Afghanistan Archive

Hijacking Democracy – by Anas Muhammad: Today we live in an increasingly dangerous world, which is filled with people who have their ulterior motives and willingness to harm others to benefit themselves. Our world is filled with criminals, gangsters, murderers, and terrorists. The people who
Dr Aafia’s appeal – By Rafia Zakaria: The explosive mix of appearing to be the obedient Muslim woman clad in burka and a would-be assassin defying the US make Dr Aafia Siddiqui irresistible as a heroine and an icon. But should such defiance be the only
Some legal aspects of Aafia Siddiqui’s case: A rebuttal to Babar Sattar – by Usman Ahmad: ‘Blinkered justice’? As a nation we suffer from what can only be described as persecution complex. The knee-jerk reaction of “they are out to get us” has been our response to countless issues ranging from the war on terror
The Rightist Judicio-Politico Mafia – by Anas Muhammad:   Saturday February 13 – The Chief Justice of Pakistan defied Presidential orders through a suo moto action against the Presidential notification for appointment of certain judges. Chief Justice, in a rare nightly emergency session, formed a three members
Zaid Hamid and strategic depth — by Farhat Taj: FATA continues to be used and abused as a strategic space by the security establishment of Pakistan in violent pursuit of strategic depth in Afghanistan. In short, strategic depth means Pakistan must have a pro-Pakistan government in Afghanistan by
The curious case of Aafia Siddiqui and the conspiracy theorists – by Ahmed Naqvi: Aafia Siddiqui’s legal case has done its round in Pakistan’s media. From the anti-government newspaper The Nation, to the relatively liberal and seemingly unbiased Dawn, everyone has taken a swipe at this jaw-dropping, mind-numbing political situation. Yes, political situation.
Reconciliation Is No Silver Bullet – by Anas Muhammad: Two years ago – February 2008 – Pakistan began its transformation to democracy with a general election that brought Benazir Bhutto’s PPP (Pakistan People’s Party) into power. The party decided to continue its policy, introduced by its slain leader
Strategic depth for Pakistan lies within Pakistan – by Kamran Shafi: It is within us By Kamran Shafi Tuesday, 09 Feb, 2010 THERE has been a veritable raft of statements from the chief of army staff in the very recent past on ‘strategic depth’ for Pakistan in Afghanistan. Variously: “we
A critical analysis of Aafia Siddiqui’s case – by Anas Abbas: First published on: AA Counter Terror Aafia Siddiqui was finally convicted on 4rd February 2010 for trying to kill American soldiers in Afghanistan.  She is now expected to face a maximum of 60 years in prison. Below is a
Soviet Lessons From Afghanistan – by Mikhail Gorbachev: A scene from the Red Army’s withdrawal from Afghanistan through the Uzbek town of Termez Picture Source Thanks: The New York Times Afghanistan is in turmoil, with tensions rising and people dying every day. Many of them — including
At Afghan women’s cost – by Sahar Saba: The US attempts to broker a deal with the Taliban have neither surprised nor upset Afghan women. The Afghan woman is not like naive liberals across the world who are deeply frustrated over this US betrayal. The liberals had
Aafia Siddiqui: An Objective Overview – by Anas Muhammad: President Asif Ali Zardari directed the government to provide legal assistance to Dr Aafia Siddiqui, after the jury found her guilty on all seven counts. The government of Pakistan has so far spent $2 million in defense of the
Pakistan Army’s ‘strategic depth’ approach may lead to Pakistan’s strategic death: ‘Strategic death’? Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Ashfaq Parvez Kayani, in a rare press briefing, said, “We want a strategic depth in Afghanistan but do not want to control it.” These words underlie the fact that the Pakistan
List of Taliban’s atrocities and crimes in Afghanistan: Those who insist on distinction between the TTP and Afghan Taliban should (be forced to) read this: LUBP Editor’s note: Lately, apologists of the Takfiri Deobandi Taliban (i.e., members and supporters of PTI, Jamaat-e-Islami, PML-N, Sipah-e-Sahaba (ASWJ-LeJ), JUI-F, JUI-S,
Deconstructing Pakistani Generals’ strategic depth theory: Defining ‘strategic depth’ By Kamran Shafi Tuesday, 19 Jan, 2010 Will our army pack its bags and escape into Afghanistan to disengage itself from the fighting, if India goes to war with Pakistan? –writes Kamran Shafi
Klashni-country: A brief history of the Kalashinkov culture in Pakistan – by Nadeem Paracha: By late 1979, markets in the tribal regions of Pakistan were flooded with AK-47s, smuggled across by Afghan refugees. – File photo The famous Russian assault rifle, the Kalashnikov, also called the AK-47, or Klashni in the street and
The Taliban’s war on Pakistan and the role of our religio-political leaders: Saleem Safi, an eminent journalist and a veteran of the Afghan ‘jihad’, offers a critical perspective on the hypocritical role of our religio-political leaders (such as Fazlur-Rehman, Sami-ul-Haq, Munawar Hassan, Qazi Hussain Ahmed, Sahabzada Fazl-e-Karim etc, as well as
Pakistani generals and the Taliban: Pakistani links to Haqqani militants again under spotlight The revelation that the Haqqani network may be behind the deadly CIA bombing throws the spotlight back on to Pakistan’s connivance with militants operating on its soil. Pakistan has refused to
Options for Pakistan: No to Ziaist Policies – Guest post by Ahmad Nadeem Gehla: This is with reference to Ijaz Ul Haq’s two-part article “Options for Pakistan” (December 24, 25, The News). I agree with Mr Haq that “Pakistan has vital interests and serious stakes in Afghanistan”. Every state has
The Afghan-Pakistan Solution – By Pervez Musharraf: The Afghan-Pakistan Solution: An exit strategy must be predicated on achieving military and political goals, not dictated by time limits. By PERVEZ MUSHARRAF My recent trip to the United States has been an enriching experience, during which I had a
Mata Hari of Al Qaeda: The mystery of Dr Aafia Siddiqui: By: Abdul Nishapuri Pakistani Taliban Union of Journalists (also known as Mullah Media Alliance), including Dr Shahid Masood, Irfan Siddiqui, Ansar Abbasi and Hamid Mir, often present a partial, one sided picture of the ordeal and ‘mazloomiat’ of Dr
Is there an Al Qaeda – NATO connection?: The al Qaeda connection? NWFP was hit by another terrorist attack on Tuesday afternoon when a suicide bomber blew up his car in Charsadda bazaar. More than 30 people were killed and nearly 100 others injured, including several women
7 Months, 10 Days in Taliban’s Captivity: Story of David Rohde: Here is a five-part series “Held by the Taliban” offering a first-person account by David Rohde of his seven months as a captive of the Taliban in Pakistan. Mr. Rohde, a New York Times reporter, was kidnapped with two
Synagogue-dweller is Afghan Jewry’s last gasp: Born in the western Afghan city of Herat in 1959, Zebulon Simentov lives, eats and prays alone — the last known Jew in a country dominated by conservative Muslim culture. In the late 19th century, Afghanistan’s Jews numbered about
Taliban cannot be defeated unless their Wahhabi funders from Kuwait, Saudia Arabia and the UAE are arrested!: Taliban funding may be ‘impossible’ to dry up: officials * US officials say foreign donations largest source of cash for Taliban * Military estimates Taliban collect $70 million from drug traffickers every year Daily Times Monitor WASHINGTON: The Taliban-led
US threatens airstrikes in Pakistan: From The Sunday Times September 27, 2009 Christina Lamb in Washington The United States is threatening to launch airstrikes on Mullah Omar and the Taliban leadership in the Pakistani city of Quetta as frustration mounts about the ease with
Whose war is it? —Salman Tarik Kureshi: Large swathes of the sovereign territory of our country have been taken through force by bands of violent insurgents fighting the authority of the Pakistan state. As things stand, despite an apparently spirited counter-insurgency mounted by the post-Musharraf armed
NYT: Pakistan is supporting Afghan militants?: Afghan Strikes by Taliban Get Pakistan Help, U.S. Aides Say By MARK MAZZETTI and ERIC SCHMITT Published: March 25, 2009 WASHINGTON — The Taliban’s widening campaign in southern Afghanistan is made possible in part by direct support from operatives
Holbrooke: Only 5pc Afghan Taliban are hard-core militants: Only 5pc Afghan Taliban are hard-core militants: Holbrooke By Our Correspondent Thursday, 26 Feb, 2009 WASHINGTON, Feb 25: Only five per cent of the Taliban militants in Afghanistan are hard-core, others can be persuaded to abandon violence, says Richard
Prisoners of a jihadi past and our hall of shame: Prisoners of a jihadi past By Syed Irfan Ashraf & Faizullah JanTuesday, 24 Feb, 2009
Troop surge in Afghanistan and the Great Game.: Capital suggestion2009 Sunday, February 22, 2009by Dr Farrukh Saleem 2009 is going to be about four things: the Af-Pak War Theater, Global Financial Crisis, a resurging Russian Bear coming out of its 20-year hibernation and NATO Supply Routes. The
Drone attack on a terrorist camp in Kurram agency kills at least 30: Why do not our own intelligence agencies / ISI / Army/ Air Force / Police route out such terrorist / jihadi/ sectarian camps? Thank you Obama for cleaning the dirt of the ISI/Taliban duo in Pakistan.
General Musharraf, Taliban and the Strategic Depth Doctrine: General Musharraf and Taliban After President Asif Ali Zardari said on CBS News that “Pakistani forces are fighting the Taliban for the survival of Pakistan”, General (Retd) Pervez Musharraf kind of “gilded the lily” by stating in Islamabad that
Saleem Safi: Confessions of an ex-Jihadi: Afghan Jihad, Taliban, ISI and Our Hypocrisy: Related post: Pakistani State’s ambivalent policies on Taliban – by Saleem Safi A must read article by Saleem Safi exposing the hypocritical and misleading notions of jihad and Islam concocted and used by the ISI, the so called Afghan
Reviewing Pakistan- Afghanistan policy: Sunday, February 08, 2009 Lt-Gen (r) Talat Masood The US being a super power enjoys a unique status around the world and cannot be treated as any other country. For Pakistan US means even more, as no other country
The Iran-USA relations: Chabahar port can play a key role in rebuilding Afghanistan…: Shaytan-e-BozorgSunday, February 08, 2009 Dr Farrukh Saleem Grand Ayatollah Sayyid Ruhollah Musavi Khomeini, the 1st Supreme Leader of Iran, in a speech on 5 November 1979, labelled the United States “Shaytan-e-Bozorg” or the ‘Great Satan’. That was more than
Pakistan’s eight points for Holbrooke – How to restore peace in Afghanistan and FATA: Wednesday, February 04, 2009 Nasim Zehra The writer is an Islamabad-based security analyst Speaking in Washington to a conference sponsored by the Reserve Officers Association on Monday, Chairman of the Joint Chief of Staff Admiral Mike Mullen said, “I
OTHER VOICES – Pushto Press – Taliban kill Pakhtuns: Tolafghan, Kabul Taliban kill Pakhtuns TALIBAN militants have taken responsibility for most of the attacks and suicide bombings inside Afghanistan. They have especially been engaged in wiping out Pakhtuns over the last seven years; and this brings us to
Pakistan’s War against Terrorism – Al Jazeera TV Report – By Rageh Omaar: Pakistan’s War Rageh Omaar speaks to those who say Pakistan is paying the ultimate price in theso-called ‘war on terror’ [GALLO/GETTY] As the fallout from last month’s bloody siege in Mumbai focuses the world’s attention on Pakistan’s ability to
Aligning regional security policies – By Khalid Aziz: Tuesday, November 25, 2008Khalid Aziz What was projected to occur within the next few weeks in my last article has come to pass already; the drones for the first time attacked a target inside the district of Bannu and