Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary of State Alice G. Wells — is scheduled to visit Pakistan next week to explore the possibility of a permanent peace in Afghanistan, official sources told Dawn. US Defence Secretary Jim Mattis told Pentagon reporters on Monday that he saw encouraging signs for substantive talks between the government of Afghanistan and the Taliban after 17 years […]

The Afghan and Pakistani military officials have reportedly met in Pakistan to boost the bilateral cooperation on security level amid ongoing efforts to establish the joint working groups as part of the Afghanistan Pakistan Action Plan for Peace and Solidarity (APAPPS). The Afghan and Pakistani operations chiefs participated in the last round of the bilateral talks on Sunday to review […]

Tariq Shah Bahrami the Afghan Defense Minister says the government will extend the temporary ceasefire with the Taliban if the insurgent group respect the continuation of the truce. “If Taliban respect the ceasefire announcement ordered by President Ashraf Ghani, we will extend the ceasefire. It is a matter of gratitude that the Taliban has welcomed the ceasefire announcement and will […]

At least 34 militants have been killed and nine others wounded in multiple extensive military crackdowns carried out by the Afghan security forces across the country in the past 24 hours, security official said Monday. In a press release issued here, the Ministry of Defense (MoD), said that Afghan National Army (ANA) in collaboration with Afghan National Police (ANP) and […]

Admiring Afghan forces’ courage and bravery, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg on Wednesday said the Afghan forces had improved, preventing the Taliban from reaching strategic goals. Stoltenberg told a press conference in Brussels ahead of defence ministers’ meeting that: “Taliban should understand that they can gain more through a political settlement with the Afghan government than fighting against them in […]

The US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and the Chief of Army Staff of Pakistan General Qamar Javed Bajwa held talks regarding the Afghan peace and fight against terrorism. The Department of State spokesperson Heather Nauert said the Secretary of State Mike Pompeo spoke with the Pakistan Chief of Army Staff General Qamar Bajwa. She said they discussed advancing US-Pakistan […]

Pakistan Speaker National Assembly Sardar Ayaz Sadiq has said that Afghanistan is a neighboring country and a peaceful Afghanistan is in the favour of Pakistan and the entire region. He was talking to the Special Representative of Germany for Pakistan and Afghanistan Mr. Markus Potzel, who called on him here at Parliament House on Tuesday. German Ambassador Mr. Martin Kobler […]

Afghan Ministry of Defense (MoD) on Tuesday said that the Afghan National Army (ANA) has drawn up plans for a targeted operation in Khawja Ghar district of northern Takhar province. Currently forces from Pamir 20 army division are assessing the plan, said MoD deputy spokesman Mohammad Radmanish. This comes a day after members of Takhar provincial council warned against the […]

A deal between the Indian government and the Russian defense contractor Rosoboronexport may be cancelled following a series of complaints from the other competitors. The $1.5 billion contract would provide for the procurement of up to 5.000 very-short range air defense or VSHOD systems. The Russian company made the lowest bid and competed against Saab of Sweden, Rafael of

Pakistan is set to receive thirty T-129 attack helicopters from Turkey. Pakistan is known to have evaluated the Turkish-built attack helicopter as part of an ongoing effort to procure a new attack helicopter for the country’s army. The T-129 is based on the AugustaWestland (now Leonardo) produced A-129 Mangusta. Turkish Aerospace Industries is the T-129’s prime contractor. The aircraft is […]