Archive for August, 2023

Making sense of the Taliban’s counterterrorism assurances

Two years on from the Taliban’s takeover of Kabul, Afghanistan’s neighbors are increasingly concerned that their return to power has emboldened terrorist groups and networks, which are using the hospitable environment to regroup, rearm, and recruit substantially. There is growing evidence, as the United Nations’ Sanctions Monitoring Team warns, that al-Qaeda and the Islamic State-Khorasan Province (ISKP) are thriving under […]

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Manipur Unrest And Unfair Demonizing Of Assam Rifles – OpEd

It’s distressing to hear that 40 Members of the Legislative Assembly [MLA] belonging to various political parties have sought replacement of Assam Rifles to assist Manipur police for restoring peace in violence hit Manipur by other “trustworthy central forces.” However, since this bizarre demand is clearly an attempt by some politicians to score brownie points, it doesn’t come as any […]

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Pakistan’s Domestic And External Dynamics Politically Audited – Analysis

Pakistan in the last eighteen months since PTI PM Imran Khan was constitutionally ousted in early 2022 has been subjected to incessant and unprecedented political turmoil not due to any external threats but due to politically disruptionist strategies unleashed by the megalomaniac ego of ousted PM Imran Khan. Pakistan witnessed unprecedented PTI mob violence against Pakistan Army GHQ, air bases […]

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Will China’s Recent Leadership Rejig In PLARF Affect Its Missile And Nuclear Readiness? – Analysis

It seems all is not well in the Communist Party of China (CPC), and the contagion is spreading into the regime’s power hierarchy. China’s President Xi Jinping, who also heads the apex armed forces authority, the Central Military Commission (CMC), reconstituted the People’s Liberation Army Rocket Force (PLARF), which is in charge of the nation’s nuclear arsenal. Wang Houbin, the […]

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Xi Jinping In India: A Diplomatic Opportunity? – Analysis

China’s President Xi Jinping might visit New Delhi for the G-20 summit to be held on 9 and 10 September 2023 has triggered political hopes for a breakthrough in Sino-Indian relations. Optimists view Xi’s presence in Delhi – yet to be confirmed by Beijing – as an opportunity to end the negative phase in bilateral relations. Pessimists, however, point to […]

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Pakistan-Iran’s Bilateral Agreements – OpEd

Pakistan and Iran, two neighboring countries with a history of cordial relations, have taken significant steps to enhance their economic and diplomatic ties. In a move that underscores their commitment to cooperation, the two nations recently signed a five-year trade plan aimed at boosting their bilateral trade to $5 billion. The agreements come in the wake of discussions held between […]

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Pakistan, Afghanistan urged to start fresh talks on TTP

Speakers at a consultation in Islamabad on Friday urged that both Pakistan and Afghanistan should start fresh negotiations to break the ongoing deadlock over the issue Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and cross-border terrorism. They said that Pakistan lacked continuity in its policies towards Afghanistan and added that Islamabad should form some “realistic and holistic” policy for the neighbouring country, which must […]

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Mullah Baradar urges Afghan investors in Turkey to help rebuild the country

Deputy Prime Minister for Economic Affairs Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar said at a conference organized by Afghan investors living in Turkey, that they should return home and help rebuild the country. He said the development would help the country emerge from its dependence on the international community. According to a statement issued by his office on Saturday, Baradar said during […]

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Afghan Taliban Defense Ministry Officer Wakeel Ahmad Mubariz: America Has Certainly Failed In Its Goals Of Defeating The Taliban, Establishing Democracy In Afghanistan

On August 6, 2023, Afghan Taliban Defense Ministry officer Wakeel Ahmad Mubariz tweeted a video in which he said that America has “certainly” failed in its goals of defeating the Taliban, defeating the Islamic Emirate, and establishing democracy in Afghanistan. Wakeel Ahmad Mubariz: “America’s goal, which we and you are discussing now, was to destroy the Taliban. You can hear […]

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The Religious Ideology Of Pakistan Army Chief General Asim Munir, Who Told Grand Jirga In Peshawar: ‘Pakistan Army Is The Army Of Martyrs Whose Motto Is Faith, Piety, And Jihad In The Path Of Allah’

The religious ideology of Pakistan Army chief General Syed Asim Munir, who believes in jihad, albeit those jihads that are sponsored by his army, has attracted the attention of Islamists who are smitten by the fact that he is the first hafiz (i.e., one who has memorized the Quran) to become army chief. So, it is not surprising that in […]

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