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Posts published in May 2016

Pakistan’s Afghan dilemma: by Marvi Sirmed in The Nation, May 31, 2016

The writer is an Islamabad based freelance columnist. After the death of Mullah Mansour on the soil of Pakistan, if some geniuses think that Pakistan would either be embarrassed or would introspect over its ‘support’ to Afghan Taliban, they need help. Taliban are the only friends Pakistan has in the region as of now. The obsession with strategic depth in Afghanistan is not a recent story.It has withstood more than four decades now. America, of…

Pakistan’s unwanted problem: Afghan refugees: By Ayaz Amir in the News, May 31, 2016

The truth is that Afghans don’t like Pakistan, considering Pakistan to be a Punjabi state. For reasons rooted in history they have viewed Punjab through a prism of hostility, not least because a Punjabi ruler, Maharaja Ranjit Singh, defeated them in battle and took Peshawar from them. If Peshawar and the surrounding districts are a part of Pakistan it is because of this tangled past. Small wonder Afghans have never recognised the Durand Line and…

Matter of Afghan Refugees, About time they leave: edit in Pakistan Today, May 31, 2016

Few doubted that Kabul would request an extension for the Afghan refugees’ stay in Pakistan when the current deadline expired (end June). The legal stay of registered refugees actually ran out in Dec ’15, but the prime minister utulised his discretionary powers – at Kabul’s request, of course – to grant a six-month extension. But they are not likely to find Islamabad just as accommodative now that they are back; especially since they are asking…

Sections Of Govt’s Accord With Hizb-e-Islami ‘Against Constitution’ by Gulabudin Ghubar in Tolo News, May 31, 2016

“Kabul is responsible to be more cautious in this regard as it is not possible that an additional power is created besides government,” he added. MP Fakori Beheshti meanwhile said: “I believe that the problems should be considered seriously. This is one of the main duties of parliament and peace with anyone should be done after consultation with MPs.” According to the independent commission for overseeing the implementation of the constitution, government should consider the…

Hezb-e-Islami demands schedule for foreign forces exit before peace agreement By KHAAMA PRESS – Mon May 30 2016

The Hezb-e-Islami party led by Gulbuddin Hekmatyar and the Afghan government are at odd regarding the confirmation of scheduled exit of foreign forces from the country to conclude a peace deal. An official of Hezb-e-Islami has told Radio Free Europe that certain issues remains unresolved between the party and the Afghan government to conclude the agreement. The acting head and deputy of Hezb-e-Islami Mohammad Hakim Hakim has said the Afghan government must confirm a schedule…

Pakistani women arrested in Afghanistan while transferring classified docs to ISIS By KHAAMA PRESS – Mon May 30 2016

The Afghan National Security and Defense Forces A (ANSDF) have arrested two Pakistani women as they were transferring classified documents to the loyalists of Islamic State of Iraq and Syria ( ISIS) terrorist group. The two women were arrested from the vicinity of eastern Nangarhar province of Afghanistan where the loyalists of the terror group are active in a number of its districts. The provincial government’s media office said the women were detained in the…

Afghanistan approves, in principle, strategy to fight ISIS terror group By KHAAMA PRESS – Mon May 30 2016

The Afghanistan National Security Council (NSC) approved in principle the strategy to fight the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) terrorist group as the loyalists of the terror group are attempting to expand foothold in the country. Chaired by President Mohammad Ashraf Ghani, the NSC meeting, discussed regarding the strategy to fight the terrorist group in the country. A statement by the Office of the President said the NSC meeting hailed the relevant security…

Taliban Overrun Afghan Police Checkpoints in Helmand Province: The NY Times, May 31, 2016

By TAIMOOR SHAH and MUJIB MASHAL KANDAHAR, Afghanistan — Taliban militants overran several checkpoints in southern Helmand Province and killed at least 25 policemen over the past two days, officials said on Monday, in the first major assaults in the province since the insurgents named a new leader last week. While the Taliban made major inroads in Helmand last year, the violence had seemed relatively contained in recent months, after broad changes by the Afghan…

Afghan govt requests Pakistan to relax Torkham border crossing in Ramazan By Ashrafuddin Pirzada in The News, May 31, 2016

LANDIKOTAL: The Afghan government has made a formal request to Pakistan to extend the border restriction deadline so that Afghan nationals could travel to and from Pakistan during Ramazan and Eidul Fitr. The request was made by an Afghan delegation led by Colonel Nisar Khan, who met the Pakistani border officials here on Monday. The meeting lasted for two hours in Torkham town in Pakistan. An official, who wished anonymity, said that Pakistan Army’s Major…

4 Bangladeshis found guilty of financing terror in Singapore The Straits Times report in The Daily Star, May 31, 2016

Singapore:  Four Bangladeshi workers detained last month under the Internal Security Act (ISA) were found guilty on Tuesday (May 31) of financing terrorism. The four are Rahman Mizanur, 31; Miah Rubel, 26; Md Jabath Kysar Haje Norul Islam Sowdagar, 31; and Sohel Hawlader Ismail Hawlader, 29. All pleaded guilty in court on Tuesday. They were charged last Friday with providing or collecting money to fund terrorist acts in Bangladesh. The other two – Zzaman Daulat,…

Civil-military leaders agree to work with ‘mutual consultation’ By Special Correspondent in daily times, May 29, 2016

ISLAMABAD: The civil-military leadership on Saturday agreed that the national interest of the country will always remain supreme and that all decisions of national importance will be taken with mutual consultation. Sources told Daily Times that after a meeting at the Prime Minister’s House, both Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan and Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif left for Rawalpindi where they met Chief of Army Staff General Raheel Sharif. The civil and military leaders…