It has been clear for some time now that there has been a gradual and perhaps lasting decline in the US-Pakistan relations; even if we consider the notoriously fickle and contingency based nature of the bilateral relationship. The Afghan theatre is closed now, and Pakistan’s status as the prime regional ally is no more – as was expected. But the military deals between the two nations, which had been the mainstay of Pakistan’s defence equipment…
Posts published in “Day: August 26, 2016”
At least 30 Taliban insurgents were killed in a series of air and ground raids in eastern Nangarhar province of Afghanistan. The provincial police commandment in a statement said Thursday that the operations were conducted in the restive Haska Meena district jointly by the Afghan National Defense and Security Forces (ANDSF). The statement further added that the dead bodies of at least 5 Taliban insurgents were left in the area and the Afghan forces confiscated…
The attack on the American University of Afghanistan in Kabul ended early Thursday morning after security officials gunned down at least two insurgents. Kabul Police Chief Abdul Rahman Rahimi said the attack was ended after 10 hours at 5am local time. According to him, at least 13 people including seven students of the American University, two security guards of the university, one official from the Visually Impaired Vocational High School and three soldiers. Nearly 35…
Despite an increase in U.S air strikes against Taliban strongholds on the outskirts of Kunduz city, insurgents are still active in the area. On Tuesday night, heavy clashes were recorded between Taliban and commandos and Special Forces near Kunduz city. Security forces told to Wali Arian, TOLONEWS journalist reporting from the area, that they have retaking strongholds occupied by the Taliban on the frontline. However, insurgents are still active along the Baghlan-Kunduz highway. Security forces…
At least four people were killed and fourteen others were wounded in an explosion in northern Balkh province of Afghanistan earlier today. Provincial police chief Abdul Razaq Qaderi said the incident took place after an Improvised Explosive Device (IED) was detonated on a roadside in Khulm district. He said the target of the attack was lawmaker Asadullah Sharifi as he was crossing the area but there are no reports regarding his fate in the explosion.…
WASHINGTON: The United States has responded carefully to the ongoing political strife in Karachi, urging the MQM to respect ‘critical opinion’ and advising the government not to overreact. At the Tuesday afternoon news briefing, State Department’s deputy spokesman Mark Toner said of the current situation in Karachi, “We’re still assessing, gathering information about what took place. And we’ll reserve further comment until that time.” The US official, however, was less reluctant in condemning Monday’s mob…
The writer is the author of A Princely Affair: The Accession and Integration of the Princely States of Pakistan Decked up in his Sunday best, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, addressed the nation — and the world — from the ramparts of the famed Red Fort in Shahjahanabad, Delhi, on Independence Day this year. Amidst the usual pronouncements, he also mentioned Balochistan and Gilgit, which led to a severe reaction from Pakistan. While there was…
The tension brewing between India and Pakistan over the volatile Kashmir situation is casting its baleful influence on the progress of a key regional grouping as well. The South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (Saarc), which was conceived as a launching pad for giving regional trade a much-needed shot in the arm and greater cooperation and connectivity among its member states, has often been held hostage to the bellicosity between New Delhi and Islamabad, the…
Tensions between Pakistan and India, the two biggest SAARC members, are threatening to overshadow the summit. That India has decided not to send its finance minister to SAARC finance ministers’ conference in Islamabad indicates that Prime Minister Modi might not attend the summit. The two countries are currently involved in an acrimonious war of words over Indian atrocities in Kashmir. That no meeting has taken place between the two foreign secretaries also conveys a negative…
ISLAMABAD / SINGAPORE: Chinese state-backed firms are frontrunners to buy a $1.5 billion controlling stake in K-Electric, sources said, as they bet the benefits of a Beijing-led economic corridor will trump the risks of investing in Pakistan. State-backed Shanghai Electric Power (600021.SS) and China Southern Power Grid are among Chinese firms leading the pack of about half a dozen bidders in K-Electric KELA.KA, one person familiar with the matter said. Shanghai-headquartered Golden Concord Holdings is…
ISLAMABAD: A Chinese shipping company is all set to start working on the Pakistan Shipping Terminal, which would ensure ‘mega-ships’ access’ to Karachi – the biggest commercial hub of Pakistan. The Hutchison’s terminal operations will begin in Pakistan before the end of this year. According to agreement with the Karachi Port Trust, the company planned investing in Pakistan because it was ‘poised for growth.’ “This is all part of China’s plans to invest about $46…