Earlier last month, the White House told Congress that it needed to cough up an additional $11.6 billion for the United States’ current campaign against Islamic State (ISIS) militants and the war in Afghanistan. In a statement later that evening, U.S. Defense Secretary…
Yes, one may argue whether two to three feet taller boundary wall could have prevented the attack, but one can’t deny the fact that this low and dilapidated boundary wall is symbolic representative of our overall national counter terrorism effort—and the attitude…
The inaugural meeting of the Pak-Afghan Joint Technical Working Group was held in Kabul on July 26 under a recently set-up consultation mechanism for coordination on border management and related security “to discuss issues related to border security and joint fight against…
Pak-US relationship has always been an interesting subject. Has anyone seen the sole super power getting too much frustrated by any single country? That is Pakistan. The dilemma for Pakistan gets multiplying day by day as “do more” shadow is not prepared…
Significant factors impacting peaceful or otherwise Afghanistan are: stay-exit dilemma of the US, will of the Taliban, Indian meddling, handling of Afghan refugees, Pak-Afghan border management, Afghan government’s action against TTP bands etc. The UN Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon’s recent report on…
Since Karzai era, sinking economy, perpetuating corruption and incompetent security agencies have marred Afghanistan’s domestic environment. No wonders the fault lines that prompt Afghan leadership towards blaming Pakistan for everything that could go wrong in Afghanistan are snowballing. At a time when…
With the Taliban’s declaration of Spring Offensive, fighting is likely to pick up the usual momentum. Last year was a turbulent year for the Afghan government, its security forces and the people. Taliban undertook numerous tactical attacks alongside takeover of small and…
Politico-military situation in Afghanistan is quite complex. As regards military balance of power, James R Clapper, the US director of national intelligence, recently warned that fighting in Afghanistan will be "more intense" this year than 2015 and that Afghans will continue to…
The US Defence Intelligence Agency Director Lieutenant General Vincent R Stewart has said in his recent testimony to the US Senate Armed Services Committee that Pakistan’s military operation Zarb-e-Azb and Karachi operation have been successful in reducing violence in Pakistan: “Counter-insurgency operations…
The recently held Afghan peace talks, in which senior officials from the Afghan government, Pakistan, China and the US participated called for restoration of peace talks between the Afghan government and the Taliban. Whether, the talks would yield positive result or like…