, this blog draws on research to call for moving beyond a narrow focus on gender bias in tax policy toward a broader, more effective fem...
ow.ly
March 28, 2025 at 10:32 AM
It’s time for a broader, bolder feminist fiscal agenda, argue
Caren Grown, @giuliamascagni.bsky.social & @rhiannoncm.bsky.social.
🚺 Today's @un-ecosoc.bsky.social meeting on #gender and #tax is a key opportunity to move in this direction.
READ 👉 ow.ly/CejT50Vqixp
#IWD2025 @brookings.edu
Caren Grown, @giuliamascagni.bsky.social & @rhiannoncm.bsky.social.
🚺 Today's @un-ecosoc.bsky.social meeting on #gender and #tax is a key opportunity to move in this direction.
READ 👉 ow.ly/CejT50Vqixp
#IWD2025 @brookings.edu
Reposted by Sarajuddin Isar
🔔 New on the Global Observatory: “Making Peace Great Again? The Challenges and Potentials of Trump’s Approach to Peace Diplomacy” By Isabel Bramsen, Isak Svensson, and Peter Wallensteen
Read the full article here 👇 theglobalobservatory.org/2025/03/maki...
Read the full article here 👇 theglobalobservatory.org/2025/03/maki...
Making Peace Great Again? The Challenges and Potentials of Trump’s Approach to Peace Diplomacy - IPI Global Observatory
How should we assess Trump’s peace diplomacy? And what can Europe and Ukraine do to position themselves strategically in the diplomatic battle over Ukraine’s and Europe’s future?
theglobalobservatory.org
March 25, 2025 at 6:43 PM
🔔 New on the Global Observatory: “Making Peace Great Again? The Challenges and Potentials of Trump’s Approach to Peace Diplomacy” By Isabel Bramsen, Isak Svensson, and Peter Wallensteen
Read the full article here 👇 theglobalobservatory.org/2025/03/maki...
Read the full article here 👇 theglobalobservatory.org/2025/03/maki...