External interference in Afghanistan has reappeared much sooner than one would have expected after the Taliban takeover in Afghanistan in August. In a familiar pattern, the rumour mill has become active. The Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova hit out today at the rumours being planted by American sources insinuating that Moscow is supplying arms to the so-called National Resistance […]

Militants attacked an army post Friday in Pakistan’s restive northwest, bordering Afghanistan, triggering an intense shootout that killed a soldier, the military said. The Pakistani Taliban claimed responsibility for the attack. According to a military statement, the predawn attack took place in Bannu, a district in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province. It said troops returned fire, but it was unclear if the […]

Pakistan’s Prime Minister Imran Khan and Russia’s President Vladimir Putin discussed Afghanistan over the phone on Monday and both agreed that a peaceful and stable Afghanistan was key to regional stability. According to a press release issued by Imran Khan’s office, the prime minister told Putin “that a peaceful and stable Afghanistan was pivotal for regional stability. Afghanistan was facing […]

Zabihullah Mujahid, a spokesman for the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (IEA) has politely turned down Pakistan’s offer to send manpower to Afghanistan, stating there are enough educated young people in the country. In an audiotaped interview with the BBC on Saturday, Mujahid thanked Pakistan but said the IEA did not need outside labor. “There are enough educated young people to […]

Pakistan’s Prime Minister Imran Khan said Friday his country is committed to providing support to Afghanistan in a bid to avert a humanitarian crisis. Addressing the 3rd Apex Committee meeting on Afghanistan, attended by top Pakistani officials, Khan ordered them to explore bilateral cooperation with Afghanistan and to do what they can to avert a crisis. Officials attending the meeting […]

Government jobs are given as patronage to ex-fighters and exiles living quietly in Pakistan. But not all possess the technical skills required for the job. It was 20 years ago when the jihadi, a defense ministry official in the Taliban’s first government, fled Afghanistan as U.S. troops swept into the country. He settled in southwestern Pakistan with other Afghans, bought […]

“… Which country’s army operates housing schemes? The army’s job is to protect the country’s borders; not to participate in commercial activities. — Chief Justice of Pakistan Mian Saqib Nisar, 2019 If one goes by what’s written on the top-left hand side of its entrance, then it’s clear that the imposing building on the banks of Islamabad’s Rawal Lake is […]

On January 7, 2022, two terrorists were killed during an intelligence-based operation (IBO) on Amirwanda Road within Lakki Police Station of Bannu District. On January 5, 2022, two soldiers were killed during an IBO in Kot Kili village in the South Waziristan District. The operation was carried out by Security Forces (SFs) following reports of terrorist presence in the area. […]

A band of suspected Daesh militants is on the run in Pakistan after escaping a police raid that killed six other members of the group, officials said Monday. Counterterrorism police said in a statement they had stormed a hideout in the southwestern city of Quetta on Saturday and killed six militants, but “around four to five managed to escape.” A […]

Khalid Balti, former spokesperson for Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan, has been killed in Nangarhar province. A senior leader of the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (Pakistan Taliban or TTP) has been killed in eastern Afghanistan, Pakistani security officials say, as a peace talks process between the armed group and the government remain stalled. Khalid Balti, also known by the nom de guerre Muhammad Khorasani when […]