The writer is a staffer of the daily The Taliban insurgents have intensified their attacks after refusing the peace talks and an increase in civilian casualties continues unabated. The fatal attack in Kabul a week after the Taliban declared their Operation Omari which killed and wounded hundreds of people shows a spike in violence and terror across the country. The political instability filled the air with a sense of chagrin and led to economic stagnation…
Posts published in “Day: May 11, 2016”
The writer heads the independent Centre for Research and Security Studies, Islamabad and is author of Pakistan: Pivot of Hizbut Tahrir’s Global Caliphate Going by the current official and private narratives out of Kabul, it is obvious that the bilateral relationship as well as the Quadrilateral Coordination Group (QCG) process are now practically hostage to the Afghan government’s expectations of a direct Pakistani action against the Haqqani network, which has emerged as the literal lynchpin…
Afghanistan has hanged six Taliban inmates in the face of increasing violence in the country. The six hanged were found guilty of crimes against national security. These are the first hangings since the current government took office in 2014, as government officials during Hamid Karzai’s tenure had stopped executing imprisoned insurgents in hope of peace negotiations. But in the wake of a suicide bombing in Kabul last month that killed 64 people and left hundreds…
A Taliban commander was killed with his 11 fighters during a clearance operation in southern Helmand province of Afghanistan. The Ministry of Defense (MoD) said the clearance operations were launched in Khanshin district of Helmand which led to the killing of Mullah Yousuf and his 11 companions. According to a statement by MoD, at least 6 militants operating under the command of Mullah Yousuf were also wounded during the operation. The Taliban militants group has…
A heavy explosion rocked Nangarhar province in eastern Afghanistan after a suicide bomber detonated a Vehicle-borne Improvised Explosive Device (VBIED) in Nazian district. Provincial governor’s spokesman Ataullah Khogyani confirmed the incident but did not disclose further information regarding the casualties of the incident. Another security official said the suicide bomber detonated a VBIED near the residence of a public uprising forces commander. The official further added that 10 people including women and children were killed…
The Taliban militants suffered heavy casualties during the airstrikes conducted by the Afghan Air Force in northern Jawzjan province of Afghanistan. The Ministry of Defense (MoD) said at least 35 militants were killed and 16 others were wounded during the raids. A statement by MoD said at least 14 motorcycles and a vehicle belonging to the militants were also destroyed in the airstrikes conducted in Aqcha district. According to MoD, the militants killed in the…
A suspected Taliban financial officer was arrested in eastern Nangarhar province reportedly with a ten million Pakistani rupees bank cheque in his possession, local officials confirmed. The financial officer named Mir Adam was arrested last week by security forces in Pacheragam district, a senior official said. He said that they have called on the central government to arrange for the man to be transferred to Kabul but until now no one has responded. He added…
LANDI KOTAL: The border crossing at Torkham was closed again for all types of vehicular and pedestrian traffic on Tuesday after Afghan border guards objected to the laying of barbed wire near the border by their Pakistani counterparts. According to official sources, personnel of the army engineering corps were busy fencing the bed of a dry stream when Afghan border guards raised objection on the pretext that their government had not been taken into confidence…
The writer is a freelance columnist One way to delineate the contours of diplomatic relations between Pakistan and the United States (US) is that twists and turns are a fait accompli. That is understandable because no plain sailing is probable in this fast changing world. When it persists for a long time, plain sailing is cursed with banality dimming the colours of bilateral diplomatic challenges. Geography where Pakistan is placed brought somehow both Pakistan and…
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan cannot offer trade concessions to India unilaterally and the latter needs to adopt a reciprocal approach, said Federal Commerce Minister Khurram Dastgir while chairing a meeting with Pakistani members of the Pak-India Business Council. The delegation, led by Yawar Ali Shah, briefed the minister on their recent visit to India and the outcome of meetings held with Indian business and trade stakeholders. “Trade concessions cannot be offered to India unilaterally. India also needs…
KARACHI: The police informed the administrative judge of the antiterrorism courts on Tuesday that they had also released a fourth suspect out of the five allegedly detained for spying for India because of lack of evidence. The counterterrorism department of police claimed to have arrested five fishermen — Saddam Hussain, Bachal, Nadeem, Zeeshan and Ghulam Sarwar — on April 18. The CTD detained them under Section 11-EEEE of the Anti-Terrorism Act, 1997 for an inquiry…