Afghanistan International: A retired Pakistani army general, Inam-ul-Haq, has revealed deepening tensions within the Taliban, spotlighting a rift between the Haqqani Network and the Kandahar faction, in an Express Tribune article. He outlined how disputes over the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), girls’ education bans, Pakistan relations, and governance are driving the divide. Click here to read
Khaama: The Canadian government issued a warning on Tuesday, urging its citizens to avoid travel to Afghanistan due to escalating security concerns. The government highlighted the risks posed by ongoing armed conflicts, terrorist attacks, and the increasing frequency of abductions and arbitrary detentions. In a public statement, Canada described the security situation in Afghanistan as
Amu: Tuesday marked the fifth anniversary of a deadly assault on a Sikh temple in Kabul that killed 26 people and injured eight others. Daesh claimed responsibility for the 2020 attack, one of the deadliest in recent memory against Afghanistan’s Sikh minority. Five years on, rights activists and analysts say that religious extremism has only
Afghanistan International: Pakistan’s Defence Minister, Khawaja Asif, has warned that the country will take action against Pakistani militants operating inside Afghanistan. He stressed that Pakistan’s security and national interests would take precedence over diplomacy or alliances. Speaking after a high-level security meeting, Asif stated that Pakistan would not hesitate to track and eliminate its enemies
Afghanistan International: Fasihuddin Fitrat, Chief of Staff of the Taliban Army, has announced plans to equip Taliban forces with advanced weaponry and modern military equipment. He stated that strengthening the so-called “Islamic Army” is not intended to provoke conflict with neighbouring countries. The Taliban government remains under strict economic and military sanctions, raising questions about
Khaama: Pakistani media reported that Islamabad is preparing to file a complaint with the United Nations, accusing both the Taliban and India of supporting terrorism against Pakistan. The government has decided to present this complaint due to their involvement in cross-border terrorism and the support they allegedly provide to militant groups operating in Pakistan. Click
Michael Hughes: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif admitted Pakistan’s ties to the Afghan Taliban have come back to haunt Islamabad. Although, for many, this is like saying the sky is blue, it is quite a development when such a statement emanates from a Pakistani official. The timing of the admission, of course, is too little, too
Afghanistan International: Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has blamed the country’s ongoing security challenges on past alignment and support by some Pakistani officials for the Afghan Taliban. He made these remarks three days after the hostage crisis on the Jaffar Express train, during a meeting with officials in Balochistan. Click here to read more (external
Ariana: A blast tore through a mosque on Friday in northwestern Pakistan, police said, injuring an Islamist party leader and three others, including children. Abdullah Nadeem, a local leader of the Jamiat Ulema Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) political party, was believed to be the target of the blast and had been hospitalised with serious injuries, said Asif
Afghanistan International: The Pakistan Army has claimed that the mastermind behind the Jaffar Express train attack in Balochistan was operating from Afghanistan. On Wednesday, army spokesperson Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry announced that the hostage rescue operation had been completed, with all Baloch separatist militants killed. Chaudhry stated that the attack was planned and directed by Baloch