December, 2016
BACKGROUNDER: A SELECTION OF REPORTS ON AFGHANISTAN AND PAKISTAN (POSTED JUNE 4, 2017)
Written by Olivier Immig & Jan van Heugten At least since September 11, 2001 the Afghan Taliban, Al Qaeda and religiously based terrorist activities in Afghanistan, Pakistan and India have gained the international limelight. Well before 9/11, however, a number of other regional developments have thoroughly rocked the Southern Asian […]
IN THE NEWS: BRIDEGROOM OF JIHAD (DECEMBER 31, 2016)
Selected by Olivier Immig & Jan van Heugten BRIDEGROOM OF JIHAD SOURCE: Newsweek Pakistan Saturday, December 31, 2016 *MASOOD AZHAR, ASSET OR LIABILITY? China has vetoed India’s request at the U.N. Security Council to add Masood Azhar, head of the Pakistan-based militant group Jaish-e-Mohammad, to a blacklist of Al Qaeda-linked groups. India accuses Azhar of […]
IN THE NEWS: AFGHAN GOVERNMENT REJECTS TALIBAN PEACE PROPOSALS (DECEMBER 31, 2016)
Selected by Olivier Immig & Jan van Heugten Afghan Government Rejects Taliban Peace Proposal SOURCE: Gandhara Saturday, December 31, 2016 By BASHIR AHMAD GWAKH A senior Afghan official has rejected a preliminary peace plan backed by the Taliban insurgents that could lead to a final reconciliation deal possibly ending nearly four decades of war in […]
IN THE NEWS: AFGHAN CALLS TO LIFT U.N. SANCTIONS – A WELCOME TO PAKISTAN AND WARNING TO THE WORLD (DECEMBER 30, 2016)
Selected by Olivier Immig & Jan van Heugten Afghan Calls to Lift UN Sanctions: A Welcome to Pakistan and Warning to the World SOURCE: South Asia Analysis Group Friday, December 30, 2016 By ALEXANDER MURRAY Earlier this month, the Afghan government of President Ashraf Ghani made requests of the UN Security Council (UNSC) that Gulbuddin […]
IN THE NEWS: PAKISTAN’S WATER SECURITY MADE PART OF CPEC FRAMEWORK (DECEMBER 30, 2016)
Selected by Olivier Immig & Jan van Heugten Pakistan’s water security made part of CPEC framework SOURCE: The Express Tribune Friday, December 30, 3016 By SHAHBAZ RANA ISLAMABAD: Pakistan and China on Thursday decided to make water security a part of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) framework amid threats by India to review its position […]
IN THE NEWS: PAKISTAN’S COUNTERTERRORISM FAILURES (DECEMBER 29, 2016)
Selected by Olivier Immig & Jan van Heugten Pakistan’s Counterterrorism Failures SOURCE: Gandhara Thursday, December 29, 2016 By AFRASIAB KHATTAK Unlike in the rest of the world, December is a sad month for Pakistan. It marks the anniversaries of two of our most prominent victims of terrorism. Last week, we mourned the death of my […]
IN THE NEWS: POVERTY CRISIS OF MODERN-DAY (DECEMBER 29, 2016)
Selected by Olivier Immig & Jan van Heugten Poverty: Crisis of Modern-Day SOURCE: Daily Outlook Afghanistan Thursday, December 29, 2016 By MOHAMMAD ZAHIR AKBARI In spite of hundreds of aid organizations and humanitarian conventions worldwide, the poverty mortality rate is terribly increasing in modern age. Almost half of the world — over 3 billion people […]
IN THE NEWS: RUSSIA, PAKISTAN, CHINA WARN OF INCREASED DAESH THREAT (DECEMBER 28, 2016)
Selected by Olivier Immig & Jan van Heugten Russia, Pakistan, China Warn of Increased Daesh Threat SOURCE: daily Outlook Afghanistan Wednesday,December 28, 2016 KABUL – Representatives from the three countries, meeting in Moscow, also agreed to invite the Afghan government to such talks in future, the Russian Foreign Ministry said. Russia, China and Pakistan warned […]
IN THE NEWS: AFGHAN SPECIAL FORCES KILLED OVER 400 TALIBAN LEADERS IN PAST 9 MONTH, SAYS MINISTRY OF INTERIOR (DECEMBER 28, 2016)
Selected by Olivier Immig & Jan van Heugten Afghan Special Forces killed over 400 Taliban leaders in past 9 month: MoI SOURCE: Khaama Press Wednesday, December 28, 2016 Over 400 leaders of the Taliban group were killed in the past 9 during the operations conducted by the Afghan Special Forces, the Ministry of Interior (MoI) […]
IN THE NEWS: THE CUP IS HALF FULL (DECEMBER 27, 2016)
Selected by Olivier Immig & Jan van Heugten The cup is half full SOURCE: The Express Tribune Tuesday, December 27, 2016 By TALAT MASOOD As the year comes to a close and a new year is about to dawn it is only logical that we take a hard look at where the nation stands and […]