The writer is a freelance columnist. Since the Karzai era, a sinking economy, perpetuating corruption and incompetent security agencies have marred Afghanistan’s domestic environment. No wonder the fault lines that prompt Afghan leadership towards blaming Pakistan for everything that could go wrong in Afghanistan are snowballing. At a time when President Ashraf Ghani should be unveiling a viable political framework for talks with the Afghan Taliban, he has taken a yet harsher stance against Pakistan…
Posts published in “Day: May 2, 2016”
The writer is a retired Senator and an analyst of regional affairs Religious seminaries have a long history but Taliban (students of the seminaries) emerged as an independent and separate political entity in mid 1990s. They ostensibly rose as a player in Afghan politics to fill the vacuum created by the dramatic decline of former mujahideen in the early 1990s but the Taliban movement bore a clear made-in-Pakistan mark on it for three reasons. First,…
A recent report in the Times of India (TOI) titled “ISI has infiltrated US think tanks, Pak scholar says” has opened an interesting debate about the Pakistani intelligence agency ostensibly leveraging the United States think tanks’ clout to further its agenda. The report, apparently stitched together from assorted tweets by the eminent Pakistani scholar and author of the authoritative volume Military Inc Dr Ayesha Siddiqa, notes: “A prominent anti-establishment scholar in Pakistan has caused a…
Earlier this week, a serving agent of Afghanistan’s premier intelligence agency, National Directorate of Security (NDS), was caught by Pakistan military near the Chaman border, in Balochistan. The agent was caught entering Pakistan without any travel documents, and was allegedly on a scouting mission on behalf of the NDS. Military officials claimed that the agent was already under close surveillance, and was a regular ‘visitor’ ostensibly to help his Baloch ‘rebel friends’. Multiple sources, reportedly,…
A top Taliban commander was killed during a gun battle with the intelligence operatives in the central Logar province of Afghanistan. The National Directorate of Security (NDS) said the commander identified as Mohammad Rahim was killed as the NDS operatives were busy conducting a special military raid in Khoshi district. A statement by NDS said Rahim was involved in major terrorist related activities in Khoshi district before he was killed by the intelligence operatives. The…
At least 9 Taliban militants were killed after stepping on an Improvised Explosive Device (IED) planted their fellow fighters in northeastern Badakhshan province. According a security official, the incident took place late on Saturday night in Walik village of Arghistan district. The official serving with the 209th Shaheen Corps of the Afghan National Army said a senior Taliban leader identified as the group’s shadow district governor was among those killed. He said the senior Taliban…
A group of 3 loyalists of Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) terrorist group surrendered to the Afghan armed forces after killing 4 Taliban insurgents. According to the local officials in eastern Kunar province, the militants surrendered to the Afghan army in Marwara district. Provincial governor Wahidullah Kalimzai said the militants were operating for the ISIS terrorist group in Marwara district. He said two of the militants are hailing from Bajaur Agency of Pakistan…
Kabul – One of the most senior Taliban figures in the group’s Quetta Council has died of cancer, reportedly in a specialised cancer hospital, reported Afghan news agency Khamaa Press on Saturday. The Taliban group confirmed that Abdullah Gul Rayan died of cancer but did not elaborate further regarding his death and the location where he died. The top Taliban leaders are believed to be based in Pakistan as the group’s leadership councils are mainly…
A steep decrease has been reported in Peshawar trade with the repatriation of Afghan refugees from the city which saw a rapid rise following a deadly attack on Army Public School late in 2014. According to the local media reports, citing local traders, the Afghan refugees were forming the majority of their customers. The repatriation of expulsion of refugees following the attack also had negative impact on the rent of the properties besides decline in…
KABUL: Afghan Presidential Palace has said Pakistan should suppress the irreconcilable groups or Afghanistan would not participate in the upcoming quadrilateral peace meeting, the Afghan media reported. The Presidential Palace declared that Pakistan had earlier committed to take military measures against the insurgent groups to attend the talks, ANT News reported on Sunday. “The previous quadrilateral meeting had decided to take serious measures against any group that did not attend the peace meeting but if…
ISLAMABAD: The main faction of the Afghan Taliban led by Mullah Akhtar Mansoor may return to the negotiating table with Afghan government representatives despite escalating violence in Kabul which has dented peace efforts. The Taliban expressed their willingness to resume the fledgling peace process following recent talks between the group’s interlocutors and Pakistani authorities in Islamabad, officials familiar with the development told The Express Tribune on Sunday. All of them spoke on the condition of…