Without realizing it, Sharma convincingly made the argument that modern-day America is as much of a rogue state as pre-9/11 Afghanistan was, which is a damning observation for everyone to dwell upon. Bloomberg’s Mihir Sharma published a piece on Monday about how “India’s Denials on Sikh Separatist Plots Are Sounding Hollow”. After strongly implying that there’s credence to Canada’s claim […]

What is special about China-Pakistan maritime exercises in the Northern Arabian Sea? Not much, one might plausibly argue. The two countries regularly perform naval drills in the Indian Ocean, with the Sea Guardian exercises now an annual feature. Normally, the exercises are held in waters close to Pakistan and rarely in ways that directly challenge Indian interests. Whatever the rhetoric […]

On November 25, 2023, Police arrested one active cadre of People’s Revolutionary Party of Kangleipak (PREPAK) on charges of extortion from Imphal West District. On November 22, 2023, two cadres of PREPAK-Progressive (PREPAK-Pro), Laisram Prem and Khumukcham Biren, were arrested in possession of arms and ammunition at Pishum road under the Singjamei Police station in Imphal West District. Two Light […]

Abstract: Two years into Taliban rule, what are the key choices and tradeoffs for U.S. counterterrorism strategy in Afghanistan and Pakistan? Policymakers face the dilemma that a critical subset of counterterrorism concerns related to Taliban-allied terrorist groups may not be addressed if the Taliban become stronger; however, the terrorism threat will likely increase under a weaker Taliban regime. Concessions to […]

Iran’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs has once again called for the formation of an inclusive government in Afghanistan. According to IRNA news agency, Nasser Kanani, the spokesman of the Iranian Foreign Ministry, said in a press conference on Monday: “Regardless of the developments related to the meetings and the level of Iran’s presence, we have a basic principle, we seek […]

The representative of Afghanistan’s embassy in Islamabad was summoned to Pakistan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Tuesday and asked to ensure action is taken against all groups in Afghanistan that conduct terrorist attacks against Pakistan. This comes after a suicide attack on a security forces convoy in Bannu district on Sunday. According to Islamabad the attack was carried out by […]

Khyber Pakhtunkhwa: Bannu Division: Rising Storm On November 22, 2023, a polio worker, Hassan Tawab, was shot dead by unidentified assailants in the Miranshah area of the North Waziristan District. Police said that Hassan was called out of his house and shot dead. On November 21, 2023, two soldiers were killed after an improvised explosive device (IED) hit a Security […]

The closure of the embassy that represented the Ashraf Ghani regime paves the way for engagement With the closure of the Afghan embassy in New Delhi that had represented the ousted Ashraf Ghani government, India is now giving “de facto” if not “de jure” recognition to the Taliban regime in Kabul, says Talmiz Ahmad, retired Indian Ambassador and expert on […]

November 22 marked 10 days of renewed fighting in Arakan State, an outgrowth of an offensive by the Brotherhood Alliance launched against the regime in northern Shan State on October 27, a coordinated campaign known as Operation 1027. The Arakan Army (AA) has occupied four Border Guard Force outposts within 10 days of the latest hostilities in Arakan State. The […]

The inevitable is finally, inexorably, happening as the government’s 9-year old strategy to isolate, demonise and brand Pakistan as a state sponsoring terrorism collapses in front of the global community. Pakistan just showed the middle finger at New Delhi by formally applying for BRICS membership. One would presume that Islamabad’s able diplomats did the necessary legwork and tested the waters […]