Military bases are no rarity in the Asia-Pacific. That is hardly a surprise given the frequency and length of conflicts that were waged across the region for much of the twentieth century. But, in the decade-and-a-half after the Cold War, the Asia-Pacific experienced a remarkable period of interstate peace and stability. Military bases were consolidated, scaled down, or shuttered entirely. […]

The country’s political crisis may have abated, but the road ahead is littered with challenges for the next government. After a month of political crisis in Islamabad, Pakistan’s united opposition parties successfully removed Prime Minister Imran Khan in a vote of no confidence on April 10 and then on April 11 voted in opposition leader Shahbaz Sharif as the new […]

Pakistan conducted a successful flight test of Shaheen-III Surface-to-Surface Ballistic Missile, with a range of 2,750 kilometers, which makes it capable of reaching the farthest point in India’s northeast and Andaman and Nicobar Islands. It is solid-fuelled and equipped with the Post-Separation Altitude Correction (PSAC) system. Solid fuel is suited for rapid response capabilities, while the PSAC feature provides it […]

A US-sponsored regime change is hardly new, and it does not take a student of history to cite examples of such transgressions. Guatemala, Congo, China, Libya, Palestinian Territories, Dominican Republic, Afghanistan, Cuba, Iraq, Iran, Panama, Bolivia, and Poland are just a few countries where the US has interfered in the past. The Washington Post asserts that the “US tried to […]

The Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (IEA) has condemned actions by Israeli police against Palestinian worshipers at the al-Aqsa Mosque compound in Jerusalem early Friday morning. The foreign ministry said late Friday it condemned the actions and called on the international community, especially Muslim countries, to take practical steps to “protect human rights of Palestinians and stop Israeli brutality”. Despite the […]

A former senior diplomat for the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (IEA) has said that the IEA should have maintained its strong presence in Doha and that the foreign ministry should have been incorporated into that office. In an interview with Ariana News, Abdul Salam Zaeef, who served as ambassador to Pakistan during the IEA’s previous rule of Afghanistan, said if […]

Taliban authorities said on Wednesday they were deeply saddened by reports of the mistreatment of Afghan refugees in Iran, after videos circulated on social media showed civilians being manhandled by men appearing to be Iranian security forces. The videos made the rounds over the weekend, showing men in Iranian border guard uniform and civilians beating Afghan refugees. When the footage […]

That the Pakistan army had lost its ‘holy cow’ status within the country became more than evident in April last year when despite serious objections by the opposition, Pakistan’s National Assembly Standing Committee on Interior passed the Criminal Law [amendment] Act 2020. Accordingly, Section 500A [Titled-intentional ridiculing of the Armed Forces] was included in Act XLV of Pakistan Penal Code […]

Islamabad : Dr. Muhammad Faisal, Pakistan’s Ambassador to Germany, has said that Germany is the most populous country in Europe and Pakistan has a positive trade balance with it. Mr. Faisal was speaking at International Conference and Roundup on “Pak-German relations: Afghanistan post-2022 prospects and challenges” organised by South Asian Strategic stability (SASSI) University here. Faisal said that Germany is […]

A conversation with Afghan-Australian entrepreneur Saad Mohseni on launching the country’s first independent broadcaster 20 years ago — and why keeping it in business is more vital than ever. Bobby Ghosh: You’re the Dubai-based founder and CEO of the Moby Group, which launched Afghanistan’s first independent radio and TV networks after the fall of the Taliban in 2002. Twenty years […]