The writer is a development professional with over 20-year experience in public and development sectors ISLAMABAD: Regional integration has been an important policy objective of the present government. The Strategic Trade Policy Framework and Vision 2020 – the two important policy documents of the government – highlight the importance of Pakistan’s strategic location as a hub for trade and transit. The prime minister has been active travelling to various capitals of Central Asian states discussing…
Posts published in “Day: May 24, 2016”
Torkham tensions call for strategy change : By Imdad Hussain in The Express Tribune, May 23rd, 2016.
The writer is an Islamabad-based journalist specialising in diplomatic and security issues The recent four-day tensions between Pakistan and Afghanistan over the closure of the Torkham border point underpin the need to address the prevailing mistrust between the two neighbours to ensure a prosperous future for the region. Tensions arose when tanks and army personnel rushed on both sides of the Durand Line after Afghan officials objected to the fencing of the 2km strip at…
A top Taliban group leader Qari Fida Mohammad was killed in an airstrike in the restive Marjah district of southern Helmand province. The Ministry of Defense (MoD) said Qari Fida was among three top Taliban leaders killed in the airstrike carried out by the Afghan Air Force. A statement by MoD said Qari Fida was actively involved in planning and coordinating suicide attacks. The statement further added that the two other top Taliban leaders have…
The commandos of the Afghan National Army (ANA) forces released at least 23 hostages from a Taliban-run prison in southern Helmand province of Afghanistan. The hostages were released during a night operation conducted by the Afghan commandos in the restive Marjah district. The commander of the 1st Brigade of 215th Maiwand Corps of the Afghan National Army General Noor Alam said the operation was conducted in Sistani area late on Saturday night. He said the…
ISLAMABAD: Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan has expressed reservations over the handover of a purpose-built border crossing facility in South Waziristan Agency to Afghan authorities. The development came a day after the military said that the Angoor Adda border crossing facility was handed over to the Afghan authorities “to strengthen brotherly relations between Pakistan and Afghanistan and with a strategic intent to improve border management”. “It was reiterated during the process, that all border-related…
Abdullah says close to conclude peace deal with Hekmatyar By KHAAMA PRESS – Sun May 22 2016, 8:58 pm
The Chief Executive Officer Abdullah Abdullah has said the Afghan government is close to conclude a peace deal with Hezb-e-Islami led by Gulbuddin Hekmatyar. Speaking during a cabinet meeting today, Abdullah said negotiations between the High Peace Council and Hezb-e-Islami are underway. Abdullah further added that the national interests of the country and the Afghan people are a top priority in all key issues, insisting that there will be no negligence in this regard. He…
The sale of eight F-16s to Pakistan is facing stiff resistance in the US Congress and Senate where lawmakers lacking coherent insight recently moved resolutions seeking to block the sale. The State Department, however, correctly maintained that the sale of eight F-16s to Pakistan would assist counter-terrorism and counter-insurgency operations. In February 2016, State Department spokesperson Helaena W White stated, “Pakistan’s current F-16s have proven critical to the success of these operations to date,” and…
Pakistan has now formally applied to join the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG), which is a group of nuclear nations that trade goods, supplies and technologies between themselves. There are 48 nations in the group and our application was made on May 19 in Vienna by our ambassador. This is far from being a simple procedure and is no ordinary application. India is also seeking membership of the NSG, and neither India nor Pakistan are signatories…
LAHORE: Al Qaeda leader Bilal Lateef alias Yasir Punjabi and 13 other suspected militants who were killed in two ‘encounters’ with the Counter Terrorism Department (CTD) of police in Multan and Muzaffargarh this week had been in the custody of law enforcement agencies for the past four months, sources said on Friday. CTD personnel gunned down eight suspects in Nawabpur, Multan, during a shootout late on Wednesday night and six, including Yasir Punjabi, in Mondka…
KABUL — Afghanistan’s conflict is beginning to look more like a messy civil war than a straightforward struggle between the government and its Taliban enemies, judging from an outbreak of violence in recent days. In northern Faryab province, what began Friday night as an attack by the Taliban on groups of progovernment militiamen ended Saturday with 10 people dead after fighting broke out between two of the progovernment factions. In Parwan province in the north,…
For nearly four days, the situation was tense at the Torkham border between Afghanistan and Pakistan as the Afghans objected to the fencing work being done by the Pakistanis and even brought their tanks and armoured personnel carriers close to the border in a threatening display of force. Pakistani military authorities had to stop the fencing work to prevent escalation of hostilities. They also reinforced their forces near the border to send a strong message…