The Government of Pakistan, with the support of UNHCR, has launched a nationwide verification exercise for 1.4 million Afghan refugees during which new smartcards will be issued. The Documentation Renewal and Information Verification Exercise, or DRIVE for short, was inaugurated at a ribbon-cutting ceremony in Islamabad by the Federal Minister for SAFRON, His Excellency Mehboob Sultan. The UNHCR Representative, Noriko […]

For much of the past couple of decades, Afghanistan has been a rare exception to the strategic competition between India and China in South Asia. New Delhi never believed it could be the preeminent power in Afghanistan, unlike in other nearby countries like Sri Lanka and Nepal. Following the United States’ invasion of Afghanistan in 2001, India was happy to […]

Former Afghan president Hamid Karzai said Afghans are being used against each other by external forces and that Pakistan wants to exert strategic influence in Afghanistan through the Taliban. In an interview with Germany’s weekly news magazine Der Spiegel, Karzai said: “I realized early into my tenure as president that this war is not our conflict, and we Afghans are […]

General David H. Petraeus, retired US Army general and former director of the CIA said on Saturday he fears the United States will come to regret their decision to withdraw all troops and warned of a possible civil war. In an interview with VOA, Petraeus said despite measures being taken to mitigate risks by extremists from re-establishing safe havens in […]

Taliban militants attacked the Alishing district and Mehtarlam, the capital of Laghman province, sources said Sunday night. According to the sources, heavy clashes are underway between the Afghan security forces in the provincial capital of Mehtarlam city. Sources told Ariana News that the provincial prison is under siege and that the Taliban were “shouting via a load speaker and asking […]

The Afghan government, facing widespread protests, has agreed to recall newly-appointed governor Mohammad Daud Laghmani to Kabul and to authorize the deputy governor to lead the province, for the time being, a member of the National Islamic Movement of Afghanistan (Junbish-e-Milli) said. Enayatullah Babur Farahmand said that the government has also agreed to keep the acting governor in place until […]

Taliban group attacks were pushed back in six districts of Badakhshan province on Sunday night, local officials said Monday. Nick Mohammad Nazari, spokesman for the governor of Badakhshan, said that on Sunday night, the Taliban, in collaboration with foreign insurgents, carried out offensive attacks in parts of Yaftal-e-Payan, Darayim, Khash, Jurm, Warduj and Raghistan districts. He did not however give […]

Afghan military officials said on Monday that Afghan National Defense and Security Forces (ANDSF) pushed back the Taliban on Sunday night as the group advanced on the Laghman provincial capital of Mehtarlam. Late Sunday the Taliban carried out attacks on the Alishing district in the province and on parts of Mehtarlam. Sources told Ariana News on Sunday night that the […]

Pakistan, which shares a 2,640 km land border with Afghanistan, has undoubtedly much to gain from a peaceful Afghanistan. However, as foreign troops depart, the persistent failure of Afghan parties to strike a lasting peace deal could pose multiple challenges for Pakistan and its security interests. At this moment, it needs to make careful choices to preserve the intended goals […]

Some Afghans who worked with German troops in Afghanistan have said they see a big threat to their lives after coalition forces leave the country in the next few months and are seeking protection. Expressed concerns about their future, the Afghan contractors held a protest outside German troops’ base in the city of Mazar-e-Sharif, seeking asylum and protection, reported Tolo […]