KABUL — When representatives of four nations meet Monday to plan peace talks aimed at ending nearly four decades of fighting in Afghanistan, the most important figure is almost sure to be absent. Akhtar Mohammad Mansour, the leader of the Taliban, is likely to remain in hiding when U.S., Afghan, Pakistani and Chinese officials meet in Islamabad to lay the groundwork for future talks. Nonetheless, his shadow will hang over the proceedings. In the six…
Posts published in “Day: January 11, 2016”
Delegations from Afghanistan, Pakistan, China and the United States are scheduled to gather under a single roof today (Monday) in Islamabad to make what is called “a comprehensive roadmap” for the peace talks between Afghanistan and the Taliban rebels. The meeting was agreed last month when Pakistan’s army chief of staff General Raheel Sharif visited Kabul. The Taliban would not be included the quadrilateral meeting. We have been witnessing similar meetings in the past that…
Amid growing optimism regarding the revival of stalled Afghan peace talks with the mediation of Pakistan, former US diplomats have said it would be unlikely for the Pakistani military to close down the Taliban and Haqqani network operations and imprison Afghan militant leaders willing to pursue violence. “Pakistani military has never been willing to take the very steps most likely to advance the process, which are to close down Afghan Taliban and Haqqani network operations…
A senior Taliban leader has been killed along with several other militants in northeastern Takhar province of Afghanistan as the Afghan national security forces intensify operations to retake control of Darqad district. The Ministry of Interior (MoI) said at least 17 Taliban militants have been killed so far as several parts of Darqad has been cleared since the opertion was launched on Friday. MoI further added that the Taliban group’s shadow district governor for Khwajah…
At least 43 Taliban militants were killed and 15 others were injured during military operations by Afghan national security forces in the past 24 hours. The operations were jointly conducted by Afghan national police, Afghan national army and Afghan intelligence – National Directorate of Security (NDS) operatives. Interior ministry following a statement said Saturday that the militants were killed or injured in Kandahar, Ghazni, Helmand, Paktia, Paktika and Maidan Wardak provinces of Afghanistan. The statement…
By MUJIB MASHAL and AHMAD SHAKIB in the NY Times, Jan 10, 2016 KABUL, Afghanistan — The urban attacks are suddenly coming at a dizzying pace — five in the first week of January alone. Three were relatively simple even if massive bombings, but in the others, Talibangunmen entered important cities, seized buildings and hostages when they could, then set off their explosives vests when capture seemed imminent, sometimes after hours of fighting. As the…
The writer is an analyst on international affairs and heads the department of Media Studies at Bahria University, Karachi Anybody studying the architecture of the ongoing conflicts in the Middle East should not be surprised at Saudi Arabia announcing the severing of diplomatic relations with Iran in the aftermath of the burning of the Saudi embassy in Tehran by violent protestors, who were demonstrating against the execution of Sheikh Nimr al-Nimr. In a domino effect,…
The writer is Editor of The Express Tribune A flurry of visits by top ranking Saudi officials leaves us puzzled over what stand Pakistan will take with regards the divisions in the Middle East. Saudi Arabia’s deputy crown prince and defence minister, Mohammed bin Salman, arrived in Islamabad this week to discuss our role in the 34-nation anti-terror coalition of Islamic countries that is being formed. Mohammed bin Salman is the force behind the alliance,…
The writer is the foreign minister of the Islamic Republic of Iran. THE world will soon celebrate the implementation of the landmark agreement that resolves the unnecessary, albeit dangerous, crisis overIran’s nuclear program. All parties hoped, and continue to believe, that the resolution of the nuclear issue would enable us to focus on the serious challenge of extremism that is ravaging our region — and the world. President Rouhani has repeatedly declared that Iran’s top…
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan on Sunday offered its ‘good offices’ to defuse tensions between Saudi Arabia and Iran even as it supported the Saudi initiative to establish a coalition of likeminded Islamic states to counter terrorism and extremism. The offer came from Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif during his meeting with Saudi Deputy Crown Prince and Defence Minister Prince Mohammad bin Salman, who visited Islamabad as part of the kingdom’s efforts to seek Pakistan’s backing for the recently…
RAWALPINDI: An ‘important terrorist of Daesh’ was arrested from Rawalpindi in a joint action by secret and law enforcement agencies. The suspected ISIS affiliated terrorist Muhammad Ali is a software engineer and was planning a big terror attack. Ali was allegedly hiring people for ISIS. According to security sources, Muhammad Ali, a software engineer, has also made his own website and through its chat room he used to be in touch with people. He had…