How we lost Darra Adamkhel – By Nasser Yousaf: DARRA Adamkhel, the tribal area in the frontier region under the administrative control of the federal government, is a 30-minute drive from the Peshawar cantonment on the Indus highway. Sandwiched between two cantonments and hidden beneath high and gloomy
The FATA challenge — Imtiaz Ali: Local people have taken up arms and it’s high time to isolate terrorists through winning the hearts and minds of common Pashtuns. That’s the only way to undermine Al Qaeda and ensure security for Pakistan, as well as its
Need for review of US anti-terror policy in Pakistan: Tuesday, November 04, 2008Khalid Aziz Since September there have been 19 missile attacks on suspected terrorists by the US, most of them in Waziristan. They have led to the deaths of some foreign fighters; at the same time they
Intelligence, psy-ops & the Fata war – By Naeem Sadiq: One need not destroy one’s enemy. One need only destroy his willingness to engage. — Sun Tzu WITH the truth coming first in the line of fire, the stories of any war are often carefully prepared half-truths, selected truths
Jirga to nowhere – by Rahimullah Yusufzai: Saturday, November 01, 2008 It was obvious from the beginning that the Pak-Afghan Joint Peace Jirga, which held its inaugural session with much fanfare in August 2007 in Kabul and its much-delayed sequel recently in Islamabad on October 27-28,
FCR in Pakistan’s Tribal Areas: What to do with FCR? Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani had declared last April that he would like to abolish the Frontier Crimes Regulation (FCR) in the Tribal Areas because it was “a barbaric colonial-era law that had ruled
Letting someone else rule the Tribal Areas: As Mr Shaukat Tareen, the finance advisor, makes his last-ditch efforts to arrange a $4.5 billion short-term bailout for the economy, PMLN leaders Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan and Raja Zafarul Haq have spoken at a press conference in Islamabad
Drone attacks and ground assaults – By Rahimullah Yusufzai: Drone attacks and ground assaults Saturday, October 25, 2008 Rahimullah Yusufzai Whether it was General Pervez Musharraf’s dictatorship or Asif Ali Zardari’s democratic set-up, the government came to the conclusion that it cannot afford to antagonize the US by
Militant activity in the tribal belt: As long as militant activity in the tribal belt was directed outwards, it never attracted our attention. And when these militants turned inwards, we were caught napping. Harmonising interests Talat Masood …………..The result is our security forces turning a
Fixing the tribal areas – Rustam Shah Mohmand: In the following column, Rustam Sham Mohmand suggests that Pakistan must ensure that there should be no training camps of any sort, by any group, in the tribal areas, (as well as in other parts of the country?). The
In Pakistan, a Shia-Sunni war to oust Taliban: Nirupama Subramanian, The Hindu, Sep 03, 2008 According to Shia leaders and independent analysts, the Taliban control the Sunni tribes in Kurram and want to battle the Shias until they have control of the region. Kurram is not the
Crackdown on militants by tribal volunteers in Tribal Areas: By Anwarullah Khan KHAR, Oct 5: Hundreds of tribal volunteers marched in Mamond and Wara tehsils, strongholds of militants in Bajaur Agency, on Sunday and warned pro-Taliban elements to either surrender or leave the area. The armed tribesmen did
Is the USA doublecrossing Pakistan in FATA: Bajaur: the crucial test Reports are that terrorists known as Taliban are crossing the border from the Kunar province in Afghanistan to fight against the Pakistani forces in Bajaur and other areas. Pakistan has informed the US about this
‘Stability in Bajaur within two months’: * FC IG says 1,000 Taliban, 63 soldiers killed in operation* Says 65% of problem would be eliminated if Taliban defeated in Bajaur KHAR/TANG KHATTA: The situation in Bajaur Agency will be stabilised within two months, the Frontier Corps