The writer works for Jinnah Institute. For President Ghani, it’s been a harsh winter, and one that has laid bare the key capacity deficits and constraints of an Afghan state on the defensive. As Afghanistan’s winter fighting season rolls into spring, a war cry is all that stands between an Afghan Taliban knuckling down for its annual Spring Offensive and March 21, the traditional start of the Afghan New Year. Developments on the ground suggest…
Posts published in “Day: March 9, 2016”
Afghan forces clear Dand-e-Shahabuddin of Taliban insurgents KHAAMA PRESS – Tue Mar 08 2016, 3:54 pm
The Afghan National Security Forces (ANSF) have retaken full control of Dand-e-Shahabuddin from Taliban militants in northern Baghlan province of Afghanistan. According to the local security officials, the area has been fully cleared as a result of the counter-terrorism operations launched late in the month of January. The area was under the control of the Taliban militants for a period of one and half month, with local officials saying the Taliban militants suffered casualties during…
At least 26 Taliban militants were killed in the latest infighting among two top Taliban leaders in western Herat province of Afghanistan. According to the local security officials, clashes between the two top Taliban leaders, Mullah Samad and Mullah Nangialai, broke out on Monday afternoon in Shindand district. A local security official, speaking on the condition of anonymity, said at least 15 militants belonging to Mullah Nangialai and 11 militants belonging to Mullah Samad were…
The Afghan intelligence operatives seized huge loads of weapons, ammunition and explosives by arresting a weapons supplier of the Taliban group in central Logar province of Afghanistan. The National Directorate of Security (NDS) said the suspected supplier of weapons to the Taliban group was arrested during a special military operation in Khoshi district. A statement by NDS said the weapons, ammunition and explosives were loaded on 7 vehicles which were confiscated by the intelligence operatives…
Former Jihadi leader Abdul Rab Rasool Sayyaf on Tuesday once again blasted in strong words Taliban’s so-called Jihad in Afghanistan, calling the war in opposition to Islam and against the will of people of Afghanistan. Addressing a ceremony in Kabul commemorating the second death anniversary of former Vice President Marshal Mohammad Qasim Fahim, Sayyaf stated that Taliban’s war was neither Jihad nor in the interest of the country. “They [Taliban] think they fight for the…
PESHAWAR: The All Pakistan Customs Agents Association (APCAA) has held the bureaucracy of Pakistan and Afghanistan responsible for hurdles to the smooth sailing of the new Pak-Afghan Transit Trade Agreement. In a statement issued here on Tuesday, APCAA vice chairman Ziaul Haq Sarhadi said though both the countries wanted to increase trade volume up to US dollar five billion annually, it had been reduced to $2.5 billion. The reduction in trade volume, he said was…
WASHINGTON: The United States will extend its stay in Afghanistan if the Taliban continue refusing to take part in the peace talks, the State Department announced here on Monday while insisting that the only solution for the Taliban was to embrace a reconciliation process. “Our longer-term strategy – we continue to have the US forces on the ground in Afghanistan, rather, helping build the capability of Afghan’s own security forces to continue to fight and…
Visiting British Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond has spoken in support of Pakistan’s stance that Jammu and Kashmir should not be a pre-condition for resumption of India-Pakistan dialogue. The incident of Pathankot has created the space for militants and terrorists to disrupt the talks process and India must realise that Pakistan is as much of victim of terrorism as them. The only way to push the dialogue forward is to enter it without pre-conditions and this…
ISLAMABAD – British Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond hurled a shocker at Islamabad as he promoted India’s policy of just about deleting Kashmir from the Pakistan-India dialogue agenda. Hammond, who was in Islamabad for a series of meetings with the civil and military leadership, threw a hint at Pakistan that sticking with Kashmir will not take the talks process further. His remarks that Kashmir should not be a precondition to the Pak-India dialogue disappointed many –…
ISLAMABAD: Visiting British Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond emphasised on Tuesday that Pakistan should continue working with India and Afghanistan for denying space and opportunity to anti-peace elements in the region. Secretary Hammond, who arrived here from Kabul, met Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, Army Chief Gen Raheel Sharif and Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan, besides holding talks with Adviser on Foreign Affairs Sartaj Aziz. Mr Hammond’s agenda in Islamabad centred around Pakistan-UK relations and regional…
ET Chinese officials are trying anew to slow an unprecedented money exodus from the country, clamping down on individuals seeking to flee the yuan and making life tougher for companies that need to trade the currency for dollars to do business. China’s foreign-exchange regulator in recent months has deployed a new system to monitor individual purchases of foreign funds and has asked banks to reduce foreign-currency transactions. It has summoned bankers to its offices to…