Press "Enter" to skip to content

Posts published in “Day: February 1, 2016

Peace jirga demands extension to COAS : Report in the Nation, Feb 1, 2016

PESHAWAR – Leaders of peace jirga staged protest rally against the retirement decision of Gen Raheel Sharif and asked the government to ensure his extension on the basis of his valiant performance in the war against terrorism. The rally was taken out on main GT road and was led by Chairman Peace Jirga Kamal Shah on Sunday. The participants chanted full throated slogans in favour of COAS General Raheel Sharif and asked him to take…

The same politics: by HUMA YUSUF in Dawn, February 1st, 2016

The writer is a freelance journalist. LT GEN John William Nicholson, the US general nominated to head US and Nato troops in Afghanistan, last week conceded that the security situation in the country is deteriorating. That might be the only point on which stakeholders in Afghanistan’s future are able to agree. As different actors pursue different agendas in the country, it seems increasingly unlikely that they will reach a consensus on how to stabilise Afghanistan.…

Daesh suspected for killing Nangarhar-based journalist Khaama Press, Jan 31 2016,12:43 pm

The terrorist group of the Islamic State (IS) which is locally known by its Arabic name Daesh might be behind the killing of Haji Mohammad Zubair Khaksar, a local journalist in eastern Nangarhar province. According to NAI, an organization that supports open media in Afghanistan, a colleague of Khaksar has said that he was previously threatened by Daesh. NAI while strongly condemning the attack says that killing of defenseless people is against the principals of…

Foreign Militants Fighting Alongside Taliban In Baghlan: Murad Report on Tolonews, Jan 31, 2016 at 15:55 hrs

The Deputy Chief of Army Staff, General Murad Ali Murad, said that foreign militants, particularly Pakistani rebels, are fighting alongside the Taliban against Afghan security forces in northern Baghlan province. “The operations will be conducted in different phases. Some 37 militants have been killed and 21 others wounded in the operations. Foreign militants, particularly Pakistani rebels, are among those killed and injured. This shows that foreign rebels are fighting alongside the Taliban militants against Afghan…

Dand-e-Ghori Officials ‘Regret’ Deal With Taliban Report on Tolo News Jan 31, 2016 at 19:54 hrs

Officials who signed the controversial Dand-e-Ghori deal, on Sunday expressed their regrets over the accord with the Taliban. They say the deal over Dand-e-Ghori area of Baghlan province could have paved the way for a surge in activities of the Taliban and expanded their influence in the volatile region. Outraged by the deal, members of the Baghlan provincial council on Sunday said that the deal led the entire area to be out of the control…

US says Afghanistan still a dangerous country: KHAAMA PRESS, Jan 31 2016, 3:09 pm

The United States along with its international partners has been fighting with terrorism for over a decade now but it still finds Afghanistan a dangerous country. “At this point it’s clear that it’s a very difficult situation in Afghanistan right now. It’s a dangerous country,” White House Press Secretary Josh Earnest said. “I would say that over the last 15 years we’ve seen countries in NATO make substantial contributions to the situation in Afghanistan, and…

Pakistan’s mediating role: by S. Sadia Kazmi in The Nation, Feb1, 2016

The voice of reason may call for a neutral stance to be taken by Pakistan, more preferably a role of a mediator between Iran and KSA, which the officials of Pakistan have proactively adopted and are very wisely conveying it too. But the real question is; to what extent can Pakistan effectively play this self assumed role? As a matter of fact there is nothing new about KSA and Iran not getting along well with…

Iran-China partnership: An opportunity: by Afzal Hussain in The Nation, Feb 1, 2016

On January 24, 2016, the breaking news was that “Iran, China agree $600 billion trade deal after sanctions lifted”. Tehran and Beijing agreed to expand multidimensional ties and increase bilateral trade more than tenfold in the next decade, during a visit to Iran by Chinese President Xi Jinping. It is a significant development that Iran and China have agreed on forming strategic relations as reflected in a 25 year comprehensive document. Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah…

Pak, Iran agree to enhance border security Report in the Nation, Jan31, 2016, 7:49 pm

QUETTA: Pakistan and Iran have agreed to enhance border security by installing latest vigilance equipment. They signed five MoUs in connection with border activities after three-day meetings of Pakistan-Iran Joint Border Commission in Quetta. They agreed that terrorists would not be allowed to use their soils for attacks on each other’s country. Pak-Iran also agreed to establish border markets at Gabd Gwadar, Taftan, Panjgur, Washuk and Mand. Establishing a rail-link between Gwadar and Chahbahar also…

Europe Training Financial Firepower on Terrorism By LIZ ALDERMAN in The NY Times, Feb 1, 2016

PARIS — A phalanx of soldiers wearing bulletproof vests and wielding machine guns fanned out beneath the Eiffel Tower on a recent afternoon, scanning the crowd for potential terrorist threats. Across the country, nearly 10,000 more armed troops patrolled streets around landmarks, stores and government buildings. France is spending nearly 1 million euros a day on the heightened security, part of a renewed surge in European military spending as governments declare terrorism a permanent risk.…

U.S. Broadens Fight against ISIS with Attacks in Afghanistan By Michael S Schmidt & Eric Schmitt in The NY Times, Feb 1, 2016

WASHINGTON — The United States has carried out at least a dozen operations — including commando raids and airstrikes — in the past three weeks against militants in Afghanistan aligned with the Islamic State, expanding the Obama administration’s military campaign against the terrorist group beyond Iraq and Syria. The operations followed President Obama’s decision last month to broaden the authority of American commanders to attack a new branch of the Islamic State in Afghanistan. The…