FATA Archive
Relevant question —Gulmina Bilal Ahmad: There are those who believe that Pakistan was envisioned as an Islamic theocracy. If one subscribes to this view, then we have actually become quite a successful state The art of intellect, I have been told, is not just
People of Waziristan support drone attacks: Related Post : A survey of Drone Attacks in Pakistan .What do the people of FATA think? by Farhat Taj With thanks :BBC The following article suggests that contrary to what the military establishment and their proxies would like
Adeyzai lashkar ends cooperation with govt – by Farhat Taj: What is becoming of the Adeyzai lashkar is precisely the story of almost all anti-Taliban lashkars in FATA. The lashkars were encouraged by the authorities with promises of help. The promises never materialised Leaders of the anti-Taliban lashkar in
Pakistan frees Taliban kidnappers of the NYT reporter David Rohde: Related article: 7 Months, 10 Days in Taliban’s Captivity: Story of David Rohde After New York Times’s reporter David Rohde escaped from his Taliban captors in Pakistan last year, the Pakistani intelligence services interrogated two of his guards — and
The ISI moves Siraj Haqqani to ‘secure safe house’ outside FATA – by Ali K Chishti: Daily Times can confirm that Siraj Haqqani, the operational commander of the Haqqani Network, who had earlier been moved from Miranshah, North Waziristan to Kurram Agency, has been moved to a secure “safe house” outside FATA. The decision was
Drones Debate: Pashtun Nationalists, The Liberals, the Left and the far right: First things first. The USA has no right to stay in Afghanistan let alone drone Pakistan. It is the US military aggression and presence in the region that has fuelled unrest and complicated the matters. The very Taliban and
On Arundhati Roy: The Burden of Proof – by Nimer Ahmad: Arundhati Roy, a name that needs no introduction even in Pakistani government’s “or” religious intellectual circles and she is often quoted in mainstream media because she is not just a fierce critic of US foreign policy but she had
Kurram: the forsaken FATA – by Dr Mohammad Taqi: General Ashfaq Parvez Kayani visited a tribal agency last week but he did not tender an apology to some local families, whose dear ones — including children — were killed by the Pakistan Army gunship helicopters this past September.
Is Orakzai Agency cleared of the Taliban? — by Farhat Taj: The IDPs say that both the Taliban and the Pakistan Army have bombed their empty houses in Orakzai. The authorities are now handing them tents so that they go back and erect tents on the sites of their bombed
Political agent torturing students – By Farhat Taj: It has been almost ten months now. The political agent (PA) of Khyber in the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) has subjected 13 students from the Government Degree College, Jamrud, Khyber Agency to acute mental torture. The students’ representative,
An unethical survey on FATA — by Farhat Taj: The people of FATA perceive state collusion with the Taliban. They want the termination of this collusion before the military operations. Until then, they are comfortable with the drone strikes on militant positions Recently, a survey was conducted by
White House Reiterates Support for Pakistan, Afghanistan: White House Reiterates Support for Pakistan, Afghanistan despite Pak, US tensions spike after border closure and attacks on NATO supply trucks. The tension comes just as Washington is stepping up its shadow war on militants harbored in Pakistan’s border regions. The
Is the military cheating Orakzais? by Farhat Taj: A potentially dangerous development is afoot in Orakzai and no one in Pakistan seems to care. The military authorities and the Orakzai political agent (PA) have ordered the internally displaced persons (IDP) from the Lower Orakzai to go back
Concerns over Post-military operations developments in KP – by Idrees Kamal: Amn Tehrik (Peace Movement) , an organization of Political workers, civil society, writers, intellectuals, Lawyers, Students, Labours, Women, Poets and sensible segment of the society and comrises political workers of almost all the secular political parties working in the
Pakistan not a safe heaven for Anti Taliban – by Farhat taj: The doctrine of strategic depth means Pakistan is not a safe haven for Pakhtuns opposing Taliban or Talibanization either with arms or musical instruments. The ordeal of the late Kamal Mahsud, a well-known singer from Waziristan, and his family is
Post-deluge efforts in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa – by Idrees Kamal: The monsoon flood has badly devastated the entire Pakistan in general and the province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and FATA in particular. These remarks were made by Arshad Haroon, regional Head of SPO and member of Network for Humanitarian Assistance
The man who really matters in Pakistan – by Farzana Shaikh: Whatever David Cameron may say, looking both ways is by no means peculiar to Pakistan. For while Pakistan’s President Asif Ali Zardari has looked the other way as his country drowns in the worst floods in living memory, the
Another Friday attack in FATA: Today, on friday 16th July 2010 , bomb blast occurred in Friday market during rush hours . According to initial reports 10 people killed and 15 others injured in a blast in Tirah valley in Khyber Agency on Friday. The people,
Do not squeeze the tribesmen anymore —Daud Khattak: There is a Pashto proverb: ‘Oba pa kamzori zai mateegee’ (water makes its course on the weaker bank). It is happening in Waziristan now as the political administration is forcing the displaced Ahmadzai Wazir tribesmen to hand over the
FATA, overlooked, ignored – by Riaz Toori: First published in Express Tribune Blogs Sixty three years have gone by but Pakistan could neither bring FATA in the mainstream of the country, politically or constitutionally nor improved the life of common man there. Twenty first century’s innovations,
Why do the Taliban prefer to kill on Fridays? – by Abdul Nishapuri: Here I am, once again, trying to muster up some emotional and physical energy to write a few lines in condemnation of the Taliban terrorists (and their supporters and apologists). Today, on Friday 9 July 2010, a Talib suicide
Muttahida Kabail Party: United Tribal party is formed in FATA and they are demanding a separate province consisting of all Pashtun tribal agencies. Mutthida Kabail Party’s manifesto states,” MKP will work for 1. Peace 2. Basic Rights 3. Progress”. Earlier LUBP posted a article
Amn Tehreek : Dialogue on Ongoing terrorism and Punjabi Taliban: A dialogue was held by Amn Tehrik(Peace Movement) at Peshawar Press Club titled, Ongoing terrorism and Punjabi Taliban and why military operation is not being launched in Punjab against terrorists?. It was participated by representatives of almost all members
The slanted truth – by Dr. Mohammad Taqi: Those who Believers in the thesis that Afghanistan provides Pakistan with strategic depth are so scared of this shared bond that they had vetoed Afghania — represented by the letter ‘A’ in the word Pakistan — as the new
Several perspectives on the FCR and FATA reform: It might be worthwhile to read two differing perspectives on the FCR and the FATA reform in order to come to an informed conclusion on a complicated issue that the government is likely to be dealing with in the
Amnesty: Tribal Pakistan is a ‘rights-free zone’ – BBC: Note: you can download the full Amnesty International report referenced in this article here Source BBC Millions of Pakistanis live in a “human rights-free zone” in the country’s north-west, Amnesty International says. Residents of tribal areas face Taliban abuse
Pakistan survey: Taliban lack sympathy in Sindh, Khyber Pakhtunkwa, FATA, Kashmir and Gilgit-Baltistan: ISLAMABAD: A majority of Pakistanis don’t approve of Islamabad’s decision to join the US-led war on terror but, at the same time, they don’t believe that the Taliban are fighting for Islam, according to a survey carried out by
Militant splits span AfPak border – by Syed Saleem Shahzad: ISLAMABAD – The year 2009 was a second watershed in the Taliban-led struggle against foreign forces in Afghanistan as the resistance took the war, previously limited mainly to the south and western parts of the country, to north and
Pakistan’s tribal area needs social and political reforms – by Jan Assakzai: FATA needs change The more important thing at this point is not whether Pakistan`s tribal region is linked with the failed terrorist plot in New York, but whether their should be speedy reforms in FATA to prevent its causing
North Waziristan: the new terrorist epicentre?: The investigations into Faisal Shahzad’s attempted car bombing in New York have shifted focus to his links in Pakistan. While little evidence has so far emerged of his link to one or the other terrorist group, his own admission
Get the militant leadership — by Daud Khattak: In wars, the death of a leader means half the war is won. But, interestingly enough, in the anti-terror war in this region, the leadership is intact despite the use of all air, ground and intelligence resources against them
Sipah-e-Sahaba responsible for Khalid Khwaja’s murder – by Amir Mir: Killers of Khwaja wanted custody of Afghan Taliban, not release Sunday, May 02, 2010 By Amir Mir LAHORE: The Asian Tigers’ demand for the release of some key commanders of the Afghan Taliban, including Mulla Omar’s second-in-command, in exchange
A salute to martyrs of Pakistan’s war on terror – by Nazir Naji: شہیدوں کو سلام….سویرے سویرے …نذیرناجی 30 اپریل کو شہدا کا دن قرار دیا گیا ہے۔ یقینی طور پر اس کی وجہ سوات‘ ملاکنڈ اور قبائلی علاقوں میں کثرت سے شہادتیں پانے والے وہ فوجی جوان اور افسر ہیں‘ جنہوں
Khalid Khwaja’s death – by Ahmed Iqbalabadi: I am saddened by the killing of former ISI officer, Mr. Khalid Khawaja, by the so called “Asian Tigers” (Punjabi Taliban) after having abducted him more than a month ago. Even though I have strong differences to the point
No ‘good’ Taliban – by Zafar Hilaly: The regularity with which the military claims to be killing as many as 30-40 militants in a day may be gratifying, but the frequency with which the Taliban are bombing schools and police stations and killing friendly tribals, police,
Tirah massacre: insensitive state response — by Farhat Taj: The Pakistan army simply does not have the tradition to punish its rank and file, unless the aggrieved party is also from within the army Recently, Pakistan Air Force fighter planes bombed Sra Vella area in the Tirah Valley
The kidnapped: Why did Punjabi Taliban capture Colonel Imam and Khalid Khwaja? – by Rahimullah Yusufzai: The kidnapped Rahimullah Yusufzai There is no doubt that North Waziristan is dangerous territory. It is a major sanctuary of local and foreign militants espousing diverse causes. No other place in the world has been subjected to so many
The outcome of fighting the footsoldiers and mentoring the masterminds: Can there be an end to this war? — by Daud Khattak Friday’s attack on a convoy of army soldiers in North Waziristan and the fresh wave of violence in parts of the newly-renamed Khyber Pakhtunkhwa signifies that armed
Kidnapping for ransom: a family’s ordeal — by Farhat Taj: The Pakistan Army is conducting an operation in Bara, Khyber Agency. Thousands of people of Bara have become IDPs due to the operation. Despite the operation, the Mangal Bagh group is active and kidnapping people for ransom as usual
No matter what Pakistan army claims, the Taliban and al-Qaida fighters have merely relocated – Dawn report: On the run, militants find new haven ISLAMABAD: They were never routed, no matter what Pakistan claimed. Instead, the Taliban and al-Qaida fighters have merely relocated. They’re still near the Afghan border. Months after Pakistani troops chased them from