One week after his prime minister denied that terrorist groups operate from inside his country, Pakistan’s Minister of Information vowed yesterday that he has “a full-fledged strategy” to take action against terrorist groups that use Pakistani soil as home base.

The United Nations Security Council warns in its latest report on al Qaeda and the Islamic State that both groups maintain a significant presence in Afghanistan. The UN describes al Qaeda’s relationship with the Taliban as “long-standing” and “strong,” finding that the international terrorist organization “continues to see Afghanistan as a safe haven for its leadership.”

Pakistan plans to take action against militant groups operating on its soil, a minister said on Monday, amid global pressure to act after a suicide bomber killed 40 Indian paramilitary police in Kashmir last month.

Security forces in crackdown against militants have killed eight Taliban fighters and arrested four others charged with involvement in subversive activities in Kandahar province, a security official, Nisar Ahmad Hand said Tuesday.

The United States is trying to find out if Pakistan potentially violated an international agreement by using a US-built F-16 jet to shoot down an Indian warplane.

Negotiations between the Taliban and the United States officials in Qatar entered the fifth day in an attempt to end the 17-year war in Afghanistan. The talks mark the highest level negotiations between the two sides since the US ramped up peace efforts last year.

The role of Pakistan and Afghanistan in the region has become more important with the announcement of CPEC. The upcoming hub of Gwadar is all set to change the shape of international trade in South Asia. In order to resolve key issues and to bring peace in Afghanistan, Pakistan consistently been holding dialogues with Taliban on the request of Trump. […]