The Taliban group has appointed Mullah Mohammad Yaqoob as the group’s military commission chief for 15 provinces of the country. Mullah Yaqoob is the son of the Taliban group founder and former supreme leader Mullah Mohammad Omar whose death was confirmed last year. Taliban said Mullah Yaqoob was appointed for the post during an extraordinary meeting organized by the Taliban leadership on Monday. A statement by the group said Mullah Omar’s brother Mullah Abdul Manan…
Posts published in “Day: April 11, 2016”
A commander of the militants affiliated with the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) terrorist group was killed in a drone strike in eastern Nangarhar province, local officials said Tuesday. The airstrike was carried out in Kot district which is home to several militants loyal to the terror group. Provincial governor spokesman Ataullah Khogyani said the airstrike was carried out in the early hours of Tuesday morning. He said six people including the commander…
When one of the world’s most important jihadist leaders landed at Heathrow airport on 6 August 1993, a group of Islamic scholars from Britain’s largest mosque network was there to welcome him. Within a few hours of his arrival he was giving the Friday sermon at Madina Mosque in Clapton, east London. His speech on the duty of jihad apparently moved some of the congregation to tears. Next stop – according to a report of…
There is something seriously wrong with Pakistan’s regional policy. Except for China the country’s relations with its neighbours continue to be less than cordial. This is despite frequent expressions of desire to set the relations on an even keel. Sometime there are problems from both sides as in the case with India. At times lack of sensitivity on our side mars the efforts undertaken to improve the ties. It is sometime forgotten that the conduct…
Kabul: The US Secretary of State John Kerry’s remarks on the legal tenure of the National Unity Government (NUG) sparked an uproar on Sunday with some politicians claiming the comments were nothing more than a clear interference in Afghanistan’s politics. Senate Chairman Fazel Hadi Muslimyar on Sunday said the remarks were an interference in Afghanistan’s internal affairs. Meanwhile, a number of Afghan lawmakers in the parliament said that without convening the Loya Jirga and the…
Kabul: The United States Special Representative to Afghanistan and Pakistan, Richard Olson, in an interview with TOLOnews, on Sunday urged Pakistan to use its leverage and influence and bring the Taliban to the negotiation table. Olson, who has been the special representative for Afghanistan and Pakistan for the past six months, said the Quadrilateral Coordination Group (QCG) meetings and recent efforts made are a step forward in bringing peace and development to the country. He…
Kabul: Critics said on Sunday the signing of the Bilateral Security Agreement (BSA) between Afghanistan and the United States has marred the country’s hope for peace. In addition, some Afghan lawmakers and senators have also advocated for wider military support to Afghan troops in line with the security agreement. “The agreement must lead to the delivery of sufficient equipment to security forces so these forces become self-reliant,” senator Amina Afzali said. Meanwhile, senator Nisar Haris…
There are lies, damned lies — and statistics. So goes the old saying, and whilst the latest report of the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) is most certainly not telling untruths, the statistics therein are capable of more than one interpretation. Particularly when the figures that are not there are factored in, namely those for the first three months of 2016. The HRCP report tells us that 4,600 Pakistanis died in violent incidents in…
Missing the nuclear summit, And the lack of a foreign minister Edit in Pakistan Today, APRIL 2, 2016
A lot of hue and cry has been raised in the West regarding the safety of Pakistan’s nuclear programme, the number of Pakistan’s nuclear assets and alleged dangers posed by miniature nuclear weapons. Some of these concerns were voiced in the American media on the eve of the summit also. In a news conference at Pakistan embassy in Washington, Foreign Secretary Aizaz Chaudhary ably addressed these concerns. But at a time when more than 50…
An increasing number of citizens in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) is being targeted by unknown forces — with an alleged connection with Afghanistan — for the extortion of money, according to the press release by the apex committee for KP and FATA. The delegation has discussed at length the various complaints received by local administration in the province, and has now decided to call upon the Afghan government in order to curb this menace. In accordance…
Kabul: A number of senators lashed out at Islamabad on Sunday for not fulfilling its promise to bring the Taliban to the negotiation tables. The senators said Pakistan has not been honest in the quadrilateral meetings between Afghanistan, Pakistan, China and United States and that Islamabad continues to support insurgents groups in Afghanistan. “Pakistan is not honest in its commitment to bring the Taliban to the negotiation tables and the Afghan government should not wait…