Terrorism in Pakistan has become quite complex; the military operations in the north-western tribal belt did not fully eliminate militants but dislocated many of them to their new bases across the border in Afghanistan, where they have joined forces with other anti-Pakistan elements. The recent terrorist attacks show that we are up against a formidable enemy that has proved time and again that it can outsmart our national security establishment and endure intensive, prolonged military…
Posts published in “Day: March 19, 2016”
The writer is a former ambassador and former permanent representative to the UN in Geneva The recently concluded sixth session of the Pakistan-US Strategic Dialogue in Washington demonstrates yet again that, at least when it comes to nuclear issues, we are engaged in a dialogue with the deaf. Secretary of State John Kerry has once again expressed concerns over Pakistan’s nuclear programme, going beyond earlier demands to cap the programme by calling for a reduction…
Local Police (ALP) commander, who was seriously wounded in a suicide blast in Parwan recently, has appealed to government to pay more attention to security in Ghorband valley of the province. Khawaja Mohammad Moshtaq said that there are only 300 militants in the valley. He added that security forces with the support of central government can easily clear Ghorband of militants. Moshtaq, commander of 150 local police members, sustained injuries in a suicide attack on…
At least five Russian speaking suspects have been arrested in eastern Nangarhar province of Afghanistan, it has been reported. The suspects have reportedly been arrested from Pekha district of Nangarhar province during an operation by the Afghan intelligence operatives. A local security official speaking on the condition of anonymity has confirmed to Voice of America that the suspects include two men and three women. The official further added that the suspects were arrested from a…
The Russian Ambassador to Afghanistan Alexander Mantytskiy reaffirmed Moscow’s support to equip the Afghan national security forces. During a meeting with the National Security Adviser Hanif Atmar, the Russian envoy said Moscow supports the Afghan government’s commitment in fight against terrorism and peace process. Insisting on regional cooperation in fight against terrorism, Atmar said Moscow’s support to Afghan forces could have a positive impact on the ongoing counter-terrorism efforts. Atmar further added that the Afghan…
Afghan High Peace Council (HPC) on Friday said that the start of peace talks with Hizb-e-Islamic party is a key step forward towards peace and stability in Afghanistan. Ayoub Rafiqi, the HPC’s Head of Secretariat, said that it is not yet clear what issues will come up ahead of peace talks and what will be the result of the negotiations. “Today was the first day of negotiations and we hope to lead the talks to…
ISLAMABAD: The federal government has dismissed concerns surrounding provision of land for the proposed expansion of the US Embassy in Islamabad. Deputy Attorney General Sohail Mahmood submitted a one- page reply in the Supreme Court this week on behalf of the interior ministry in reply to a petition, filed by Wattan Party representative Barrister Zafarullah, which objected to granting the US mission more land. “Expansion of the US Embassy is a matter of bilateral interest…
ISLAMABAD – Pakistan is all set take delivery of four Mi-35M Hind-E combat helicopters from Russia and talks between the two countries are in progress to cut deal for Sukhoi Su-35 fighter jets. With the Mi-35M Hind-E landmark deal, Pakistan and Russian Federation have entered into a new strategic cooperation to further deepen bilateral relations in various fields between the two countries. “Pakistan is set to take delivery of the acquired Mi-35 Hind-E helicopters sometime…
BEIJING — A Chinese journalist who had written critically of the government was being held by the authorities on Friday on suspicion that he helped draft a letter calling for the resignation of President Xi Jinping, his lawyer and friends said. The journalist, Jia Jia, a 35-year-old freelance writer based in Beijing, was detained on Tuesday as he prepared to board a flight to Hong Kong, according to his lawyer, Yan Xin. The letter the…
Chinese City Publicly Shames Migrant Workers Who Protested Unpaid Wages: By Chun Han Wong in The Wall St Journal, Mar 18, 2016 at 8:29 pm HKT Beijing: At the behest of a local court, eight suspects were paraded onto a stage before hundreds of onlookers in southwestern China this week, each flanked by a pair of police officers as they prepared to face the music. The suspects are construction workers, arrested after staging a protest…
Bangkok: South-east Asian nations are turning to Australia to seek closer defence ties amid rising concerns over China’s military build-up in the flashpoint waters of the South China Sea. The move comes as the United States warned that a ruling of an international court in a case brought by the Philippines over its South China Sea claims in the coming weeks could trigger Beijing to declare an exclusion zone in the waters through which 30…