ISLAMABAD: Pakistan and Saudi Arabia on Sunday agreed to redouble their efforts to deal with the threat posed by terrorist groups, particularly Da’ish (Islamic State), which is said to be involved in recent terrorist attacks in the Kingdom. The agreement was reached during high-level talks between Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and Saudi Deputy Crown Prince and Defence Minister Mohammed bin Salman, who made a stopover in Islamabad late Sunday on his way to China. Prince…
Posts published in August 2016
GARDEZ – Residents and public representatives in southeastern Paktia province on Sunday said several other districts could also fall to Taliban if the government did not recapture the Janikhel district. A day earlier, Taliban militants overran Janikhel district following days of fierce clashes with Afghan forces. Paktia deputy provincial council head, Janat Khan Mangal, told Pajhwok Afghan News the government should take action as early as possible to retake control of Janikhel district. “Based on…
A deadly attack plot by the anti-government armed militants was foiled by the Afghan security forces in northern Parwan province of Afghanistan. The Ministry of Interior (MoI) said at least 5 suicide bombers were killed in connection to the attack plot by the Special Operations Forces of the Afghan National Police (ANP) forces. MoI further added that the 5 suicide bombers were among 13 militants killed during the operation conducted in Sia Gerd district of…
The provincial police chief of southeastern Ghazni province General Aminullah Amarkhel has reportedly stepped down from his post. Gen. Amar Khel is among the prominent security officials of the country and has reportedly resigned from his post due to the lack of support by the central government. Confirming his resignation to 1TV News, Gen. Amar Khel said he has taken the decision due to injustice and recklessness by the central government, accusing the government officials…
ISLAMABAD, PAKISTAN—Pakistan plans to fence its long, porous border with Afghanistan after construction of checkpoints at all established crossings is completed, a top government adviser said Tuesday. Tariq Fatemi, a close aide to the prime minister on foreign policy, said in Islamabad that “border management mechanisms” were being implemented not to close the frontier but to facilitate “an orderly and documented” cross-border movement, and to ensure safety and security of the two countries. “For this…
Amid a surge in international pressure, Pakistan’s powerful intelligence agency, Inter Service Intelligence (ISI) is planning to move Taliban’s Quetta Shura to Helmand province in southern Afghanistan, said Hayatollah Hayat, the governor of Helmand province. Hayat said that the Afghan security forces have however, so far foiled ISI’s attempt to relocate the council (Quetta Shura) to Helmand province. According to Hayat, the move by the ISI comes amid a surge in international pressure on Pakistan.…
ISLAMABAD: The Indian authorities treat Pakistani high commissioner to New Delhi, Abdul Basit, as a ‘persona-non-grata’ and have not allowed him once to meet Indian external affairs minister or any other high profile dignitary during his tenure so far. Mr Basit was appointed the county’s high commissioner in New Delhi, in February 2014. Earlier, he served as Pakistan’s ambassador to Germany. Foreign Office (FO) sources told Daily Times that Indian external affairs minister Sushma Swaraj…
ISLAMABAD – Ministry of Interior yesterday clarified some media reports that an Indian diplomat had been living in Pakistan without a valid visa for the last six months and said that he had been issued valid visa after due confirmation from the Foreign Office. “The diplomat is serving in the Indian High Commission, Islamabad, while his visa had expired some six months ago and the interior ministry is reluctant to issue him a valid diplomatic…
In what was perhaps considered to be an inspired move, Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif announced on August 19 the appointment of 22 parliamentarians as his emissaries who will highlight the Kashmir issue in various countries around the world. Their job is to build awareness and support for a resolution of the conflict in Kashmir that will be the central focus of the prime minister’s speech at the United Nations this September. The prime minister feels…
GIVEN the critical situation in India-held Kashmir, with the death toll rising by the day, the world, especially the oppressed people of the valley, would have expected from Islamabad a response better than sending parliamentary delegations to world capitals to do a job for which few of them appear well equipped. They may not have fake degrees, and some of those named indeed do deserve to be there, but PTI’s Shah Mehmood Qureshi had a…
ISLAMABAD: With government’s announcement of 20 parliamentarians to be sent to world capitals as special envoys to highlight Kashmir issue, and more mainstream opposition MPs — 4-5 from PPP folds, and 2 from PTI — to be included in the effort, a debate is raging in Pakistan media how effective the whole move could be in the modern day targeted, specialised diplomacy in the prevalent international environment. The News exclusively talked to Defense Minister and…