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                        <title>The Express Tribune</title>
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                        <description>The Express Tribune keeps you up to date with all the latest happenings from Pakistan and across the world!</description>
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			<title>Return of the rising curve</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2602328/return-of-the-rising-curve</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2602328/return-of-the-rising-curve#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Sat, 11 Apr 26 21:08:38 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[Manzar Zaidi]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Pakistan]]></category><category><![CDATA[T-Magazine]]></category>
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			<description>
				<![CDATA[Pakistan tops the Global Terrorism Index 2026, but the ranking tells a deeper story than numbers alone]]>
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				<![CDATA[The Global Terrorism Index (GTI), published annually by the Institute for Economics &amp; Peace, has over time established itself as one of the most widely referenced composite measures of terrorism worldwide. It does not simply count incidents; it synthesises multiple indicators&mdash;number of attacks, fatalities, injuries, and hostage-taking&mdash;into a single score that reflects both the scale and the impact of terrorism within a country. By aggregating longitudinal data and applying a weighted methodology, the GTI offers a structured way of understanding not just where terrorism occurs, but how it evolves, concentrates, and transforms across different contexts.

The Index is not designed to capture intent, ideology, or political narratives. It is an impact-based instrument. Its rankings, therefore, should be read less as judgments and more as analytical markers indicating where the cumulative effects of terrorism are most pronounced at a given point in time. It is within this framework that Pakistan&rsquo;s position at number one in the Global Terrorism Index 2026 must be understood.

For the first time since the Index&rsquo;s inception, Pakistan records the highest global score&mdash;8.574&mdash;placing it as the most terrorism-impacted country in the world. This position follows a gradual upward movement in recent years, with Pakistan ranked second in 2024 and showing a consistent presence among the top 10 countries since the Index began. The current ranking is therefore not an isolated outcome; it reflects a trajectory that has been building over time.

The underlying data provides important context. In 2025, Pakistan recorded 1,139 deaths linked to terrorism, representing an increase of approximately six percent from the previous year. The total number of incidents stood at 1,045, slightly lower than the 1,098 recorded in 2024. At the same time, hostage-taking rose sharply to 655 cases, compared to just 101 in the previous year. This divergence between incident frequency and outcome severity is one of the most analytically significant features of the current dataset.

A purely quantitative reading might suggest relative stability in the number of attacks. However, a closer examination reveals that attacks are becoming more lethal and more strategically structured. The increase in fatalities, coupled with the dramatic rise in hostage-taking, indicates a shift toward operations that are designed to maximise impact rather than volume. This reflects a broader pattern in contemporary terrorism, where the effectiveness of an attack is increasingly measured by its strategic consequences rather than its numerical frequency.

Pakistan&rsquo;s trajectory within the GTI reinforces this interpretation. Historically, the country experienced a period of intense violence between 2007 and 2013, during which it consistently ranked among the most affected globally. This was followed by a notable decline between 2014 and 2019, driven by sustained counterterrorism operations and institutional coordination. However, the period since 2020 shows a reversal of that trend. By 2025, Pakistan was experiencing six times as many terrorist incidents as it did in 2020, and deaths had reached their highest level since 2013.



Over a longer time horizon, the cumulative impact is equally instructive. Since 2007, Pakistan has recorded 17,668 deaths from terrorism, with the most recent years showing a consistent upward trend following the earlier decline. This pattern suggests that while reductions in violence have been achieved in the past, maintaining those reductions within a changing operational and regional environment remains a complex challenge.

The geographic distribution of terrorism within Pakistan adds another layer of analytical clarity. Violence is highly concentrated in the western border provinces of Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, which together account for over 74 percent of attacks and approximately 67 percent of deaths. These figures point to a structurally defined pattern rather than a diffuse national spread. The concentration aligns closely with the Pakistan&ndash; Afghanistan border, a region characterised by difficult terrain, porous crossings, and Afghanistan now known to be a sanctuary for terrorist groups operating against Pakistan.

The GTI&rsquo;s broader analysis of borderlands further reinforces this point. Globally, 41 percent of terrorist attacks occur within 50 km of an international border, and 64 percent within 100 km. The Pakistan&ndash;Afghanistan frontier exemplifies this dynamic, functioning as a space where terrorist groups are able to exploit both geography and political complexity to maintain operational mobility.

Within this environment, Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) emerges as the dominant actor. The group is responsible for 56 percent of all terrorism-related deaths in Pakistan in 2025, making it the single most significant contributor to the country&rsquo;s GTI score. The TTP carried out 595 attacks in 2025, resulting in 637 deaths&mdash;the highest level of activity attributed to the group in over a decade.

Equally important is the nature of these operations. Armed attacks account for approximately 50 percent of TTP activity, followed by bombings at 32 percent, with smaller but notable proportions involving assassinations and hostage-taking. The group has also introduced new tactics, including the use of drone technology for targeted attacks, indicating an evolution in tactics, though not necessarily in capability. At the same time, its targeting patterns have shifted. Security forces&mdash;both military and police&mdash;now represent the primary targets, accounting for a substantial proportion of fatalities. This reflects a strategic focus on institutional disruption rather than indiscriminate violence.

Parallel to the TTP&rsquo;s dominance is the role of the Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA), which, while less active in terms of frequency, has demonstrated the capacity for high-impact operations. The Jaffar Express incident, involving the seizure of a passenger train and the taking of 442 hostages, stands as one of the most significant terrorist events in Pakistan in recent years. The BLA&rsquo;s focus on infrastructure, particularly projects linked to international investment, introduces an additional dimension to the threat environment, connecting internal security dynamics with broader economic and geopolitical considerations.

The regional context, particularly developments in Afghanistan, is central to understanding these patterns. The return of the Taliban to power in 2021 has been identified as a key structural driver of increased militant activity in Pakistan. The shift in governance has altered the operational landscape, providing militant groups with expanded space and facilitating cross-border movement. Efforts at diplomatic engagement have not yet produced a stable framework for cooperation, and tensions between the two countries continue to shape the security environment.

At the same time, developments along Pakistan&rsquo;s eastern border have added further complexity. The escalation of tensions with India in 2025 has created a multi-layered security context in which resources and strategic focus must be distributed across multiple fronts. This convergence of internal and external pressures underscores the interconnected nature of Pakistan&rsquo;s current security challenges.

Pakistan&rsquo;s response to these dynamics has included sustained military operations, border management initiatives, and national-level counterterrorism strategies such as Operation Azm-e-Istehkam. These measures reflect a continued commitment to addressing immediate threats. The GTI assessment notes that they have had an impact, but more needs to be done. This observation points not to a lack of effort, but to the broader scope of factors that influence terrorism outcomes.

The index identifies several structural drivers globally which shape the environment in which terrorist groups operate, influencing both their capacity and their resilience. These include governance limitations in peripheral regions, economic variability, political continuity, and the condition of regional relationships. However, it is equally important to recognise the methodological boundaries of the Global Terrorism Index itself. As an impact-based tool, the GTI does not make value judgments or attribute causation in explicit political terms. It measures outcomes rather than assigning responsibility. Within this framework, one of the most prominent contextual factors&mdash;namely the availability of cross-border terrorist sanctuary in Afghanistan&mdash;does not appear as a quantified variable in the Index, yet its influence is difficult to overlook when examining the data in totality.

Since 2021, following the change in governance in Afghanistan, there has been a marked expansion in the operational space available to groups such as the TTP. The GTI itself notes that the Taliban&rsquo;s return to power provided terrorist groups with safe haven, resources, and enhanced operational reach, contributing to the observed increase in cross-border activity and the resurgence of attacks within Pakistan. While the index does not explicitly characterise Afghanistan as a terrorist sanctuary&mdash;consistent with its analytical design&mdash;the correlation between these developments and the subsequent escalation in terrorist activity is clearly evidenced in the data trends, including the sixfold rise in incidents since 2020 and the sustained increase in fatalities.

This dynamic has also contributed to a visible escalation in tensions between Pakistan and Afghanistan, particularly on the question of cross-border terrorism. Pakistan has repeatedly raised concerns regarding the presence of TTP elements operating from Afghan territory, while the Afghan authorities have publicly rejected these assertions. The GTI documents this pattern of accusation and denial, alongside the failure of multiple rounds of engagement aimed at resolving the issue. The result has been a progressively strained bilateral relationship, with cross-border incidents, security responses, and diplomatic friction reinforcing each other. In analytical terms, this represents not only a security challenge but a regional coordination deficit where the absence of a shared framework for managing terrorist movement continues to shape the operating environment in which these groups sustain and expand their activities.

In interpreting Pakistan&rsquo;s position on the Global Terrorism Index, it is, therefore, important to maintain analytical precision. The ranking reflects a specific configuration of variables at a particular point in time. It does not define permanence, nor does it negate the progress achieved in earlier periods. Rather, it highlights the evolving nature of the challenge and the need for responses that are aligned with that evolution.

Pakistan&rsquo;s experience over the past decade demonstrates that reductions in terrorism are achievable through coordinated and sustained effort. The current phase suggests that maintaining those reductions requires an equally sustained alignment of strategies&mdash;operational, institutional, economic, and diplomatic. The GTI, in this sense, serves not only as a measure of impact, but as a framework for understanding the conditions under which that impact can be reduced.

Ultimately, the significance of the Global Terrorism Index lies in its ability to translate complex patterns into a form that can inform policy and analysis. Pakistan&rsquo;s position within that Index is a reflection of both challenge and capacity. It is an indication of where pressures have converged, but also of where responses can be refined. The trajectory it captures is not fixed. It remains, as it has always been, subject to the decisions and dynamics that shape the broader security environment.

&nbsp;

The writer is a security analyst. His LinkedIn handle is Manzar Zaidi, Ph.D

All facts and information is the sole responsibility of the writer]]>
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			<title>UN report a damning indictment for Taliban</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2530282/un-report-a-damning-indictment-for-taliban</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2530282/un-report-a-damning-indictment-for-taliban#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Sat, 22 Feb 25 20:31:14 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[Kamran Yousaf]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Pakistan]]></category><category><![CDATA[T-Magazine]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=2530282</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[Confirms over two dozen terrorist groups, including TTP &amp; Al-Qaida, are operating from Afghanistan]]>
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				<![CDATA[In one of the recent interactions between Pakistani and Taliban officials, the presence of banned Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) on Afghan soil was on top of the agenda. When the Pakistani side confronted the Taliban officials with evidence of how the terrorist outfit was using the neighbouring country&rsquo;s soil to launch attacks on Pakistan, they conceded that yes the TTP was a problem. However, the Taliban officials were of the opinion that the strategy being pursued by Pakistan was not going to resolve the issue.

The key factor, nevertheless, was admission by the Taliban controlled Afghanistan about the presence of TTP on their soil, even if it was in private. But despite this confession, the interim Taliban government continues to deny Pakistani allegations in public.

Instead, in recent times they have come up with their own narrative in an effort to counter Pakistan&rsquo;s charges. The interim Taliban government alleged that Pakistan was backing ISIL-K (the &lsquo;Khorasan&rsquo; chapter of the Islamic State) or Daesh as a proxy against Kabul. The Afghan ministry of defence put out a statement claiming that the transnational terrorist outfit had their training camps in Balochistan.

While publically, the Taliban government may remain in a state of denial on the presence of TTP in Afghanistan, a latest report prepared by independent experts for the United Nations Security Council answered two critical questions: (1) whether TTP was indeed operating from the Afghan soil and (2) was Pakistan using Daesh as proxy against the Taliban and had their training camps in Afghanistan?

The 35th report of the Analytical Support and Sanctions Monitoring Team pursuant to the several UNSC resolutions was submitted to the world body&rsquo;s apex decision-making forum on February 6. The report covers the period from July 1, 2024 to December 31, 2024. The monitoring team submits such reports to the UNSC twice a year. The report sheds light on the threat of terrorist groups in different parts of the world. The 35th report had a full chapter on the current situation in Pakistan and Afghanistan. While the monitoring report previously did debunk Taliban&rsquo;s claims about TTP and other terrorist outfits, the latest report was far more compelling.

The report noted that with over two dozen terrorist groups operating in Afghanistan, Member States assess the security threat emanating from the country as a continuing driver of instability in the region and beyond. Despite the loss of territory and attrition among senior and mid-tier leadership figures, the presence of terrorist organisations in Afghanistan posed a serious challenge to the stability of the country, as well as to the security of Central Asian and other neighbouring States, reads the report. One of the key conditions of the Doha deal Taliban had signed with the US was that the insurgent group would sever its ties with al-Qaida. But the monitoring team report suggests otherwise. &ldquo;The status and strength of Al-Qaida in Afghanistan remained unchanged. The group sought to strengthen cooperation with regional terrorist organisations of non-Afghan origin that operate in the country (TTP, Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan (IMU), ETIM/TIP and Jamaat Ansarullah to expand its presence in neighbouring countries,&rdquo; the report notes.

Member States judged Sayf al-Adl&rsquo;s strategy to reorganise Al-Qaida&rsquo;s presence in Afghanistan and reactivate sleeper cells in Iraq, Libya, the Syrian Arab Republic and Europe to be indicative of the group&rsquo;s longer-term intent to carry out external operations. Abu Hassan al-Waili deployed Hyas Masi Ullah to Kunar Province to manage Al-Qaida finances from the Islamic Republic of Iran into Afghanistan.

In what is seen as a damning indictment against the Taliban, the report says the Taliban maintained a permissive environment allowing Al-Qaida to consolidate, with the presence of safe houses and training camps scattered across Afghanistan. The de facto authorities continued to be sensitive to the profile of Al-Qaida personnel in the country. Low-profile members resided with their families under the protection of the Taliban intelligence service (General Directorate of Intelligence) in Kabul neighbourhoods, while senior leaders were placed in rural areas outside Kabul (such as the distant village of Bulghuli in Sar-e Pul Province), Kunar, Ghazni, Logar and Wardak Provinces.

The status and strength of TTP in Afghanistan had not changed, according to the report. The ambition and scale of its attacks on Pakistan, though, had significantly increased, with over 600 attacks during the reporting period, including from Afghan territory. &ldquo;The Taliban continued to provide TTP with logistical and operational space and S/2025/71/Rev.1 18/27 25-02529 financial support, with one Member State noting that the family of Noor Wali Masoud received a monthly payment of 3 million Afghanis (roughly $43,000),&rdquo; the UN report reveals.

&ldquo;The TTP established new training centres in Kunar, Nangarhar, Khost and Paktika (Barmal) Provinces while enhancing recruitment within TTP cadres, including from the Afghan Taliban,&rdquo; it adds.

There was increased collaboration between TTP, the Afghan Taliban and Al- Qaida in the Indian Subcontinent, conducting attacks under the banner of Tehrik-e Jihad Pakistan. Greater facilitation among these groups and TTP in terms of the provision of suicide bombers and fighters and ideological guidance might transform the latter into an extra-regional threat and an umbrella organisation for other terrorist groups operating in the region.

The Balochistan Liberation Army claimed that the Majeed Brigade carried out several high-casualty attacks in the reporting period. MB included women in its ranks and operated across the southern region of Pakistan, including Awaran, Panjgur and Dalbandin. Two Member States reported that MB maintained connections with TTP, ISIL-K and ETIM/TIP, including collaborating with the latter in its operational bases in Afghanistan.

Notwithstanding the measures taken by the Taliban to counter ISIL-K, the group represented the most serious threat to the de facto authorities, ethnic and religious minorities, the United Nations, foreign nationals and international representatives in Afghanistan. The sustained presence of ISIL-K and its activity in the country reflected the group&rsquo;s ideological commitment to its own brand, portraying itself as advancing the wider Khorasan, its ability to leverage relationships with particular communities and the Taliban&rsquo;s ineffective efforts to eliminate it. The killing of the acting Minister of Refugees and Repatriation, Khalil Ahmed Haqqani, in a suicide bombing on 11 December, claimed by ISIL-K, marked the highest-profile casualty within the de facto Cabinet since the Taliban takeover. It evidenced the deliberate attempt by ISIL-K to create a false sense of security by temporarily reducing the number of high-impact attacks inside Afghanistan to undermine the Taliban&rsquo;s credibility in providing security. ISIL-K benefited from the Taliban&rsquo;s inability to protect itself against infiltration and corruption among its own ranks, despite raids conducted to arrest disloyal officials. Following the attack on 17 May against foreign tourists in Bamyan, one Member State subsequently reported the involvement of a notorious ethnic Tajik commander, Mawlawi Nik Mohammad Aizaifa, head of the Taliban General Directorate of Intelligence in Bamyan Province.

The UN monitoring report rubbished claims of the Taliban government that Pakistan was supporting Daesh. &ldquo;ISIL-K suffered a significant setback in the summer, when Pakistani security forces foiled an attempt by its external operations branch to establish itself inside Pakistan, resulting in the arrest of high-profile operatives,&rdquo; according to the report. &ldquo;These included Adil Panjsheri, Abu Munzir and Kaka Younis, who were central figures in the recruitment, travel and funding of fighters and suicide bombers, including those involved in the attacks in Kerman, Islamic Republic of Iran, and Moscow,&rdquo; it adds.

Findings of the UN monitoring team, according to experts, have made it abundantly clear that Afghanistan once again is turning into the hub of terrorist groups of all hue and cry. Ignoring this mounting threat could lead to disastrous consequences for the region and beyond, warn experts.]]>
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			<title>New Taliban law forbids media from publishing images of living beings</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2502978/new-taliban-law-forbids-media-from-publishing-images-of-living-beings</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2502978/new-taliban-law-forbids-media-from-publishing-images-of-living-beings#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Tue, 15 Oct 24 11:44:28 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[AFP]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[World]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=2502978</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[Afghan media face new restrictions as the Taliban bans publishing images of living beings.]]>
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				<![CDATA[Afghanistan&rsquo;s Taliban morality ministry pledged on Monday to implement a law banning news media from publishing images of all living things, with journalists told that the rule will be gradually enforced.

It comes after the Taliban government recently announced legislation formalising their interpretations of Islamic law that have been imposed since they swept to power in 2021.

&ldquo;The law applies to all Afghanistan&hellip; and it will be implemented gradually,&rdquo; the spokesman for the Ministry for the Propagation of Virtue and the Prevention of Vice (PVPV) Saiful Islam Khyber told AFP, adding that officials would work to make people&nbsp;believe that images of living things are against Islamic law.

&ldquo;Coercion has no place in the implementation of the law,&rdquo; he claimed. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s only advice, and convincing people these things are really contrary to sharia and must be avoided.&rdquo;

The new law detailed several rules for news media, including banning the publication of images of all living things and ordering outlets not to mock or humiliate Islam, or contradict Islamic law.

Aspects of the new law have not yet been strictly enforced, including advice to the general public not to take or look at images of living things on phones and other devices.

Taliban officials continue to regularly post photos of people on social media and Afghan journalists have told AFP they received assurances from authorities after the law was announced that they would be able to continue their work.

The information ministry did not immediately respond to AFP&rsquo;s request for comment.

&ldquo;Until now, regarding the articles of the law related to media, there are ongoing efforts in many provinces to implement it but that has not started in all provinces,&rdquo; Khyber said.

He added that &ldquo;work has started&rdquo; in the southern Taliban stronghold of Kandahar and the neighbouring Helmand province, as well as northern Takhar.

Before the recent law was announced, Taliban officials in Kandahar were banned from taking photos and videos of living things but the rule did not include news media.

&ldquo;Now it applies to everyone,&rdquo; Khyber said. In central Ghazni province on Sunday, PVPV officials summoned local journalists and told them the morality police would start gradually implementing the law.

They advised visual journalists to take photos from further away and film fewer events &ldquo;to get in the habit&rdquo;, a journalist who did not want to give his name for fear of reprisal told AFP.

Reporters in Maidan Wardak province were also told the rules would be implemented gradually in a similar meeting.

Television and pictures of living things were banned across the country under the previous Taliban rule from 1996 to 2001, but a similar edict has so far not been broadly imposed since their return to power.

Since 2021, however, officials have sporadically forced business owners to follow some censorship rules, such as crossing out the faces of men and women on adverts, covering the heads of shop mannequins with plastic bags, and blurring the eyes of fish pictured on restaurant menus.

When the Taliban authorities seized control of the country after a two-decade-long insurgency against foreign-backed governments, Afghanistan had 8,400 media employees.

Only 5,100 remain in the profession, according to media industry sources.]]>
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			<title>Afghan embassy told to shut down in London amid diplomatic tensions</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2494680/afghan-embassy-told-to-shut-down-in-london-amid-diplomatic-tensions</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2494680/afghan-embassy-told-to-shut-down-in-london-amid-diplomatic-tensions#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Mon, 09 Sep 24 07:16:21 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[News Desk]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[World]]></category>
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			<description>
				<![CDATA[Afghan Ambassador Zalmai Rassoul says UK authorities required embassy closure on September 27.]]>
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				<![CDATA[The Afghan embassy in London will close on September 27, confirmed the country&#39;s&nbsp;Ambassador Zalmai Rassoul on Monday.

He stated the decision was made based on requirements from UK authorities, as announced on the social media platform X.



The closure occurs amid ongoing disputes over control of Afghan embassies in Western countries.

Previously, senior diplomatic sources revealed that the Taliban&#39;s Ministry of Foreign Affairs had sent letters to 13 countries, including those in Europe, Canada, and Australia, declaring that consular services provided by embassies managed by diplomats from the former Afghan government were invalid without Taliban involvement.



Experts argue that Afghanistan&#39;s lack of an internationally recognized government has created significant difficulties for its diplomatic missions and Afghan nationals abroad.

Legal expert Ghulam Farooq Aleem stated that while it would have been preferable for these embassies to continue their work, the absence of a legitimate government in Afghanistan has left no legal framework for their operations.

Consequently, countries such as the United States and the UK have decided to shut down Afghan diplomatic missions, leaving Afghan citizens to bear the consequences.

In Europe, a diplomatic source revealed that Germany has urged the Afghan embassy in Berlin to engage with the Taliban to resolve the issue.

Germany is the only nation so far to formally respond to the Taliban&rsquo;s letter.

A protest outside the German Foreign Ministry in Berlin saw Afghan citizens opposing any potential diplomatic engagement with the Taliban, emphasizing human rights.

Some countries have advised diplomats from the previous Afghan government to ignore the Taliban&#39;s letters, according to another diplomatic source.

Last month, the Taliban&#39;s Ministry of Foreign Affairs declared that only consular services from five Afghan embassies, including those in Germany, the Netherlands, Spain, Bulgaria, and the Czech Republic, would be recognised by the Taliban.

European countries are expected to hold a special meeting on September 28 to decide the fate of Afghan embassies across the continent.

Afghan citizens remain hopeful that any engagement with the Taliban will prioritize human rights concerns.]]>
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			<title>Taliban morality police rejects UN cooperation</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2492223/taliban-morality-police-rejects-un-cooperation</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2492223/taliban-morality-police-rejects-un-cooperation#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Fri, 30 Aug 24 08:51:28 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[AFP]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[World]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=2492223</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[It comes after UNAMA warns new morality law restricting women's lives will damage engagement prospects]]>
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				<![CDATA[The Taliban government&#39;s morality police said it would not cooperate with the United Nation&#39;s mission in Afghanistan, calling it &quot;an opposing side&quot;.

It comes after the UN mission, known as UNAMA, warned that a new morality law cementing policies that restrict women&#39;s lives would damage prospects for engagement with the international community.

&quot;Due to its continued propaganda, effective from now, the PVPV (the Ministry for the Propagation of Virtue and the Prevention of Vice) will not provide any support or cooperation with UNAMA, which will be considered as an opposing side,&quot; the ministry said in a statement on social media late Thursday.

&quot;We want international organisations, the countries, and those individuals who criticised the mentioned law to respect the religious values of the Muslims and refrain from such criticisms and statements that insult Islamic values and sanctities.&quot;

The 35-article morality law -- which says women must cover up completely and not raise their voices -- was published in the official gazette on July 31.

It establishes prohibitions already generally known, but its enactment could allow for increased control of the population.]]>
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			<title>UN official warns Taliban's vice and virtue laws signal 'alarming future' for Afghanistan</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2491127/un-official-warns-talibans-vice-and-virtue-laws-signal-alarming-uture-for-afghanistan</link>
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			<pubDate>Mon, 26 Aug 24 10:20:46 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[News Desk]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[World]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=2491127</guid>
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				<![CDATA[Taliban's harsh new laws have sparked international concern over further erosion of women’s rights in the country.]]>
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				<![CDATA[A senior United Nations official has warned that the Taliban&#39;s newly introduced vice and virtue laws represent a &quot;distressing vision&quot; for Afghanistan&#39;s future.

The laws, which include a ban on women&rsquo;s voices and bare faces in public, have sparked international concern over further erosion of women&rsquo;s rights in the country.

Roza Otunbayeva, head of the UN mission in Afghanistan, expressed deep concern on Sunday, stating that these laws extend the already severe restrictions on the rights of women and girls.

&ldquo;Even the sound of a female voice outside the home now seems to be considered a moral violation,&rdquo; Roza said.

The Taliban&#39;s Vice and Virtue Ministry, empowered to enforce these laws, issued its first set of regulations last Wednesday.

The laws require women to conceal their faces, bodies, and voices while in public.

The ministry is authorised to regulate personal conduct and administer punishments, including warnings or arrests, for alleged violations.

&ldquo;After decades of war and amidst a devastating humanitarian crisis, the Afghan people deserve much better than to be threatened or jailed over minor infractions,&rdquo; Roza added, criticizing the potential impact of the laws on Afghan society.

The UN mission is currently studying the newly ratified laws and assessing their implications for the Afghan population, as well as their potential effect on the UN and other humanitarian operations in the region.

In a televised statement, Mohammad Khaled Hanafi, the Taliban&rsquo;s Vice and Virtue Minister, claimed that the laws were in line with Islamic principles and assured that women&rsquo;s rights would be protected.

However, the international community remains skeptical, as these measures are expected to further isolate Afghanistan and deepen the crisis faced by its people.]]>
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			<title>'Three civilians killed in Pakistan border clash':Taliban</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2487717/three-civilians-killed-in-pakistan-border-clashtaliban</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2487717/three-civilians-killed-in-pakistan-border-clashtaliban#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Tue, 13 Aug 24 07:21:38 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[AFP]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[World]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=2487717</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[Latest exchange of fire took place near Torkham border crossing in Afghanistan's Nangarhar province]]>
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				<![CDATA[Taliban authorities accused Pakistani forces on Tuesday of killing three civilians -- a woman and two children -- in clashes along their northern border.

The latest exchange of fire took place on Monday near the Torkham border crossing in Afghanistan&#39;s Nangarhar province, with each side accusing the other of sparking the clash.

Pakistan and Afghanistan forces regularly exchange fire, often sparked by disagreements over construction near the Durand line, a 2,400-kilometre (1,500-mile) frontier drawn by the British in&nbsp;1896 and disputed by Kabul.

&quot;Pakistani forces targeted civilian houses and killed a woman and two children,&quot; said interior ministry spokesman Abdul Mateen Qani in a post on social media site X early Tuesday.

Enayatullah Khwarazmi, the spokesman for Afghanistan&#39;s defence ministry, told AFP, &quot;The clash was started by the Pakistanis&quot;.

&quot;When our forces were trying to build a post along the imaginary (Durand) line, the Pakistani soldiers fired at our forces and our forces retaliated, which led&nbsp;to&nbsp;a&nbsp;clash.&quot;

A border official on the Pakistan side at Torkham said three Pakistani soldiers were wounded in the exchange.

&quot;Despite repeated warnings and objections from the Pakistani side, Afghan officials did not halt the construction, leading to escalating tensions,&quot; the officer told AFP.

Pakistan officials have not responded to accusations that three Afghan civilians were killed.

Border tensions between the two countries have steadily escalated since the Taliban government seized power in 2021, with Islamabad claiming militant groups are carrying out regular attacks from Afghanistan.

The Taliban government deny harbouring Pakistani militants, but are also infuriated by a fence Islamabad is erecting along the Durand line.

The Pakistan official added that heavy weapons had been used by both sides, and that the Torkham border crossing was closed.]]>
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			<title>Taliban reduce salaries for female govt employees</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2478227/taliban-reduce-salaries-for-female-govt-employees</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2478227/taliban-reduce-salaries-for-female-govt-employees#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Tue, 09 Jul 24 15:16:10 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[News Desk]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[World]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=2478227</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[Women working in public hospitals and schools will continue to receive their full salaries, says finance ministry]]>
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				<![CDATA[The Taliban government in Afghanistan has announced a reduction in salaries for female government employees, a move that has sparked widespread concern.

Since the Taliban took power in Afghanistan in 2021, women have been largely barred from government jobs, and now their salaries have been significantly reduced.

According to a statement from the Taliban&#39;s Ministry of Finance, the salaries of female government employees have been reduced to 5,000 Afghanis per month, effective from July.

However, women working in public hospitals and schools will continue to receive their full salaries.

Previously, university lecturers and professors in the public sector earned around 35,000 Afghanis, while women in administrative positions across various ministries received about 20,000 Afghanis.

These salaries had already been reduced to 15,000 Afghanis since the Taliban&#39;s takeover.

The ministry indicated that the salary cuts are primarily in the form of reduced allowances and suggested that salaries could be restored if women are allowed to return to work.

This decision affects thousands of women who are already struggling with high inflation and the loss of male family members in prolonged conflicts.

Many families now face increased financial difficulties as a result of these changes.

The international community has raised concerns over the Taliban&#39;s treatment of women, urging the regime to ensure equal rights and opportunities for all citizens.]]>
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			<title>UN urges Taliban to include women in public life at Doha talks</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2475697/un-urges-taliban-to-include-women-in-public-life-at-doha-talks</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2475697/un-urges-taliban-to-include-women-in-public-life-at-doha-talks#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Mon, 01 Jul 24 17:31:18 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[AFP]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[World]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=2475697</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[Rights organisations have strongly criticised controversial UN move to exclude civil society groups from summit]]>
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				<![CDATA[Taliban authorities were told women must be included in public life, UN Under-Secretary-General Rosemary DiCarlo said on Monday as she defended a decision to sideline civil society groups at official talks in Doha.

Rights organisations have strongly criticised the controversial UN move to exclude the groups, including women&#39;s rights activists, from the two-day summit on Afghanistan as the price for the Taliban government&#39;s participation.

&quot;Authorities will not sit across the table with Afghan civil society in this format, but they have heard very clearly the need to include women and civil society in all aspects of public life&quot;, DiCarlo told a Doha news conference.

The UN-hosted meeting began on Sunday and is the third such summit to be held in Qatar in a little over a year, but the first to include the Taliban authorities who seized power in Afghanistan for a second time in 2021.

The talks were due to discuss increasing engagement with Afghanistan and a more coordinated response to the country, including economic issues and counter-narcotics efforts.

In the aftermath of the Taliban&#39;s return to power, the international community has wrestled with its approach to Afghanistan&#39;s new rulers.

The Taliban government in Kabul has not been officially recognised by any other government since it took power in 2021.

The group has imposed a strict interpretation of Islam, with women subjected to laws characterised by the UN as &quot;gender apartheid&quot;.

Read also:&nbsp;Taliban govt declares Afghan women&rsquo;s rights internal matter ahead of UN talks

They refused an invitation to Doha talks in February, insisting on being the only Afghan representatives, to the exclusion of civil society groups. But their condition was accepted in the build-up to this latest round.

DiCarlo, who chaired the UN talks in the Qatari capital, said she &quot;hopes&quot; that &quot;there&#39;ll be new consideration&quot; of Taliban government policy on women in public life including girls&#39; education.

The UN and international delegations will have the chance to meet with civil society representatives, including women&#39;s rights groups, tomorrow following the close of the main meetings.

But Amnesty International chief Agnes Callamard said in a statement ahead of the talks that &quot;caving into the Taliban&#39;s conditions to secure their participation in the talks would risk legitimising their gender-based institutionalised system of oppression&quot;.

The Taliban authorities have repeatedly said the rights of all citizens are guaranteed under Islamic law.

The head of the Taliban delegation, spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid told the more than 20 assembled special envoys and UN officials at the summit&#39;s opening session that diplomats should &quot;find ways of interaction and understanding rather than confrontation&quot;, despite &quot;natural&quot; differences in policy.

&quot;The Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan is keen on engaging constructively with Western nations as well,&quot; Mujahid said.

Read:&nbsp;Taliban praise US position on Afghanistan in unusual show of approval

&quot;Like any sovereign state, we uphold certain religious and cultural values and public aspirations that must be acknowledged,&quot; he added.

Taliban authorities said Monday they would press the international community over economic sanctions at the meetings to discuss increasing engagement with the impoverished country of more than 40 million.

Writing on social media site X, senior foreign ministry official Zakir Jalaly said the Taliban government delegation would use Monday&#39;s meetings to address &quot;financial and banking sanctions&quot; and the &quot;challenges&quot; these pose to Afghanistan&#39;s economy.

Mujahid, said in his opening statement that: &quot;Afghans are asking why they are being ganged up on, on the basis of unilateral and multilateral sanctions.&quot;

The Taliban government spokesman also questioned whether ongoing sanctions were &quot;fair practice&quot; after &quot;wars and insecurity for almost half a century as a result of foreign invasions and interference&quot;.

DiCarlo said the issue of sanctions was &quot;raised&quot; but not discussed in depth.

&quot;It&#39;s a member state issue whether they&#39;re going to continue certain sanctions or not. The sanctions are on people, not on the country at large&quot; the UN official said.]]>
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			<title>Taliban praise US position on Afghanistan in unusual show of approval</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2475692/taliban-praise-us-position-on-afghanistan-in-unusual-show-of-approval</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2475692/taliban-praise-us-position-on-afghanistan-in-unusual-show-of-approval#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Mon, 01 Jul 24 16:21:58 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[Anadolu Agency]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[World]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=2475692</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[Taliban spokesman hails Washington, regional countries for pledging to lift economic restrictions on Afghanistan]]>
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				<![CDATA[The Taliban&rsquo;s interim administration in Kabul on Monday lauded the US, a rare acknowledgment after fighting its forces for nearly two decades, as well as other regional countries for &quot;pledging&quot; to lift restrictions on Afghanistan&#39;s banking and economic sectors.

&quot;Today&#39;s meeting is progressing very well, with most countries expressing support for Afghanistan&#39;s private sector. It was pledged that restrictions on banking and economic avenues should be lifted,&quot; Afghan interim administration&rsquo;s chief spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid said in a statement as the two-day UN-hosted meeting on Afghanistan continued in the Qatari capital of Doha.

&quot;The stances of Russia, China, Iran, Pakistan, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, Turkmenistan, the United States, and the Organization of Islamic Cooperation were commendable,&quot; Mujahid added.

Read also:&nbsp;Taliban hold diplomatic talks in Doha

This is the third such UN meeting that the Taliban have attended for the first time, as the international community has not recognized the interim administration in Afghanistan since their return to power in Aug. 2021.

Besides UN officials, over 20 envoys of various governments, including the US, Russia, and Pakistan, are attending the meeting.]]>
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			<title>Islamabad to re-engage with Kabul</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2473437/islamabad-to-re-engage-with-kabul</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2473437/islamabad-to-re-engage-with-kabul#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Sun, 23 Jun 24 22:48:05 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[Kamran Yousaf]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Pakistan]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=2473437</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[Will mount fresh diplomatic efforts to persuade the Taliban to dismantle terrorist sanctuaries]]>
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				<![CDATA[Pakistan will mount fresh diplomatic efforts to persuade the interim Afghan Taliban government to dismantle terrorist sanctuaries as part of the new plan approved by the country&rsquo;s civil and military leadership, people familiar with development revealed on Sunday.

The Central Apex Committee of the National Action Plan (NAP) on Saturday gave a go ahead to launch a new military campaign codenamed operation Azm-e-Istehkam to eradicate terrorism and extremism.

Sources said the new campaign will be two-pronged&mdash;it will deal with the internal security situation as well as the external threat emanating from Afghanistan.

While kinetic operation and intelligence based campaign against terrorist outfits will be intensified under the renewed anti-terror drive, a fresh diplomatic effort will be launched to neutralise the threat coming from the neighboring country.

Since the return of the Taliban in Kabul in August 2021, the number of terrorist attacks in Pakistan has only gone up, much to the dismay of Islamabad.

The first five months of this year saw an 83% increase in terrorist attacks, forcing authorities to launch a fresh campaign against militant groups.

The sources said under the new plan, Pakistan will once again approach the Kabul regime, giving it a chance to make good on its promises in eradicating terrorist sanctuaries.

They added that Pakistan will also seek China&rsquo;s help in persuading the Afghan Taliban to review their strategy regarding the banned Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP).

China is apparently enjoying more leverage over the Taliban than Pakistan, which has historic ties with the group. However, since returning to power, relations between Pakistan and the Taliban government have only got from bad to worse.

The sources said China has stakes in the security of Pakistan as increased terrorist attacks have impeded its investment. A key Chinese minister on a recent visit to Pakistan publicly warned that attacks on Chinese nationals in Pakistan shook the confidence of Chinese investors.

The minister linked the future investment of China with improvement in the security and business environment in Pakistan.

A day after his frank statement, the country&rsquo;s civil and military leadership approved the launch of a new military campaign against terrorist groups.

The increased Chinese concerns over the security situation were the main factors which compelled Pakistan to initiate the fresh anti-terror drive.

Meanwhile, Pakistan believes that the main source of surge in terrorist attacks stems from the TTP hideouts across the border.

On Friday, Pakistan told the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) that the elimination of terrorism within and from Afghanistan remains the highest priority for the international community, Afghanistan&rsquo;s neighbors, and Afghanistan itself.

Despite progress made by the Afghan Interim Government (AIG) in combating Da&rsquo;ish (ISKP), several other terrorist groups, including Al-Qaeda, TTP, ETIM, and IMU, continue to operate in Afghanistan, according to Ambassador Munir Akram, Pakistan&rsquo;s permanent representative to the UN

Pakistan urged the AIG to take effective and sustained action against these groups in compliance with several UNSC resolutions.

During the Security Council meeting on Afghanistan, Ambassador Akram highlighted the dangers of allowing impunity for terrorist groups in Afghanistan.

He emphasized that goals such as investment, social and economic development, and infrastructure projects cannot be achieved as long as these groups operate freely within and from Afghanistan.

Ambassador Akram described the TTP as the most direct and serious threat to Pakistan. He detailed the TTP&rsquo;s terrorist activities, which have resulted in hundreds of civilian and military casualties.

He said the TTP has intensified its attacks, after acquiring sophisticated weapons. Despite Pakistan&rsquo;s repeated calls for the AIG to take decisive action against the TTP, including halting cross-border attacks, disarming fighters, and handing over terrorists, no significant action has been taken, he said.

He said the TTP safe havens near Pakistan&rsquo;s borders persist, and recent cross-border attacks have included one that killed several Chinese engineers working on the Dasu hydropower project.

Ambassador Akram urged the UNSC to call on the AIG to sever its links with the TTP and its associates, prevent cross-border attacks against Pakistan, disarm TTP terrorists, and capture and hand over TTP leaders to Pakistan.

He said Pakistan continues to advocate for sustained engagement with the Afghan Interim authorities to help normalize the situation in Afghanistan.

He said the AIG&rsquo;s decision to participate in the Doha meeting at the end of this month represents a critical opportunity for constructive dialogue on all key issues related to Afghanistan.

Ambassador Akram stressed the importance of having clear objectives for both the international community and the AIG.

He said as highlighted by the UN Special Coordinator on Afghanistan, addressing the major issues for normalization requires a realistic roadmap, outlining reciprocal steps by the AIG and the international community towards Afghanistan&rsquo;s normalization and integration into the global community.

He reminded the international community of its obligation to assist the 23 million Afghans in urgent need of humanitarian aid.

Unfortunately, the Afghanistan Humanitarian Needs and Response Plan has only received 16.2% of the necessary $3.06 billion for the targeted 17.3 million Afghans.

Full funding from all possible sources is essential to meet
these critical needs, he maintained, he said.

Ambassador Munir Akram also termed the revival of the Afghan economy and finding pathways for sustained development as being equally important, a task which, he said, requires the restoration of the Afghan banking system, commercial activities, and private sector investment.

Additionally, creating conditions for the release of Afghanistan&rsquo;s frozen assets and their transfer to its Central Bank is crucial, he stated.]]>
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			<title>ANP sees Taliban taking control of Malakand</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2472691/anp-sees-taliban-taking-control-of-malakand</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2472691/anp-sees-taliban-taking-control-of-malakand#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Fri, 21 Jun 24 04:14:29 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[Our Correspondent]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Khyber Pakhtunkhwa]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=2472691</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[Aimal says terrorists openly patrol southern districts of K-P]]>
			</description>
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				<![CDATA[Central President of the Awami National Party (ANP) Senator Aimal Wali Khan has said that once again, the Taliban are poised to take control of the entire Malakand region.

A large force has been prepared in Afghanistan&rsquo;s Nuristan province for the capture of Malakand, he said, adding that currently, the southern part of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P) has been completely under the TTP, and soon they are going to extend their control to northern parts.

The new government in K-P will then be a coalition of the TTP and the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI).

While speaking to the media in Wali Bagh Charsadda, Wali noted that the ANP has been advocating for the Pashtun rights since day one. Those in government should take practical steps instead of just raising their voices.

If Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur sincerely raises the voice for Pashtun rights, the ANP will support him. However, the role of the chief minister is like an actor. Giving permission for 12-hour load shedding to PESCO will not solve anything. I will raise all issues concerning Pashtuns in the Senate, including electricity load shedding.

He maintained that it is regrettable that it is not the federation but the security forces that have suppressed our resources. In the Senate, issues of Balochistan, Sindh, and southern Punjab will also be highlighted.&nbsp;

Attacks are taking place on universities in K-P. Eight universities in the province are operating without vice chancellors. According to IMF&rsquo;s diktat, no new education institution can be opened in Pakistan.

He said that the future of K-P is very bleak. No power can stop the fire of terrorism on the borders. ANP has made many sacrifices for the eradication of terrorism.&nbsp;

He went on to say that TTP men are patrolling regularly in the southern districts without inviting attention.

The TTP has been brought back under a plan. Forty thousand terrorists have been brought back from Afghanistan to Pakistan. Imran Khan, former Chief Minister Mehmood Khan and Barrister Saif are involved in bringing terrorists back to Pakistan.

These people are facilitators of terrorists.&nbsp;

The ANP president said that under the National Action Plan, the punishment for the facilitators is hanging.

To make America happy and to steal more wealth, the nation is being pushed into the fire of terrorism. Pakistan&rsquo;s budget comes prepared from America.

Parliamentarians come to the parliament riding on the shoulders of the army, whose thoughts are not free.

The thinking of such people could not be free. He said that the Constitution and the law have no status for the powerful. ANP is struggling to establish supremacy of the constitution and ensure that institutions work within their jurisdiction.


In future, JUI and ANP will be on the same page.]]>
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			<title>No talks with state attackers, says Dar</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2469196/taliban-govt-to-be-briefed-on-besham-attack-culprits-dar</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2469196/taliban-govt-to-be-briefed-on-besham-attack-culprits-dar#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Fri, 31 May 24 13:43:49 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[Khalid Mehmood]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Pakistan]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=2469196</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[Says attacks on state institutions are 'acts of rebellion']]>
			</description>
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				<![CDATA[Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar on Friday ruled out the possibility of negotiations with people involved in the May 9 violence, asserting that the government was firmly against talking to those who carried out attacks against the state.

Addressing the media at the Parliament House, Dar stressed his belief in political negotiation and reconciliation but drew a strict line against actions targeting the state.

&quot;In politics, there should always be reconciliation and negotiations, but there will be no talks with whoever stands against the state, even if we have a blood relationship with them,&quot; he asserted referring to the PTI.

Recalling the 126-day sit-in by the PTI in front of Parliament House, Dar noted that it was resolved through dialogue, reaffirming his support for peaceful negotiations.

However, he highlighted the severity of the May 9 events, which included attacks on important state institutions such as the GHQ and Jinnah House, adding that they were unforgivable acts of rebellion.

&quot;No concessions can be made to the elements involved in the May 9 tragedy. Anyone standing against the state will not be negotiated with, regardless of any personal relations,&quot; Dar stressed. &nbsp;He further emphasised that the stance adopted during the formation commanders&#39; meeting mirrors the sentiment of every Pakistani.

When asked about Justice Athar Minallah&#39;s response to the prime minister&#39;s statement about &ldquo;black sheep&rdquo; in the judiciary, Dar sidestepped the issue, suggesting that inquiries should be directed to the PM himself.

Read&nbsp;Afghanistan agrees to review Pakistan&#39;s findings on Besham attack probe

He emphasised respect for the judiciary and stressed the need for all stakeholders to be on the same page to prevent further setbacks for Pakistan.

Dar also spoke on the country&#39;s international standing, dismissing claims of global isolation and highlighting positive economic trends.

&ldquo;Pakistan has come out of global isolation, and economic stability is moving in a positive direction. Inflation is decreasing, and the economy is improving,&rdquo; he declared, hinting at more favourable developments expected from the prime minister&#39;s upcoming visit to China.

Answering a question about the budget, he noted the unusual timing of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa&#39;s budget approval before the federal budget. He suggested that the provincial government might need to revise its budget following the federal budget announcement.

Dar, Blome discuss mutual priorities

Meanwhile, United States Ambassador to Pakistan Donald Blome met with Ishaq Dar to discuss the mutual priorities of the US and Pakistan. Both leaders discussed counterterrorism cooperation, Pakistan&rsquo;s structural economic reforms and efforts to address security, and regional and economic challenges.

The ambassador reaffirmed the US support for Pakistan&rsquo;s ongoing economic reforms and for expanding business-to-business links and fostering a conducive environment for investors.

&ldquo;Blome also highlighted potential areas for investment and trade opportunities, along with collaboration within the energy, technology, and infrastructure sectors,&rdquo; an embassy statement read.]]>
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			<title>Russia to remove Taliban from 'terror' list: state media</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2468596/russia-to-remove-taliban-from-terror-list-state-media</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2468596/russia-to-remove-taliban-from-terror-list-state-media#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Mon, 27 May 24 15:46:53 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[AFP]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[World]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=2468596</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[The move could further boost diplomacy between Russia and Afghanistan]]>
			</description>
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				<![CDATA[Russia will remove the Taliban from a list of banned terrorist organisations, three years after they returned to power in Afghanistan, the state-run RIA Novosti news agency said Monday.

Moscow has for years fostered relations with the Taliban, holding multiple rounds of talks and boosting trade with Afghanistan despite international sanctions.

&quot;Kazakhstan has recently taken the decision, which we are also going to take, to remove them from the list of terrorist organisations,&quot; RIA Novosti quoted Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov as saying.

Read: Russia invites Afghanistan&#39;s Taliban to major economic forum

Kazakhstan removed the Taliban from its list of banned organisations at the end of 2023.

The move could further boost diplomacy between Russia and Afghanistan, but would fall short of an official recognition of the Taliban government and what it calls the &quot;Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan.&quot;

The Taliban seized power in 2021 from a US-backed government. They have enforced an extreme form of Islamic law that effectively bans women from public life.

Lavrov said Russia&#39;s decision was about recognising the realities on the ground.

https://tribune.com.pk/story/2462418/un-contact-group-on-afghanistan-stalled

&quot;They are the real power. We are not indifferent to Afghanistan. And above all our allies in Central Asia are not indifferent,&quot; Lavrov said.

Russia also invited Taliban representatives to its flagship Saint Petersburg International Economic Forum, state media reported.

The event was once seen as the cornerstone of Russia&#39;s economic relations with the West.

Read: UN contact group on Afghanistan stalled

Russia has for years fostered ties with the Taliban.

The head of US forces in Afghanistan claimed in 2018 that Moscow was providing weapons to the group -- accusations Moscow denied at the time.

The Taliban has been designated a terrorist organisation in Russia since 2003.

Moscow itself has a complicated history with Afghanistan with the Soviet Union having fought a decade-long war against guerilla mujahideen fighters in the 1980s to prop up a Kremlin-backed government.]]>
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			<title>Russia invites Afghanistan's Taliban to major economic forum</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2468578/russia-invites-afghanistans-taliban-to-major-economic-forum</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2468578/russia-invites-afghanistans-taliban-to-major-economic-forum#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Mon, 27 May 24 12:58:34 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[Reuters]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[World]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=2468578</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[Since Taliban seized power in 2021, Russia has slowly built ties with them, though the group is still outlawed there]]>
			</description>
			<content:encoded>
				<![CDATA[Russia has invited Afghanistan&#39;s Taliban to its biggest annual economic forum as Moscow moves to remove a ban on the Islamist movement, a senior Russian diplomat was quoted as saying on Monday.

Since the Taliban seized power in August 2021 as US-led forces withdrew after 20 years of war, Russia has been slowly building ties with the Taliban, though the movement is still officially outlawed in Russia.

Russia&#39;s foreign and justice ministries have reported to President Vladimir Putin on the issue of removing the ban, Zamir Kabulov, director of the Second Asia Department at the Russian Foreign Ministry, told state news agency TASS.

Some questions remain, Kabulov was quoted as saying, though he said that an invitation to attend the June 5-8 St Petersburg international economic forum had been extended to the Taliban.

Afghan leaders, he said, were traditionally interested in the purchase of oil products.

Read also:&nbsp;Moscow&rsquo;s Taliban tilt

The St Petersburg forum, which once hosted Western CEOs and investment bankers from London and New York, has changed significantly amid the Ukraine war which has triggered the biggest crisis in Russia&#39;s relations with the West since the 1962 Cuban Missile Crisis.

Western investors seeking a slice of Russia&#39;s vast resource wealth have now been replaced by businesses from China, India, Africa and the Middle East.

The Taliban, which means &quot;students&quot; in the Pashto language, emerged in 1994 around the southern Afghan city of Kandahar. It was one of the factions fighting a civil war for control of the country following the withdrawal of the Soviet Union and subsequent collapse of the government.

It originally drew members from so-called &quot;mujahideen&quot; fighters who, with support from the United States, repelled Soviet forces in the 1980s.

In 2003, Russia formally labelled the Taliban a terrorist organisation, though it had periodic informal contacts with the movement.]]>
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			<title>Study calls for US to step up counterterrorism efforts with Pakistan</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2466568/study-calls-for-us-to-step-up-counterterrorism-efforts-with-pakistan</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2466568/study-calls-for-us-to-step-up-counterterrorism-efforts-with-pakistan#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Tue, 14 May 24 13:16:19 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[AFP]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Pakistan]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=2466568</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[Urges US to secure long-term access to Pakistani airspace by working with Islamabad for its own interest]]>
			</description>
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				<![CDATA[The United States must move on from the &quot;trauma&quot; of two decades of war and step up counterterrorism efforts to face growing threats from Afghanistan and Pakistan, a study said on Tuesday.

The study group, led by former senior US policymakers, made clear it was not advocating a return to America&#39;s longest war which ended when President Joe Biden pulled troops from Afghanistan in 2021 and the Taliban regained control.

But it said that, after the overwhelming focus on counterterrorism following the September 11, 2001 attacks, the pendulum &quot;appears to have swung in the opposite direction&quot; as the United States focuses on competition with China, Russia&#39;s invasion of Ukraine and the Israel/Hamas war.

&quot;Both decision-makers and many who have laboured within the national security agencies show signs of something like collective trauma resulting from a 20-year-long counterterrorism effort,&quot; said the study group, convened in 2022 under the US Institute of Peace.

Read more:&nbsp;Pakistan prioritises US ties for peace, prosperity

&quot;The tragic end of US involvement in Afghanistan has also made it a toxic issue, reinforcing inclinations to keep the region off the policy agenda and the public&#39;s radar,&quot; it said.

But it said that extremist movements are &quot;gaining strength in ways that threaten US and allied interests&quot; and have found a &quot;range of new opportunities for regrouping, plotting and collaborating&quot; in Afghanistan.

It pointed to the ISIS-Khorasan, Taliban rivals who have nonetheless found a haven in Afghanistan and were implicated in a major attack in March in Moscow, and the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), which has been waging an armed campaign against Islamabad.

The report called on the United States to be &quot;less restrictive&quot; on the use of force against threats in Afghanistan -- not a return to conventional war but pursuing military action against direct threats identified to the United States.

Also read:&nbsp;Pakistan to seek US waiver for Iran gas pipeline project

It also called for the United States to consider &quot;shows of force&quot; such as flying drones to pressure Taliban leaders to sever persistent ties with Al-Qaeda.

Noting a drop in US intelligence and capabilities since the withdrawal, the study called for the United States again to work with Pakistan, including on fighting militants and securing long-term US access to Pakistani airspace.

Pakistan became a top US aid recipient during the Afghanistan war but US officials long believed that Islamabad was playing a &quot;double-game&quot; and keeping the Taliban alive.

The Biden administration has shown little interest in engaging Pakistan, an inclination not helped by the tumultuous politics inside the world&#39;s fifth most populous country.

&quot;You&#39;ve got a lot of people currently serving at the highest levels of the US government who have a strong distaste for Pakistan based on experience during the 20 years in Afghanistan,&quot; said Laurel Miller, co-chair of the study group, who served as the US special representative for Afghanistan and Pakistan and now heads The Asia Foundation.

&quot;There&#39;s a strong feeling of Pakistan having been disingenuous, to say the least, with the United States,&quot; she told AFP.

&quot;But there are certain immutable realities, which include that Pakistan is next door to Afghanistan, which currently is a sanctuary for terrorist groups,&quot; she said.

&quot;So I think there&#39;s just no choice other than to have a kind of relationship with Pakistan that enables the US to protect its own interests in the region.&quot;

She said that US policy on Pakistan was also affected by the &quot;zero-sum view&quot; of India, a growing partner of Washington which has long criticised US ties with its neighbour and historic adversary.

The study called for the United States to make clear to Pakistan &quot;serious negative repercussions&quot; if militants based in the country again attack India.

The report&#39;s other co-chair was Michael Nagata, a retired army lieutenant general with experience in counterterrorism.

Other members of the group included Anne Patterson and Michael McKinley, former US ambassadors to Pakistan and Afghanistan respectively, and prominent scholars.]]>
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			<title>Pakistan delegation visit to Kandahar ‘cancelled’ by Taliban</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2466267/pakistan-delegation-visit-to-kandahar-cancelled-by-taliban</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2466267/pakistan-delegation-visit-to-kandahar-cancelled-by-taliban#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Sun, 12 May 24 18:28:11 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[kamran.yousaf]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Pakistan]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=2466267</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[Visit cancelled over reported cross-border strikes targeting terrorist hideouts in Afghanistan]]>
			</description>
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				<![CDATA[Afghan Taliban officials claimed that a planned trip by a Pakistani military delegation to Kandahar on Sunday was cancelled in apparent protest over reported cross-border strikes by Pakistan targeting terrorist hideouts in Afghanistan.

There was no word from the Pakistani side either on the reported airstrikes or the visit of its delegation to Kandahar.

The foreign office had no knowledge of both developments, while the military&#39;s media wing didn&#39;t respond until the filing of this report.

However, diplomatic sources said the Pakistani military delegation, comprising mid-level officials, was to travel to Kandahar on Sunday as part of efforts by both sides to resolve the issue of the banned Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP).

Read more:&nbsp;TTP and Daesh equated as equal threats

According to sources, the delegation was to meet Mullah Shirin Akhund, the Governor of Kandahar, and the deputy head of Afghanistan&#39;s intelligence agency. Shirin is also considered close to Taliban supreme leader Haibatullah Akhundzada. He was one of the key members of the Taliban team that helped broker talks between Pakistan and the TTP.

Mullah Shirin is a key interlocutor of the Afghan Taliban trying to defuse tensions with Pakistan over the TTP. He travelled to Islamabad earlier this year to address Pakistan&rsquo;s concerns.

The planned trip was believed to be a follow-up to those efforts to find a solution to the TTP problem.

The visit, however, was cancelled by the Afghan Taliban. There were reports, and some Afghan journalists claimed that Pakistan carried out fresh airstrikes in the Paktika province of Afghanistan on Friday, killing certain TTP terrorists.

Pakistan never confirmed those attacks, although it publicly acknowledged carrying out several cross-border attacks on March 18.

Also read:&nbsp;Probe points to &lsquo;Afghan link&rsquo; in suicide attack on Chinese engineers

An Afghan media outlet claimed it obtained information that the Taliban had cancelled a scheduled trip of a Pakistani army delegation to Kandahar in response to reported recent air and missile strikes by Pakistan in Paktika province.

Originally, the delegation was to travel from Rawalpindi to Kandahar on Sunday, the Afghan International report said.

The report quoted security sources from Pakistan, confirming to Afghanistan International, claiming that the cancellation by the Taliban was officially attributed to &quot;weather conditions,&quot; although it is widely believed that the real reason was the airstrikes on Paktika that occurred on Thursday. The specifics of the attack and any casualties remain undisclosed.

Previously, Afghanistan International had accessed a document indicating that Pakistan had detailed the aircraft, flight times, and arrival information to the Taliban&#39;s Ministry of Foreign Affairs through an official letter sent to Kabul.

The cancelled meeting was supposed to involve &quot;mid-level&quot; military officials from Pakistan and Mohammad Ali Hanafi, also known as &quot;Mullah Shirin Akhund,&quot; who is a close aide to Hibatullah Akhundzada.

As of now, the Taliban has not issued an official statement regarding the Pakistani Air Force&#39;s attacks on Paktika or the reasons behind the cancellation of the Pakistani delegation&#39;s trip.]]>
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			<title>Islamabad, Kabul embroil in fresh war of words</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2465886/islamabad-kabul-embroil-in-fresh-war-of-words</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2465886/islamabad-kabul-embroil-in-fresh-war-of-words#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Thu, 09 May 24 16:45:10 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[Kamran Yousaf]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Pakistan]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=2465886</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[FO rejects Afghan allegations about Da’ish, terming them ‘unwarranted and irresponsible’]]>
			</description>
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				<![CDATA[Islamabad and Kabul engaged in a fresh round of a war of words on Thursday as the Foreign Office (FO) dismissed the latest charge by Afghanistan that the Da&rsquo;ish terrorist group was operating from Pakistan.

On Monday, DG ISPR Major General Ahmed Sharif issued a fresh charge sheet against the Taliban government, accusing them of not doing enough to stop the cross-border terrorist attacks being perpetrated by the banned Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP).

The chief military spokesperson also formally confirmed for the first time that the March 26 terrorist attack targeting Chinese engineers in Besham had links to Afghanistan.

The Afghan Defence Ministry rejected the Pakistani statement and instead blamed Islamabad for supporting Daesh.

At a weekly news briefing, the FO spokesperson Mumtaz Zahra Baloch reiterated Pakistan&rsquo;s stance that there was enough evidence to suggest a link between recent terrorist incidents and Afghanistan.

Read more:&nbsp;Taliban refute Pakistan&rsquo;s claim of Afghan involvement in Besham attack

&ldquo;You must have seen the statement made by ISPR in which it was very clearly elaborated that we have evidence of the involvement of Afghan nationals in terrorist attacks inside Pakistan,&rdquo; the spokesperson said.

&ldquo;We have also found evidence that the attack in Besham has links with terrorists currently residing inside Afghanistan. The suicide bombing, as said by DG ISPR, connects to across the border. The planning of this terrorist attack took place in Afghanistan, and the terrorists and their facilitators were being controlled from Afghanistan,&rdquo; she explained.

She said that Pakistan expected the Afghan authorities to take effective measures against these terrorist entities. &ldquo;With such effective measures, they should be able to demonstrate that these terror groups do not have sanctuaries and hideouts inside Afghanistan.&rdquo;

She said that Pakistan would share evidence with the Afghan authorities once comprehensive information and intelligence data from the law enforcement agencies were available.

Also read:&nbsp;Pakistan, Afghanistan impasse

&ldquo;You would realise that there are several channels of communication between Pakistan and Afghanistan. Our respective embassies are one channel, but there are other channels, including in the security domain, through which Pakistan exchanges information and its concerns related to these terror groups. We have been calling on the Afghan authorities to take effective action against TTP and other related terror groups.&rdquo;

However, she rejected Afghan allegations about Da&rsquo;ish, terming them &ldquo;unwarranted and irresponsible.&rdquo;

&ldquo;Instead of such irresponsible statements, the Afghan authorities should take effective action against all terror groups based in Afghanistan,&rdquo; the spokesperson stressed.

The relationship between Pakistan and Afghanistan has remained tense for months over the lack of action against the TTP by the Taliban government.

Meanwhile, Pakistan condemned in the strongest terms the invasion and seizure of the Rafah border crossing in southern Gaza by Israeli occupation forces in defiance of international warnings and acceptable international behaviour.

&ldquo;With its latest actions, Israeli occupation authorities have once again demonstrated their contempt for international humanitarian law as they continue to pursue an abhorrent policy of genocide and extermination in Gaza,&rdquo; the spokesperson said.

She said that Israeli forces had bombed, starved, and humiliated the people of Gaza for months.

&ldquo;And they now are moving forward to forcibly displace civilians from the last remaining shelter for millions fleeing from the inhumane assault in the rest of the besieged Gaza Strip,&rdquo; the spokesperson added.

&ldquo;These war crimes and crimes against humanity must end. We call on the international community to take urgent measures to bring an end to this aggression and genocide. Measures should be taken to fully protect civilians in accordance with international humanitarian law, and the occupation forces must be held accountable for the Gaza genocide,&rdquo; she said.]]>
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			<title>Taliban refute Pakistan’s claim of Afghan involvement in Besham attack</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2465721/taliban-refute-pakistans-claim-of-afghan-involvement-in-besham-attack</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2465721/taliban-refute-pakistans-claim-of-afghan-involvement-in-besham-attack#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Wed, 08 May 24 13:33:14 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[AGENCIES]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[World]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=2465721</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[Spokesperson says killing of Chinese citizens under tight security cover shows weakness of Pakistani security agencies]]>
			</description>
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				<![CDATA[The Taliban defence ministry on Wednesday rejected Pakistan&#39;s claim that Afghans were involved in an attack on Chinese engineers, as ties between the neighbouring nations sour amidst rising insecurity.

DG Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) Major General Ahmed Sharif had said at a press conference on Tuesday that a suicide bomb attack in March in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa&rsquo;s Besham, that killed five Chinese engineers, was planned in neighbouring Afghanistan, and that the bomber was an Afghan national.

He said that despite repeated demands and sharing of evidence, the banned Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) continued to operate from Afghanistan. &ldquo;Pakistan shared credible evidence, but no action was taken. The linkage of the recent terrorist incidents can be found in Afghanistan.&rdquo;

&quot;Pakistan has helped the Afghan interim government at all levels, but the promises they made in Doha do not seem to be fulfilled. The agreement clearly states that Afghanistan&#39;s territory will not be used against any country, but there is strong evidence that this is happening. In this regard, the Foreign Office recorded repeated protests with the Taliban government.&rdquo;

Read more:&nbsp;Vehicle carrying Chinese engineers was not bulletproof: report

He said those who carried out the terrorist attack against the Chinese engineers came from Afghanistan. &quot;The terrorists and their facilitators were being controlled from Afghanistan while the suicide bomber was also an Afghan citizen.&quot;

&quot;Afghans are not involved in such matters,&quot; said Mufti Enayatullah Khorazmim, the spokesperson for Afghanistan&#39;s Taliban-run Ministry of National Defence, in a statement.

&quot;Blaming Afghanistan for such incidents is a failed attempt to divert attention from the truth of the matter and we strongly reject it,&quot; he added.

&quot;The killing of Chinese citizens in an area of ​​Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa that is under tight security cover by the Pakistan Army shows the weakness of the Pakistani security agencies,&quot; Khorazmim said.

He accused Islamabad of diverting attention by blaming Kabul and said: &quot;We strongly reject it.&quot; &quot;The Islamic Emirate (Taliban) has assured China on this matter and the country has also understood the fact that Afghans are not involved in such issues,&rdquo; he said.

A suicide bomber rammed a vehicle into a convoy of Chinese engineers working on a dam project in Besham in March, killing six people.

Also read:&nbsp;Army wants Imran to apologise, shun politics of &#39;anarchy&#39;

Relations between Pakistan and Afghanistan have soured in recent months. Islamabad says Kabul is not doing enough to tackle terrorist groups targeting Pakistan and in March Pakistan carried out airstrikes targeting militants on Afghan territory.

Last year, Pakistan expelled nearly 370,000 undocumented Afghan nationals, saying the majority of suicide attacks against its security forces were carried out by Afghans, a charge Kabul rejected.

The military spokesman said on Tuesday that security for 29,000 Chinese nationals in Pakistan, many of them working on infrastructure projects, was the top priority for security institutions.

The Taliban are also seeking economic ties with China, the first country to formally appoint an ambassador to Kabul under the Taliban, and wish to join China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), which is Beijing&#39;s $65 billion investment in development and infrastructure.

&nbsp;]]>
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			<title>Taliban say order restored after Afghan opium poppy protests</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2465552/taliban-say-order-restored-after-afghan-opium-poppy-protests</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2465552/taliban-say-order-restored-after-afghan-opium-poppy-protests#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Tue, 07 May 24 13:04:32 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[Reuters]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[World]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=2465552</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[Authorities holding meetings in Badakhshan after protests left two dead, spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid says]]>
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				<![CDATA[The Afghan Taliban said on Tuesday they have quelled protests in a northern province over security forces&#39; attempts to eradicate opium poppy cultivation which generates income for many impoverished farmers.

Taliban authorities were holding meetings in Badakhshan, spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid said in a Whatsapp message, after several days of protests, in which two people were killed.

Mujahid said in a separate statement that a delegation from Kabul, led by the defence chief of staff, would this week travel to Badakhshan to investigate, a rare official acknowledgement of civil disturbance since the Taliban returned to power in 2021.

Since then, they have vowed to restore control over the entire war-torn nation and have at times forcefully broken up protests in urban areas, especially against decisions that restrict women from education and many workplaces.

&quot;The Badakhshan issue can be solved,&quot; Mujahid said.

Read also:&nbsp;Falling Afghan poppy crop

&quot;Two of our countrymen lost their lives during the clashes, their rights will be observed,&quot; he said, adding that authorities would meet with relatives and make a decision over compensation for their deaths.

International research firm Alcis released research based on satellite data last year showing there had been a drastic reduction of opium production in most provinces between 2022 and 2023, often by more than 90%. However it noted that in Badakhshan, the amount of land used for poppy growing had grown.

Mujahid did not elaborate on the cause of the deaths. Local broadcaster Tolo reported that the two had been killed as the protests became violent and security forces opened fire late last week.

Zabihullah Amiri, head of the Taliban-run provincial government&#39;s media department, said that an official delegation from the provincial capital had travelled to the two districts to hold meetings and that the areas were now &quot;under control&quot;.

&quot;They accepted the legitimate demands of the people, at the moment, there are no issues in Argo and Darayim districts,&rdquo; he said. &quot;The people and area are under the control of security forces, and the latest update is that people have committed to cooperating with security forces to eradicate poppy cultivation.&quot;

Read:&nbsp;Afghanistan opium poppy supply plummets 95% after Taliban ban, UN says

The Taliban seized power in 2021 as the United States and its allies withdrew troops after a 20-year war launched in the weeks after the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks on the United States.

In 2022, the Taliban&#39;s supreme spiritual leader ordered a ban on narcotics cultivation in the world&#39;s then-top opium producer.

Many Afghan landowners and labourers rely on growing opium poppies, especially in the Taliban&#39;s historic heartland in the south.

Badakhshan shares a border with Tajikistan and China, with which the Taliban are trying to improve economic links.

The province&#39;s population is predominantly ethnically Tajik, in contrast to the Taliban, most of whose top leaders are ethnically Pashtun, which can exacerbate ethnic tensions despite Taliban promises they will govern the country in the interest of all Afghans.]]>
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			<title>Taliban's treatment of women under scrutiny at UN rights meeting</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2464480/talibans-treatment-of-women-under-scrutiny-at-un-rights-meeting</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2464480/talibans-treatment-of-women-under-scrutiny-at-un-rights-meeting#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Mon, 29 Apr 24 13:53:33 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[Reuters]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[World]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=2464480</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[Taliban rulers won't attend UNHRC meeting, representation falls to previous government's ambassador]]>
			</description>
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				<![CDATA[Afghanistan&#39;s Taliban face criticism over their human rights record at a UN meeting on Monday, with Washington accusing them of systematically depriving women and girls of their human rights.

However, in an awkward first for the UN Human Rights Council, the concerned country&#39;s current rulers will not be present because they are not recognised by the global body.

Afghanistan will instead be represented by an ambassador appointed by the previous US-backed government, which the Taliban ousted in 2021.

In a series of questions compiled in a UN document ahead of the review, the United States asked how authorities would hold perpetrators to account for abuses against civilians, &quot;particularly women and girls who are being systematically deprived of their human rights&quot;?

It also called for the promotion of the rights of LGBTQ persons, noting an &quot;escalation of threats and abuse&quot; since the Taliban takeover.

Read also:&nbsp;UN contact group on Afghanistan stalled

Britain and Belgium also raised questions about the Taliban&#39;s treatment of women. In total, 76 countries have asked to take the floor at the meeting.

The Taliban say they respect rights in line with their interpretation of Islamic law.

Since they swept back into power, most girls have been barred from high school and women from universities. The Taliban have also stopped most Afghan female staff from working at aid agencies, closed beauty salons, barred women from parks and curtailed travel for women in the absence of a male guardian.

Under the UN system, states&#39; human rights records are subject to peer review in public meetings of the Geneva-based Human Rights Council, resulting in a series of recommendations.

While non-binding, these can draw scrutiny of policies and add to pressure for reform. The UN Human Rights Council, the only intergovernmental global body designed to protect human rights worldwide, can also mandate investigations whose evidence is sometimes used before national and international courts.]]>
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			<title>UN contact group on Afghanistan stalled</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2462418/un-contact-group-on-afghanistan-stalled</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2462418/un-contact-group-on-afghanistan-stalled#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Sat, 13 Apr 24 04:43:20 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[Kamran Yousaf]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Pakistan]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=2462418</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[Central to proposal was appointment of UN special envoy for Afghanistan, a move rejected by Taliban authorities]]>
			</description>
			<content:encoded>
				<![CDATA[The proposal to establish a regional contact group on Afghanistan has hit a roadblock due to differences among participating nations regarding the inclusion of certain countries.

The initiative for forming a regional contact group stemmed from UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres&#39;s proposal in February, following a two-day conference in Doha aimed at charting a roadmap for Afghanistan&#39;s future.

The United Nations-hosted conference brought together special representatives from 25 countries and Afghan civil society activists to discuss strategies for engaging with the Taliban-led government in Kabul while ensuring its compliance with international commitments.

Central to the proposal was the appointment of a UN special envoy for Afghanistan, a move rejected by the Taliban authorities. Concurrently, the UN secretary-general proposed the formation of a contact group specifically focused on Afghanistan.

This group was envisioned to include Afghanistan&#39;s immediate neighbors and other relevant stakeholders. However, Pakistan&#39;s objection to India&#39;s participation in the proposed regional group has led to a deadlock, according to diplomatic sources.

The sources indicated that progress on the proposal has stalled due to the lack of consensus on which countries should be part of the regional group. &quot;The proposal appears to be a non-starter,&quot; remarked another source.

Historically, Pakistan and India have viewed each other&#39;s roles in Afghanistan with suspicion. Islamabad&#39;s resistance to New Delhi&#39;s inclusion in the regional contact group stems from its longstanding concerns that India undermines stability in Afghanistan.

Interestingly, while Pakistan&#39;s relations with the Taliban government remain strained, India has intensified its engagement with Kabul in recent months.

The proposal to establish a regional group was part of broader UN efforts to enhance coordination in dealing with the Taliban-led government. A UN delegation is scheduled to visit Kabul soon as a follow-up to the Doha conference, aiming to urge the Taliban government to fulfill its international commitments.

Despite initial expectations, the interim Taliban government has adopted hardline policies, challenging perceptions of moderation. &quot;Many anticipated that Taliban 2.0 would be more moderate, but it&#39;s becoming increasingly evident that these expectations were misplaced,&quot; commented a Western diplomat.

This poses a dilemma for the international community, as sidelining the Taliban government would only exacerbate the humanitarian and economic crises in Afghanistan.

The upcoming UN delegation&#39;s visit seeks to convey to the Taliban government the adverse consequences of its hardline stance. Sources warn that the lack of international recognition for the Taliban administration would diminish humanitarian aid for Afghanistan, further exacerbating the plight of ordinary Afghans.]]>
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			<title>Video exposes Taliban support for TTP</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2460417/video-exposes-taliban-support-for-ttp</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2460417/video-exposes-taliban-support-for-ttp#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Mon, 25 Mar 24 04:23:26 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[Khalid Mahmood]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Pakistan]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=2460417</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[Leaked footage validates Pakistan’s assertions]]>
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				<![CDATA[A leaked video widely circulated on social media has substantiated Pakistan&rsquo;s claim that certain factions within the Afghan Taliban are sheltering terrorists affiliated with the outlawed Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and aiding them in launching attacks on Pakistani security forces.

In the 5-minute-long video clip, seemingly recorded with a mobile phone, an Afghan Taliban commander named Yahya is seen issuing directives to a group of armed militants purportedly belonging to the Hafiz Gul Bahadur faction of the TTP inside a tent situated in the Dangar Lgad area of Paktika province, Afghanistan.

Within the video, Yahya can be heard addressing the armed men, including a suicide bomber, in Pashto, stating, &quot;We are ready to take revenge from Pakistan.&quot;

Discussing the details of an impending attack, he informs the militants that &ldquo;there will be six rocket launchers and six assistants, along with two laser operators and their assistants, as well as a sniper.&rdquo;

Yahya asserts that &ldquo;all Mujahideen are prepared to follow the orders of Amir al-Mu&#39;minin&rdquo; and are committed to combatting Pakistan. He provides instructions on how the militants should infiltrate Pakistan and emphasizes not leaving any wounded individuals behind.

According to some experts, this video serves as evidence that certain elements within the Afghan Taliban are aiding the TTP in orchestrating attacks on security forces along the Pakistan-Afghanistan border and extending full support to the terrorists.

They note that the video also underscores the Afghan Interim government&rsquo;s lack of control over the infiltration of terrorists from Afghanistan into Pakistan. Pakistan has consistently urged the Afghan Interim government to prevent terrorists from utilizing its territory.

These terrorists, who continue to exploit Afghan territory, pose a significant threat to Pakistan&#39;s security. Despite Pakistan&#39;s communication to the Afghan Interim government regarding the presence of the TTP and other militant groups within Afghanistan, no tangible progress has been achieved.

The unimpeded use of Afghan territory for terrorism against Pakistan constitutes a blatant violation of international agreements, they added.

Last week, Pakistan targeted hideouts belonging to the Hafiz Gul Bahadur group inside Afghanistan following a bold attack on a check-post in the North Waziristan district.

The aerial raid by Pakistan provoked a robust response from the Afghan Taliban, who issued a warning to Pakistan of potential reprisals.]]>
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			<title>Suicide bombing in Afghan city of Kandahar kills three</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2460058/suicide-bombing-in-afghan-city-of-kandahar-kills-three</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2460058/suicide-bombing-in-afghan-city-of-kandahar-kills-three#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Thu, 21 Mar 24 13:30:06 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[AFP]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[World]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=2460058</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[Explosion at around 8:00 am targeted a group of people waiting outside New Kabul Bank branch in central Kandahar city]]>
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				<![CDATA[A suicide bombing killed three people and wounded 12 others on Thursday in the Afghan city of Kandahar, a provincial official said, the heartland of the Taliban authorities that rule the country.

There was no immediate claim of responsibility, and while multiple explosions have been reported around the country since the start of the holy month of Ramazan on March 11, few have been confirmed by Taliban officials.

Afghanistan&#39;s capital is Kabul but Supreme Leader Hibatullah Akhundzada lives in Kandahar city, for decades the stronghold of the Taliban movement.

&quot;A suicide attack occurred in which three compatriots were killed and 12 others were wounded, according to preliminary information,&quot; said Inamullah Samangani, director of information and culture of Kandahar province.

The explosion at around 8:00 am (0330 GMT) targeted a group of people waiting outside the New Kabul Bank branch in central Kandahar city.

&quot;Commonly our compatriots gather there to collect their salaries,&quot; Samangani told AFP, adding that the &quot;victims were civilians&quot;.

Taliban authorities had surrounded the area outside the bank and did not let journalists close to the site.

Read also: Three killed in explosion in Afghanistan capital

However, an AFP journalist saw what appeared to be unconscious people or dead bodies being loaded into ambulances in the wake of the blast.

Firefighters and security personnel were clearing the area, where blood, scraps of clothes and shoes littered the ground.

Hospitals did not respond to requests for information, saying they had been told not to speak to the media.

Samangani said &quot;the situation is under control&quot; at one of the city&#39;s hospitals where wounded were transported, denying that the need for blood donations was urgent as had circulated on social media.

&quot;There is no such issue, and the wounded people are not in serious condition, they have superficial injuries,&quot; he said in a message to journalists.

The number of bomb blasts and suicide attacks in Afghanistan has markedly declined since the Taliban ended their insurgency after seizing power in August 2021, ousting the US-backed government.

However, a number of armed groups -- including the regional chapter of Da&#39;ish&nbsp;-- remain a threat.]]>
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			<title>Taliban welcome extension of UN mission mandate in Afghanistan</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2459621/taliban-welcome-extension-of-un-mission-mandate-in-afghanistan</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2459621/taliban-welcome-extension-of-un-mission-mandate-in-afghanistan#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Sun, 17 Mar 24 12:28:37 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[Anadolu Agency]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[World]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=2459621</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[UN Security Council extended UNAMA's mandate for another year on Friday]]>
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				<![CDATA[The Taliban on Saturday welcomed the one-year extension of the mandate of the UN Assistance Mission&nbsp;in Afghanistan (UNAMA).

Zabihullah Mujahid, the spokesman for the Taliban, said that Afghanistan needs to foster diplomatic relations with international organisations, especially the UN, and the international community, adding that UNAMA can contribute in this regard.

Read also:&nbsp;UN Doha huddle delivers clear message to Taliban regime

He said that the Afghan people want UNAMA to fulfil its representative mandate well, establish contact between Afghanistan and the world, reflect Afghanistan&#39;s development, achievements, security and stability to the world, and help establish trust with countries having reservations.

On Friday, the UN Security Council extended UNAMA&#39;s mandate for another year.

UNAMA, headquartered in the capital Kabul, has approximately 1,200 staff members.]]>
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			<title>In courtesy call, Muttaqi invites Dar to Kabul</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2459538/in-courtesy-call-muttaqi-invites-dar-to-kabul</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2459538/in-courtesy-call-muttaqi-invites-dar-to-kabul#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Sat, 16 Mar 24 16:32:05 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[kamran.yousaf]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Pakistan]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=2459538</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[Both FMs agree to continue working together in building on ‘fraternal bilateral relations’]]>
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				<![CDATA[Afghan Interim Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi invited his Pakistani counterpart to visit Kabul in order to break the stalemate in the relations as he spoke to Ishaq Dar on telephone on Saturday.

This was the first high-level contact between the two countries in months and came on a day when another terrorist attack left seven Pakistani troops, including two officers, martyred in North Waziristan.

In a statement posted on X, Foreign Minister Dar said he was delighted to receive the congratulatory call from Muttaqi. He said both of them agreed to continue working together in building on &ldquo;fraternal bilateral relations.&rdquo;

&ldquo;Expanding cooperation in connectivity, trade, security, counter-terrorism and people-to-people contacts is a top priority for Pakistan,&rdquo; the foreign minister posted on X.



Delighted to receive congratulatory phone call from Afghanistan&rsquo;s Interim FM Amir Khan Muttaqi. Agreed to continue working together in building on fraternal bilateral relations. Expanding cooperation in connectivity, trade, security, counter terrorism and people to people&hellip;
&mdash; Ishaq Dar (@MIshaqDar50) March 16, 2024



The positive sentiments reflected in Dar&rsquo;s message do not reflect the ground situation as tensions continue to remain high due to the Afghan Taliban&rsquo;s reluctance to act against banned Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP).

Saturday&rsquo;s attack in Mir Ali town of North Waziristan is likely to further heighten tensions as the group operating from Afghanistan took responsibility of the multiple suicide bombings at a security checkpoint.

A statement posted on X by the deputy spokesperson at the Afghan foreign ministry, Hafiz Zia Ahmad, said FM Muttaqi hoped that Dar&rsquo;s assumption of office would have a &ldquo;positive and constructive role in strengthening the relations&rdquo; between the two neighbouring countries.



Today, IEA-Foreign Minister, Mawlawi Amir Khan Muttaqi held a a telephonic conversation with the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Pakistan, Mohammad Ishaq Dar.

Congratulating Mr. Muhammad Ishaq Dar on being appointed as the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Pakistan, pic.twitter.com/WHxew4cveX
&mdash; Hafiz Zia Ahmad (@HafizZiaAhmad) March 16, 2024



&ldquo;The region is increasing its positive interactions day by day. Practical work of major infrastructure projects is starting at the regional level and we are expecting to take a constructive part in Pakistan,&rdquo; the statement quoted the Afghan foreign minister as saying. He also invited Dar to visit Afghanistan.

The statement said that both sides emphasised improving facilities for passengers, patients and commercial traffic on the Durand Line and eliminating existing problems.

The statement did not mention if Dar accepted the invitation. The Pakistani handout also did not talk about Muttaqi&rsquo;s invitation to Dar.

Read also:&nbsp;Afghan Taliban nudge TTP on talks with Islamabad

There have been efforts in recent days by both sides to restore high level contacts between the two countries in order to resolve the issues, undermining their relationship.

Pakistan&rsquo;s Charg&eacute; d&rsquo;Affaires (Cd&rsquo;A) and head of mission in Kabul, Ubaidur Rehman Nizamani over the past few days held a series of meetings with the Taliban leadership for this purpose.

He travelled to Kandahar, the spiritual centre of the Afghan Taliban, to meet Taliban&rsquo; chief&rsquo;s key aide. Nizamani also held talks with the Afghan Foreign Minister this week in Kabul.

Those contacts led to the telephonic&nbsp;conversation between the two foreign ministers.]]>
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			<title>Taliban boycott of Doha huddle termed ‘blunder’</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2457302/taliban-boycott-of-doha-huddle-termed-blunder</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2457302/taliban-boycott-of-doha-huddle-termed-blunder#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Thu, 22 Feb 24 17:14:17 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[kamran.yousaf]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Pakistan]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=2457302</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[Diplomatic sources says Afghan rulers missed major opportunity to end their isolation]]>
			</description>
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				<![CDATA[The Afghan Taliban government&rsquo;s move to boycott the recent UN conference held in Doha was a &ldquo;big blunder&rdquo; and would lead to its further international isolation, according to diplomatic sources familiar with the development.

The UN-sponsored a two-day conference on February 18 and 19 in the Qatari capital, attended by special envoys from over two dozen countries, including Pakistan, to discuss the roadmap for future engagement with the Taliban regime.

Afghan activists, including women&#39;s rights campaigners, were also present, along with certain rivals of the Afghan Taliban. The de facto authorities of Afghanistan declined the invitation after the UN refused to meet their conditions.

The Taliban wanted to be treated as the sole representatives of Afghanistan, have control over invitations to other Afghan delegates, and request separate high-level interactions with the UN.

Read more:&nbsp;UN Doha huddle delivers clear message to Taliban regime&nbsp;

Diplomatic sources informed The Express Tribune on Thursday that the Taliban&rsquo;s decision was a significant mistake, as they missed a major opportunity to end their isolation. &ldquo;This may not bode well for the Taliban government,&rdquo; said a diplomatic source.

The UN gathering was the second in less than a year and aimed to discuss recommendations prepared by the UN special coordinator. The UN coordinator proposed continued engagement with the Taliban, but its recognition was linked to progress on certain issues.

One proposal included the appointment of a UN special envoy on Afghanistan. The Taliban vehemently opposed this, suggesting that such envoys were appointed when a country was in a state of war or internal conflict.

The two-day conference did not reach a final decision on the appointment of a UN special envoy. The UN Secretary-General stated that he would initiate consultations with all relevant stakeholders on this matter.

Pakistan supported the proposal of a UN special envoy, something that the Taliban government did not appreciate.

The Pakistan delegation, led by special envoy Ambassador Asif Durrani, held a meeting with Afghan human and women&#39;s rights activists in Doha, despite the Taliban expressing reservations about their presence.

The move indicates that Pakistan is no longer following the Taliban government&rsquo;s directives. This shift is because Pakistan is unhappy with the Taliban&rsquo;s refusal to take action against the banned Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP).]]>
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			<title>UN mission hails Afghanistan' administration for allowing girl students to enrol in medical colleges</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2457299/un-mission-hails-afghanistan-administration-for-allowing-girl-students-to-enrol-in-medical-colleges</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2457299/un-mission-hails-afghanistan-administration-for-allowing-girl-students-to-enrol-in-medical-colleges#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Thu, 22 Feb 24 16:12:22 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[Anadolu Agency]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[World]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=2457299</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[Enrolment process already begun in 11 Afghan provinces, following directive from Ministry of Public Health]]>
			</description>
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				<![CDATA[The UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) on Thursday welcomed the Afghan interim government&#39;s decision to allow girl high school graduates admission to state-run medical colleges from the next academic year, which begins in March.

&ldquo;UNAMA welcomes decision by Afghanistan&rsquo;s de facto authorities to enable female gr 12 graduate(s) enrolment in medical institutions in 11 provinces,&rdquo; the UN mission said in a post on X, calling the move &ldquo;a step in addressing worrying healthcare gaps,&rdquo; in the war-torn country.

&ldquo;Women and girls require full secondary/university education access,&quot; it added.

Read also:&nbsp;&#39;Dying every two hours&#39;: Afghan women risk life to give birth

The enrolment process has already begun in 11 Afghan provinces, following a directive from the Ministry of Public Health, a spokesman for the Information Ministry told Anadolu on the phone.

Following the decision, he added, girl students who have completed grade 12 can apply for admission to medical colleges in Kapisa, Paktia, Parwan, Panjshir, Paktika, Bamyan, Badakhshan, Ghazni, Maidan Wardak, Khost, and Logar provinces.

The interim Taliban government has faced criticism for prohibiting girls from acquiring their education beyond the sixth grade and for prohibiting women from working in both the public and private sectors since regaining power in Afghanistan in August 2021.]]>
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			<title>Taliban authorities execute two convicted murderers in football stadium</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2457297/taliban-authorities-execute-two-convicted-murderers-in-football-stadium</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2457297/taliban-authorities-execute-two-convicted-murderers-in-football-stadium#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Thu, 22 Feb 24 15:12:21 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[Reuters]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[World]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=2457297</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[Both men were executed by multiple gunshots to the back in Ghazni city, Afghanistan]]>
			</description>
			<content:encoded>
				<![CDATA[Taliban authorities publicly executed two men convicted of murder in a football stadium in eastern Afghanistan on Thursday, according to an AFP journalist at the scene.

Both men were executed by multiple gunshots to the back in Ghazni city after Supreme Court official Atiqullah Darwish read aloud a death warrant signed by Taliban Supreme Leader Hibatullah Akhundzada.

&quot;These two people were convicted of the crime of murder... after two years of trial in the courts of the country, the order has been signed,&quot; Darwish said.

Read also:&nbsp;The question of de jure legitimacy to Taliban regime

Thousands of men had gathered in the stadium to witness the execution.

Families of the men&#39;s victims were present and asked if they wanted to grant the condemned a last-minute reprieve but they declined in both cases.]]>
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			<title>UN Doha huddle delivers clear message to Taliban regime </title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2456957/un-doha-huddle-delivers-clear-message-to-taliban-regime</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2456957/un-doha-huddle-delivers-clear-message-to-taliban-regime#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Mon, 19 Feb 24 18:00:59 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[kamran.yousaf]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Pakistan]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=2456957</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[Conference concludes without an agreement on proposal regarding appointment of UN special envoy for Afghanistan]]>
			</description>
			<content:encoded>
				<![CDATA[A UN conference held in Doha on Monday delivered a clear message to the Afghan Taliban that any international recognition would require the de facto authorities in Kabul to fulfil key conditions that include not allowing the Afghan soil to be the &ldquo;hotbed&rdquo; of terrorist activities, inclusive government and respecting the human rights particularly the rights of women and girls.

However, the two-day conference concluded in the Qatari capital without an agreement on the proposal regarding the appointment of a UN special envoy for Afghanistan.

The conference was convened by the UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres and attended by special envoys from 25 countries including Pakistan. A group of civil society activists including women representatives of Afghanistan were also in attendance.

Read more:&nbsp;Pakistan to back UN special envoy on Afghanistan as Doha conference begins

The Afghan Taliban skipped the crucial meeting, voicing concerns over the invitation to its opponents and the agenda of the meeting. The absence of the Taliban representative seems to have delayed the decision on the appointment of a UN special envoy for Afghanistan.

Guterres told reporters in Doha that it was decided that he would initiate consultations on the proposal. The decision to appoint the UN special envoy would be taken in consultations with stakeholders and the de facto Afghan authorities, he added.

The proposal to appoint a UN special envoy was part of the recommendation submitted to the UN Security Council by a special coordinator in November.

The UNSC adopted the resolution in December, endorsing the move. But two key players and veto-wielding powers including Russia and China abstained from the process.

Also read:&nbsp;Has China formally recognised Taliban govt in Afghanistan?

Russia declined to attend the civil society session, backing the Afghan Taliban stance that the selection of Afghan representatives should have been done more transparently.

Pakistan, meanwhile, supported the idea of inviting Afghan civil society activists and at the same time the proposal to appoint a UN special envoy on Afghanistan.

Islamabad&rsquo;s stance was in direct conflict with the Afghan Taliban&rsquo;s position, who vehemently opposed the move.

The UN chief said that there was complete consensus during the conference on a number of issues. He maintained that all countries agreed that Afghanistan should not be allowed to become a hotbed of terrorist activities again.

He said that participants of the conference agreed that there had to be inclusive government and respect for human rights including women and girls.

Without progress on these critical issues, the international integration of Afghanistan under Taliban rule would be a daunting task.

The UN Secretary General said that despite reservations by the Taliban the current format would remain in place and the group would meet often to have more coordinated international efforts on Afghanistan.

The UN chief also proposed the contact group comprising immediate neighbours of Afghanistan and other stakeholders.

He said that the purpose of the process was to develop a roadmap where Afghanistan was integrated into the international system with the Taliban government addressing key areas of concern of the international community.]]>
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			<title>Pakistan, Taliban and the Durrand Line</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2456579/pakistan-taliban-and-the-durrand-line</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2456579/pakistan-taliban-and-the-durrand-line#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Thu, 15 Feb 24 19:17:47 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[Syed Mohammad Ali .]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Opinion]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=2456579</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[Two decades of American intervention did not enable Afghanistan to address the Durrand Line problem]]>
			</description>
			<content:encoded>
				<![CDATA[Like many other parts of the formerly colonised world, the Indian subcontinent continues struggling with the consequences of arbitrarily drawn colonial borders. Problematic colonial border demarcations became a major cause for the fracture of east and west Pakistan in 1971. Territorial disputes are a lingering source of tension not only between nuclear-armed India and Pakistan, but also between Afghanistan and Pakistan.

The over 1,600-mile boundary drawn by the British in 1893 to safeguard its South Asian empire remains a thorn in the side of Afghan-Pakistan relations, no matter who controls Afghanistan. This unresolved border dispute is why Afghanistan was the only country to oppose Pakistan&rsquo;s inclusion in the United Nations when it became an independent nation.

The Durrand Line issue remained unresolved when the Soviets invaded Afghanistan in 1979. Despite funneling American and Saudi support to train the mujahideen to repel the Soviet invasion, and continued support to the Taliban which enabled them to take over Afghanistan in the mid-1990s, Pakistan was not able to convince Afghanistan to accept the Durrand Line as an international border.

After toppling the Taliban regime in 2001, the US propped up and supported successively shaky Afghan governments. Yet, two decades of American intervention did not help resolve the lingering Durrand Line problem.

Pakistan has experienced increased smuggling and cross-border attacks on its soil via the Durrand Line, by Baloch nationalists pushing back against the state&rsquo;s hegemony, and by the Tehreek-e-Taliban, which wants to topple the Pakistani state in its bid to establish its own version of an Islamic state.

By 2017, Pakistan began fencing the Durrand Line, and has fenced off most of it by now, at the estimated cost of around half a billion dollars. Pakistan has also set up many border posts and military fortifications, and it has deployed surveillance technologies like drones and radars along the contested border.

The resurgent Taliban have, however, repeatedly clashed with Pakistani soldiers engaged in the fencing effort and they have even torn down parts of the fence. Despite the fencing, Pakistan has not been able to halt cross-border militant movements. Besides its frustration with the Taliban regime, Pakistan has also blamed Afghan refugees on Pakistani soil for the domestic terrorism spike, and sent back many Afghan refugees over these past few months.

Ideally, the border demarcation between the two countries should have been agreed upon by the governments on both sides. However, like their predecessors, the Taliban regime in Afghanistan disagree with Pakistan on where the international border demarcation should be, and they have not put forth any feasible options to resolve this longstanding problem either. The hard fencing of a unilaterally determined Durrand Line by Pakistan is not only causing tensions with the Taliban regime, but this move is also criticised for undermining the &ldquo;easement rights&rdquo; of local tribes straddling this border region.

Clearly, more effective border management is needed between the neighbouring countries which, along with greater economic integration, is vital for improving bilateral ties. Yet, it is unfortunate that Pakistan and Afghanistan have not been able to develop an integrated border management system over these past several decades to improve border security and to minimise illegal movement. Institutional coordination, with input from local communities, could have been enabled during the two decades long NATO-led intervention, which instead squandered staggering amounts of resources in the failed attempt to stabilise Afghanistan using hard-power.

The cash-strapped and internationally ostracised Taliban regime remains ill-equipped to establish and maintain an effective joint border management mechanism. Thus, it is likely that Pakistan will probably double down on the need for a unilaterally fenced border, despite such a stance remaining a source of lingering friction with Afghanistan.

Published in The Express Tribune, February 16th, 2024.

Like Opinion &amp; Editorial on Facebook, follow @ETOpEd on Twitter to receive all updates on all our daily pieces.]]>
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			<title>The question of de jure legitimacy to Taliban regime</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2456249/the-question-of-de-jure-legitimacy-to-taliban-regime</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2456249/the-question-of-de-jure-legitimacy-to-taliban-regime#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Mon, 12 Feb 24 21:50:31 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[Dr Moonis Ahmar]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Opinion]]></category>
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			<description>
				<![CDATA[Taliban regime has cleverly tried to show to the world that it is following a moderate and pro-development approach]]>
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				<![CDATA[China is the only United Nations member state so far that has granted de jure recognition to the Taliban regime which rose to power in Afghanistan in August 2021. China allowed Kabul to open its embassy in Beijing by formally asking the Taliban ambassador to submit his credentials to the Chinese president. Earlier, some UN member states, including Pakistan and Russia, had granted de facto recognition to the Taliban regime as conditions &mdash; like the formation of an inclusive government in Kabul and removing reservations about rights to the women pertaining to their education and work &mdash; remains pending. 

On several occasions, the UN has taken a strong position against human rights violations committed under the Taliban regime particularly against women. The US &mdash; under whose initiative Doha Accord was signed on February 29, 2020 with the Taliban &mdash; had focused on military withdrawal from Afghanistan and the formation of an inclusive government in that country. What the world has rather seen under the Taliban rule is an exclusive government with no representation from the opposition groups and other stakeholders. Taliban imposed an authoritarian mode of governance in which democracy and political pluralism are not seen. Taliban regime is not bothered to address criticism from various sides that during its rule Afghanistan is again becoming a hub of terrorism where the nexus between TTP, Al-Qaeda and other jihadi groups is a stark reality. 

With the interim Taliban government failing to implement major clauses of Doha Accord, the UN has declined its representation and a majority of its members have refused to grant legitimacy to the regime. As pointed out earlier, China became the first and only country so far to have granted legitimacy to the Taliban regime by accepting its ambassador in Beijing. The Chinese decision will perhaps pave the way for other countries to grant de jure recognition to the Taliban regime despite its denial of right to education, employment and unrestricted travel to its women population. 

Will China granting de jure legitimacy to the Taliban regime encourage other countries to follow suit, thus easing pressure on Kabul to fully implement Doha accord? Will the Chinese decision help the process of modernising the Afghan infrastructure and mitigate Kabul&rsquo;s isolation at the international level?

Certainly, the ultra-conservative and retrogressive Taliban regime will use gradual legitimacy for consolidating power and denying political space to the opposition. According to April 7, 2023 release of Radio Free Europe, &ldquo;The militant group&rsquo;s human rights abuses and links to extremist groups have once again made it a pariah. The international community has blacklisted Taliban leaders and cut off the group from the global financial system. But the Taliban has tried to boost its legitimacy by wresting control of Afghan diplomatic missions abroad, many of which are still run by diplomats appointed by the previous government. The hard-line Islamist group claims that it has a diplomatic presence in 14 countries, including in all neighboring countries barring Tajikistan. The group is also believed to have gained control of missions in Russia, China, Turkey, and Indonesia&rdquo;.

How far the people of Afghanistan will benefit from China providing diplomatic space to the Taliban regime is yet to be seen. The issue can be analysed from three sides, as follows:

First, unlike the previous Taliban regime of 1996-2001 which controlled 90% of Afghanistan, the present interim government has 100% control over the Afghan territory. Unlike the previous Taliban regime when there was an organised resistance group called Northern Alliance, there is no cogent threat to the current regime. It means this time, the Taliban have managed to extend their writ to the whole of Afghanistan and are using their success to seek more and more international legitimacy. If China is the first global power to have granted de jure legitimacy to the interim Taliban regime, how will the West, particularly the US and EU, respond to their growing engagement? Washington has made it clear that Taliban have violated Doha Accord by not establishing an inclusive government. Not a single step has been taken by Kabul to follow democratic mode of governance including political pluralism, tolerance to dissent and granting girls and women equal rights in education and employment. On the contrary, the Taliban interim government takes pride in unleashing gender discrimination and is not reluctant to use force in order to prevent their participation in society.

Second, the Taliban regime has cleverly tried to show to the world that it is following a moderate and pro-development approach. By projecting its development schemes like construction of a mega canal system, roads, highways and railways, the Taliban regime is trying to get international support in order to revive economy and promote international trade. Giving contracts to foreign companies, particularly from China, to exploit enormous mineral resources tends to provide space to the Taliban regime at the expense of political freedom and gender discrimination. Patience and perseverance happen to be qualities pursued by the Taliban regime by not reacting to accusations in a hostile manner about its poor track record on human rights. The previous Taliban regime had been granted recognition by Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and the UAE but by September 11, 2001, only Pakistan had diplomatic relations with Kabul. This time, it seems, it will manage to seek de jure recognition from Russia, Pakistan, Iran, Turkey and India. Strategically, the Taliban regime is playing its cards well by luring foreign powers, except the West, to grant it legitimacy in return for trade and investments and making use of its huge mineral resources. 

Finally, the onus will be on the US and its Western allies as to what extent they will resist legitimising the Taliban regime. So far, the UN has not granted legitimacy to the Taliban rule &mdash; as was the case with the previous Taliban government too &mdash; but for how long the reality of the Taliban controlling 100% of Afghanistan, ensuring peace in the country and focusing on the development can be denied. By doing away with its exclusive mode of governance and human rights violation that run contrary to Doha Accord, Taliban rule can win international legitimacy.

Published in The Express Tribune, February 13th, 2024.

Like Opinion &amp; Editorial on Facebook, follow @ETOpEd on Twitter to receive all updates on all our daily pieces.

&nbsp;]]>
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			<title>Has China formally recognised Taliban govt in Afghanistan?</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2455050/has-china-formally-recognised-taliban-govt-in-afghanistan</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2455050/has-china-formally-recognised-taliban-govt-in-afghanistan#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Wed, 31 Jan 24 17:27:17 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[kamran.yousaf]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Pakistan]]></category><category><![CDATA[World]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=2455050</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[Sources say China’s move to accept Afghan ambassador a surprise development for many countries, including Pakistan]]>
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				<![CDATA[China on Tuesday became the first country to accept the full-time Afghan Taliban Ambassador in Beijing, in a move tantamount to the formal recognition of the Kabul regime.

When President Xi Jinping accepted the credentials of Taliban Ambassador Bilal Karimi, it was a surprise development for many countries, including Pakistan.

China, though, has not clarified; diplomatic sources and observers believe that its move was a &ldquo;tacit recognition&rdquo; of the Afghan Taliban government, which is otherwise struggling to convince even neighbours for recognition, let alone the Western countries.

Read more:&nbsp;Afghan FM calls for &#39;constructive engagement&#39; with international community

Sources said China apparently took a &ldquo;solo flight&rdquo; in disregard of the regional countries&rsquo; earlier understanding. They said regional countries, particularly the immediate neighbours of Afghanistan, decided that the decision to recognise the Taliban government would be taken with consensus and collectively.

Unlike in the past, Pakistan too went along with regional countries and the international community on the question of recognition.

The international community set certain benchmarks before the Taliban were recognised. Those benchmarks include an inclusive government, permission for girls to go to school, and women to work, and on top of it, no terrorist group would be allowed to operate on Afghan soil.

Read also:&nbsp;Afghanistan opium poppy supply plummets 95% after Taliban ban, UN says

There was consensus among the regional countries and the larger international community that the Afghan Taliban have done little to address those concerns.

However, China seems to have taken a more pragmatic stance and is willing to work with the Taliban government despite the international community&rsquo;s concerns.

The Taliban missed an opportunity to get international recognition in March 2023 when they initially agreed to allow girls&#39; education. But the Taliban backtracked from their promise and imposed a blanket ban on it.

Prospects of their recognition diminished further when tensions erupted between Pakistan and Afghanistan over the lack of action against the banned Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP).

But China&rsquo;s move at this juncture, when Pakistan wanted to put maximum pressure on the Taliban to tackle the terror threat, was quite telling.

Pakistan was hoping that the Taliban would be made to come good on their promises through collective efforts by the regional countries. China figured prominently in that policy.

Officials in Islamabad feel that China&rsquo;s near recognition of the Taliban government would only embolden Kabul, making it even harder for Pakistan to get its concerns addressed.

In fact, following the Chinese move, the chief Taliban spokesperson took to X and said: &quot;China has understood what the rest of the world has not.&rdquo;

&quot;We are not in a unipolar world,&quot; Zabihullah Mujahid said while calling on Russia, Iran, and other countries to take similar steps and upgrade bilateral diplomatic relations with Kabul.]]>
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			<title>Afghan FM calls for 'constructive engagement' with international community</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2454820/afghan-fm-calls-for-constructive-engagement-with-international-community</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2454820/afghan-fm-calls-for-constructive-engagement-with-international-community#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Mon, 29 Jan 24 17:35:36 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[AFP]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[World]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=2454820</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[Afghanistan's foreign minister again rejects UN call for the appointment of a special envoy for the country]]>
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				<![CDATA[Afghanistan&#39;s foreign minister on Monday called for &quot;constructive engagement&quot; with the international community, but rejected the need for the appointment of a United Nations special envoy to his country.

Amir Khan Muttaqi was addressing a conference in Kabul that brought together special envoys and representatives from 11 countries, including China, Russia, Iran, Pakistan and India.

He called for &quot;developing regional cooperation for a constructive engagement... to tackle existing and potential threats in the region&quot;.

The Taliban&#39;s government in Kabul has not been officially recognised by any other government since it took power in 2021, imposing a strict interpretation of Islam that has restricted women from almost all aspects of public life.

&quot;The Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan respects others&#39; interests, choices, government structures, and development models, and in return, expects others to respect Afghanistan&#39;s interests,&quot; Muttaqi told reporters.

Afghanistan&#39;s economy has struggled through decades of war, a crisis deepened by international sanctions on the banking system and foreign assets after the Taliban government came to power.

Read also:&nbsp;Afghanistan opium poppy supply plummets 95% after Taliban ban, UN says

In December, the UN Security Council passed a resolution calling for the appointment of a special envoy for Afghanistan, a post that Kabul rejected as &quot;unnecessary&quot;.

On Monday, Muttaqi repeated that rejection, saying Afghanistan &quot;does not need another UN special representative&quot;.

The UN is due to hold a meeting on the situation in Afghanistan on February 18 and 19 in the Qatari capital Doha.

The aim of the meeting will be &quot;to discuss how to approach increasing international engagement in a more coherent, coordinated and structured manner&quot;, according to a UN statement.

Muttaqi called on participants of the Kabul meeting to present the &quot;ground realities&quot; at that conference.]]>
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			<title>The Kunar River rift</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2452399/the-kunar-river-rift</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2452399/the-kunar-river-rift#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Sat, 06 Jan 24 19:28:34 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[Shahabullah Yousafzai]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Pakistan]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=2452399</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[Afghan Taliban’s plan to build a dam on the Kunar River cause of worry for the two sides]]>
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				<![CDATA[With Pakistan&rsquo;s relations with Afghanistan&rsquo;s Taliban rulers already tense over their inaction against terror havens, the latter may be about to kick another potential hornets&rsquo; nest. The Emirate-e-Islami Afghanistan&rsquo;s plan to begin building water reservoirs along the Kunar River in the province of the same name following the Qosh Tepa Canal&#39;s completion has sparked fresh worries in Islamabad.

The concerns, which come at a time when finger-pointing between the two sides is at an all-time high, were best reflected in a series of posts by Balochistan government&rsquo;s spokesman Jan Achakzai on X, the social media platform formerly known as Twitter. &ldquo;The Afghan Taliban&#39;s unilateral decision to establish a dam on the Kunar River, also known as the Chitral River, will be considered a hostile act against Pakistan,&rdquo; he wrote, adding that &ldquo;If the Afghan Taliban proceeds with this dam without involving Pakistan, it will have severe consequences escalating tensions and potential conflict.&rdquo;

Regardless of their intentions, the Afghan Taliban could find it difficult to carry on with dam-building without Pakistan in its corner. The dam initiative would require huge financial investment and the support of the international community, both of which the Taliban regime currently does not have.

Islamabad announced a major policy shift in November last year, deciding it would cease advocating the Afghan Taliban&rsquo;s case at the international level or extend any other assistance following failure of the Kabul authorities to neutralise the banned Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP). The dam announcement, as such, could be a response to both that move and the repatriation of Afghan refugees as the Taliban regime seeks to strengthen its hand in negotiations.

Tracing the source

Pakistan and Afghanistan share nine river basins, including three in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa and six in Balochistan. The K-P rivers &mdash; Kabul, Gomal, and Kurram &mdash; flow from Afghanistan into the province. The Balochistan rivers include Pishin-Lora, Kandahar-Kand, Kadanai, Abdul Wahab stream and Kaiser River.

These basins are incredibly rich, with most of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa&#39;s population residing around them. Additionally, over one-third of Afghanistan&#39;s population, totalling more than 43 million people, resides around these basins.

Collectively, the basins not only meet the needs of a sizeable population in both Pakistan and Afghanistan, but also in other neighbouring countries such as Iran, Tajikistan and Turkmenistan. Their strategic significance lies in the fact that almost all the populations of Afghanistan&#39;s neighboring countries rely solely on these rivers.

The Kabul River originates in Mastuj at Broghil Pass in Pakistan, referred to as the Mastuj River in Upper Chitral and as the Chitral River in Lower Chitral. Upon reaching Arundo at Chitral Lowari Tunnel, it enters Afghanistan&#39;s Kunar province and becomes the Kunar River. It merges with the Kabul nullah at Jalalabad, from whereon it is referred to as the Kabul River, and re-enters Pakistan at the Mohmand district.

About 80 per cent of the river remains in Afghanistan, while 20 per cent flows into Pakistan. Mastuj comprises more than fifty per cent of the Kabul River, making it a unique river in the world. Simultaneously, Afghanistan and Pakistan are both upstream and downstream, as well as upper and lower riparian.

During the signing of the Indus Waters Treaty, Pakistan and India included all rivers except the Kabul River, even though it converges with the Indus in Attock district. Afghanistan was not invited to be a part of that treaty and no other treaties on rivers were ever discussed between Kabul and Islamabad.

Unpacking water politics

It is a fact that Afghanistan serves as a significant water source for the region, and that its neighbouring countries grapple with water shortages. Afghanistan believes that it has &lsquo;sole sovereignty over the water utilities&rsquo; of basin and that it has full authority over its use, storage, diversion, or wastage, sources told The Express Tribune. On the other hand, Pakistan and Iran, as lower riparian countries, assert claims based on historical presence and territorial integrity.

Historically, water usage was initially governed by customary practices, later influenced by colonial legacies, and upon Pakistan&#39;s formation, the border drawn between the two sides that Afghanistan never mutually accepted. There exists no water treaty between Pakistan and Afghanistan, with the current water usage being guided by customary practices.

However, Iran and Afghanistan have a treaty from 1973, allocating Iran a fixed ratio of water at 22 cubic meters per second, along with 4 cubic meters per second as goodwill gestures.

While Afghanistan claims to retain the right to construct dams and reservoirs based on sovereignty formulas, a &quot;benefit-sharing formula&quot; could mutually benefit both countries. International donor agencies have also sponsored such trans-border river projects on the global stage. Studies have also stressed that the issues faced by Pakistan and Iran predominantly stem from poor water management at domestic levels.

Notably, the disputes between Iran-Afghanistan and Pakistan-Afghanistan are primarily political rather than centred on water disputes. The waterways that flow into Pakistan and Iran from Afghanistan contribute significantly to regional agriculture, supplement water levels, create ponds, facilitate transportation and assist in managing waste. Their sources primarily rely on rainwater and glacier melting. However, climate change has drastically altered weather patterns, posing a severe threat to the region&#39;s water politics.

Working towards a solution

First, it&#39;s crucial to question whether Afghanistan truly needs a dam. Constructing a dam downstream on the Kabul River would be &quot;useless,&quot; Dr Shakeel Hayat, the author of two books on shared waters between Afghanistan and Pakistan, told The Express Tribune. The energy generated wouldn&#39;t find much use due to low power consumption in the region. Selling excess energy is a challenge, he highlighted.

&quot;For irrigation purposes, it&#39;s also ineffective,&quot; he continued, pointing out that the river passes through 18 districts and seven provinces where agriculture isn&#39;t substantial. Furthermore, floods recurrently affect these lands, making it impossible to transfer water to nearby provinces.

Moreover, in a worst-case scenario, constructing the dam wouldn&#39;t prevent annual floods but might exacerbate them, becoming an environmental hazard for the region, cautioned Dr Shakeel. In response to the dam, Pakistan could also consider diverting Chitral waters at the Arundo point into its territory, as this notion finds popularity in the area.

Strategically, Afghanistan could generate cheaper energy using their reservoirs. However, the majority of irrigation in downstream K-P depends on the Kabul River. Pakistan faces energy shortages, while Afghanistan heavily relies on food supplies, with around eighty per cent coming from Pakistan, K-P in particular.

A potential solution lies in an agreement between the two sides. K-P could provide food supplies to Afghanistan, while Afghanistan could supply energy to K-P and merged districts, establishing a bartering trade system.

However, if Afghanistan insists on absolute sovereignty, it might pose threats to the region&#39;s ecology. Pakistan, situated upstream in Chitral, could divert water to the Swat River in response. The best resolution would be for both countries to avoid using this issue for political leverage and instead adopt a mutually beneficial formula that serves both sides.]]>
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			<title>Pakistan, Afghanistan sit for talks on issues of ‘mutual concerns’</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2452073/pakistan-afghanistan-sit-for-talks-on-issues-of-mutual-concerns</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2452073/pakistan-afghanistan-sit-for-talks-on-issues-of-mutual-concerns#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Wed, 03 Jan 24 18:17:08 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[kamran.yousaf]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Pakistan]]></category><category><![CDATA[World]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=2452073</guid>
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				<![CDATA[Afghan Taliban leader holds talks in Pakistan amid tensions, discussions involve border security and other issues]]>
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				<![CDATA[A senior aide of Afghan Taliban supreme leader held talks with Pakistani authorities, including the caretaker foreign minister, here on Wednesday amid simmering tensions between the two countries over the cross-border terrorism.

Haji Mullah Shirin, the governor of Kandahar, and Deputy Head of Military Intelligence and Strategy of Afghanistan, is the first senior Taliban figure to have travelled to Islamabad in recent months. Mullah Shirin led the Afghan side at the Pakistan-Afghanistan Joint Coordination Committee (JCC).

Special Envoy on Afghanistan Ambassador Asif Durrani led the Pakistani side. Official sources said that their talks lasted over three hours where issues ranging from the banned Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), border security, deportation of undocumented Afghans and others issues were discussed.

Separately, Mullah Shirin also met with Caretaker Foreign Minister Jalil Abbas Jilani. Statements released both by Pakistan and Afghanistan did not touch the thorny issues explicitly as there seemed deliberate effort not to further deepen tensions.

But the Pakistan foreign minister did mention the issues of mutual concerns. According to the statement issued here by the Foreign Office, Jilani and Shirin exchanged views on &ldquo;key issues of mutual concern&rdquo;, including &ldquo;peace and security&rdquo;, as well as people-to-people contacts.



FM @JalilJilani received Mullah Shirin, Governor of Kandahar today.

He reaffirmed Pakistan&rsquo;s commitment to continued engagement &amp; mutually beneficial ties with Afghanistan.

The two sides agreed to continue high-level engagement and dialogue to further strengthen bilateral&hellip; pic.twitter.com/nzkiyohfcl
&mdash; Spokesperson 🇵🇰 MoFA (@ForeignOfficePk) January 3, 2024



The foreign minister reaffirmed Pakistan&rsquo;s commitment to continued engagement and mutually beneficial ties with Afghanistan. He also underscored the importance of addressing all issues of concern to harness the full potential for regional trade and connectivity.

The visiting Taliban leader, according to the Foreign Office, appreciated Pakistan for the generous support extended to millions of Afghans for over four decades and agreed to continue high-level engagement and dialogue to further strengthen bilateral relations.

Earlier, the Afghan delegation, led by Haji Mullah Shirin, participated in the 6th session of Pakistan-Afghanistan JCC. In the meeting, the two sides discussed coordination mechanisms to facilitate cross-border movement with a view to promoting people-to-people contacts.

A separate statement issued by the Afghan Taliban spokesperson said that the JCC meeting, which alternatively meets in Kabul and Islamabad, the participants would discuss and taker decisions regarding the resolutions of potential conflicts.

Read also:&nbsp;Pak, TTP were close to a deal, claims Afghan FM

&ldquo;During this meeting, as a follow-up to previous sessions, participants will engage in discussions and make essential decisions concerning the resolution of potential conflicts along the Durand Line and the establishment of essential facilities for people on both sides,&rdquo; the statement said.

Tensions between the two neighbours have been building up in recent months because of Kabul&rsquo;s failure in reining in the TTP and its affiliates, which are increasingly targeting the Pakistani security forces.

Pakistan has repeatedly demanded decisive action against the terrorist sanctuaries but the Afghan Taliban government remains adamant that it was not allowing the Afghan soil to be used against the neighbouring country.

Ahead of the Afghan Taliban delegation visit, the acting Afghan defence minister blamed &ldquo;foreign powers&rdquo; for terrorism in Afghanistan. Mullah Yaqub claimed that Tajik and Pakistani nationals were involved in terrorist attacks in Afghanistan.

Observers believe that the statement of Mullah Yaqub might be aimed at deflecting the increased pressure on Kabul from Islamabad. Pakistan has made it clear that the future of its relationship with Afghanistan depends on Kabul&rsquo;s action against the TTP. It is not yet clear if the visit of Mullah Shirin would lead to any breakthrough in the bilateral ties.]]>
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			<title>Taliban chief’s top aide arriving tomorrow</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2451847/taliban-chiefs-top-aide-arriving-tomorrow</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2451847/taliban-chiefs-top-aide-arriving-tomorrow#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Mon, 01 Jan 24 18:49:27 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[kamran.yousaf]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Pakistan]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=2451847</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[Taliban delegation, led by Kandahar Governor Mullah Sherin Akhund, will journey to Pakistan on January 3]]>
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				<![CDATA[The Afghan interim government is striving to mend ties with Pakistan concerning the banned Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) as a close aide of the Afghan Taliban&rsquo;s supreme leader prepares for critical discussions with authorities in Islamabad on Wednesday.

A Taliban delegation, led by Kandahar Governor Mullah Sherin Akhund, will journey to Pakistan on January 3 (tomorrow) in a renewed effort to ease the escalating tensions between the two neighboring countries.

The delegation will include members of the Afghan intelligence, the General Directorate of Information (GDI), as well as representatives from their ministries of defense and information. This meeting marks the first high-level contact between the two nations in months.

Pakistan essentially halted high-level communications with the Afghan Taliban government due to Kabul&rsquo;s failure to curb the TTP and its affiliates.

In recent months, Pakistan has vocally criticised the TTP&rsquo;s use of Afghan soil for launching cross-border terrorist attacks. Islamabad has now publicly accused the Kabul regime of harbouring enemies of Pakistan.

Despite repeated calls to neutralise the TTP threat, terrorist attacks have persisted from across the border. On the final day of 2023, Pakistan thwarted a terrorist attempt to infiltrate and responded to cross-border firing.

Mullah Akhund is scheduled to meet senior Pakistani officials, including Pakistan&rsquo;s Special Representative on Afghanistan Ambassador Asif Durrani. The primary focus of the discussions will revolve around addressing the banned TTP, according to sources.

The two sides will also discuss border fencing, visa-free transit at the Chaman border, handing over TTP members, or relocating them away from border areas, and most importantly, the possibility of reviving talks between Pakistan and the TTP.

Talks would commence initially at the committees&rsquo; level and later proceed to ministry levels. These discussions are likely to be followed by a second round in Kabul next week.

Read&nbsp;Fazl-led delegation of religious scholars set to visit Afghanistan on Jan 3

The delegation will also convey Taliban chief Mullah Habitullah Akhundzada&rsquo;s message to Islamabad on multiple issues and set an agenda for JUI-F chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman&rsquo;s visit to Afghanistan.

A senior Pakistani official informed The Express Tribune on Monday that Pakistan has taken a firm stance, declaring no intention to engage with the terrorist group. &ldquo;Our demand is unequivocal. The Afghan Taliban must prevent the TTP from launching attacks against Pakistan,&rdquo; the official emphasised.

It is believed that the senior aide of the Afghan Taliban&rsquo;s supreme leader aims to persuade Pakistan about the Kabul regime&rsquo;s earnestness in tackling the problem.

The Afghan Taliban government is hesitant to take action against the TTP, citing various reasons.

Instead, Kabul has been urging Pakistan to negotiate with the terrorist outfit.

Officials here are not overly optimistic about Mullah Akhund&rsquo;s visit. &ldquo;Let&rsquo;s await the outcomes of the talks. It&rsquo;s premature to anticipate if this visit will yield any breakthrough,&rdquo; the official remarked.

Observers perceive that the Taliban government faces pressure to meet Pakistan&rsquo;s expectations, given the country&rsquo;s significance for its international recognition. Amid worsening relations, Pakistan recently shifted its policy away from advocating for the Taliban government at international forums.

Last month, Pakistan informed the United Nations Security Council that any engagement with the Taliban government must hinge on actions taken against terrorist organisations, including the TTP.

Mullah Sherin Akhund served as the governor of Kabul from August 24, 2021, to November 7, 2021. He was also a member of the Taliban negotiation team at the Islamic Emirates Qatar Office.

He also served as in-charge of Taliban Movement founder Mullah Omar&rsquo;s security staff during the 1996&ndash;2001 rule of Afghanistan. He was one of Mullah Omar&rsquo;s close associates and also served as the commander of the Taliban military intelligence.

&nbsp;

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			<title>The Twin-Taliban conundrum</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2451644/the-twin-taliban-conundrum</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2451644/the-twin-taliban-conundrum#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Sat, 30 Dec 23 18:00:05 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[Naveed Hussain]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Pakistan]]></category><category><![CDATA[World]]></category>
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				<![CDATA[Tribune tries to find out why Taliban refuse to stem terror emanating from Afghan soil despite evidence of TTP havens]]>
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				<![CDATA[The recent dramatic uptick in terrorist violence has again shone the spotlight on the safe havens of the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) terror group in Afghanistan. &ldquo;Average TTP attacks per month increased from 14.5 in 2020 to 45.8 in 2022 and expanded in geographical scope, reflecting increased operability and improved weaponry acquired when the Afghan government collapsed in August 2021,&rdquo; according to the Global Conflict Tracker. Official stats show that terrorist attacks increased by 60% while suicide attacks surged by a whopping 500% in Pakistan since the Taliban&rsquo;s capture of Kabul.

The TTP continues to use the safe havens and training grounds it had set up in Afghanistan after its rout from Pakistan&rsquo;s western border regions in 2014. The Tehreek-e-Taliban Afghanistan (TTA) is reluctant to stem the terror emanating from Afghan soil despite irrefutable evidence of TTP&rsquo;s support base in their country. Instead, the TTA is publicly in denial of TTP&rsquo;s existence on Afghan soil. This &ldquo;plausible deniability&rdquo; from the Afghan Taliban, who were once wrongly dubbed &ldquo;strategic assets&rdquo; of Pakistan&rsquo;s security apparatus, has led some AfPak watchers to conclude that Pakistan&rsquo;s decades-long Afghan policy might have backfired. The question is why the TTA-ruled Afghanistan is willingly bartering away its vital relationship with Pakistan by shielding the TTP?



The conundrum

It&rsquo;s not an open-ended question. It is a difficult conundrum. One possible reason could be their ideological affinity. The TTA and TTP are believed to be two sides of the same coin. They are &ldquo;ideological twins&rdquo; drawing inspiration from the same source. This makes it difficult for the TTA to crack down on the TTP even if it desires so. But some security experts believe there could also be other factors involved. &ldquo;It is not just ideology that fully explains the Afghan Taliban&rsquo;s inaction against the TTP. Some segments with the TTA are apprehensive that the use of force against the TTP could push thousands of TTP fighters into IS-K&rsquo;s fodder,&rdquo; says Dr Khuram Iqbal, who teaches at the Department of Security Studies and Criminology of Macquarie University in Australia. 

The IS-K, or Islamic State-Khorasan chapter, has emerged as the most potent security threat to the Taliban after the fall of Kabul in August 2021, especially at a time when their nascent regime is grappling with a myriad of near-term challenges, including management of internal tensions, pursuance of international recognition and funding to stave off an economic collapse. But according to Dr Iqbal the TTA fears that a proactive stance against the TTP may inadvertently reinforce IS-K&#39;s narrative that the Afghan Taliban are deviating from the path of jihad. &ldquo;This represents a classic &lsquo;Catch-22&rsquo; scenario for the Afghan Taliban, where decisive actions could inadvertently delegitimise them domestically,&rdquo; he adds.



Inability or unwillingness?

Others believe a sense of camaraderie is the most important, if not the only, reason for the TTA&rsquo;s &ldquo;unwillingness&rdquo; to use military force against the TTP. &ldquo;They were bedfellows in jihad [against US-led foreign forces]. They fought alongside each other for a cause [to oust foreign forces]. They belong to the same Pashtun ethnic group,&rdquo; says Maj Gen (retd) Inamul Haq, who had led the fight against the TTP in Pakistan&rsquo;s border regions. &ldquo;For these reasons, the TTP enjoys a lot of sympathy and support in the TTA rank and file. The TTA fears that any military action against the TTP could threaten to unravel their unity and split the &lsquo;Islamic Emirates of Afghanistan,&rsquo;&rdquo; says Gen Inam.

Like the TTP, the TTA is not a monolithic entity. This is a distinct division of Kandahari versus Khostwaal factions in their ranks. &ldquo;The Khostwaal, the Haqqanis, et el, are a bit pragmatic, but the Kandaharis are ideologues, and they wield the real power among the Taliban. They would not agree to any military action against the TTP,&rdquo; says Gen Inam, who has extensively written on the subject.

The Afghan Taliban have made a commitment in the Doha Agreement that they would not allow the use of their country&rsquo;s soil by any terrorist group, sub-state or non-state actor against another country. Security expert Syed Muhammad Ali believes Afghan administration&rsquo;s current approach towards terrorism seems to lack political will more than physical capability and is against its own national and public interest. &ldquo;The interim Afghan government can only be internationally respected and recognised as a responsible member of the international community once it can be trusted to effectively and verifiably eliminate terrorist organisations from its own territory so that it can receive greater international support, cooperation, investment and recognition,&rdquo; says Ali, who has more than two decades of experience in writing, teaching and negotiations on security and strategic affairs.



Available options

If the TTA lacks &ldquo;political will&rdquo; or is &ldquo;unable&rdquo; or &ldquo;unwilling&rdquo; to take military action against the TTP, then what options are available to Pakistan to safeguard its security interests? Experts say Pakistan has a whole lot of options available, including kinetic action, regulated kinetic action, and negotiations. Kinetic action involves comprehensive military operations like Zarb-e-Azb with the aim to &ldquo;roll back&rdquo; terror gains and to unravel their infrastructure and destroy their command and control system. Regulated kinetic action involves limited or targeted military operations, like the ongoing intelligence-based operations (IBOs), with the aim to regulate threat.

However, the option of negotiation is currently off the table &ndash; at least at the official level. Opponents say that this option is not tenable until the group&rsquo;s fighting capacity is severely degraded, its foot-soldiers surrender, a notion of victory is denied, and their narrative is effectively deoxygenated. Nonetheless, some Pakistani Ulema are said to have launched an unofficial initiative to reach out to the TTA and convince them to rein in the TTP. Little is known of the nascent process led by Fazlur Rehman Khalil and Abdullah Shah Mazhar which does not involve any direct contact with the TTP.

Gen Inam says Pakistan has multiple options available, both in kinetic and non-kinetic domains. &ldquo;We have the economic option. We have the military option. And we have the Afghan refugees option. I think Pakistan has more leverage. The issue is of using it wisely. Coming back to the option of kinetic operation, I think both cis and trans frontier options are available,&rdquo; he says.

The TTP is a conglomerate of several terrorist outfits which has always been riven by centrifugal forces. Several senior TTP commanders, including Omar Khalid Khorasani, Mufti Hassan Swati, Hafiz Dawlat Khan Orakzai, Badshah Khan Mehsud, Ateequr Rehman, aka Tipugul Marwat, Saifullah Babuji, Zakirain, Bismillah, alias Asadullah Pehelwan, and Mudasir Iqbal, have been killed in different parts of Afghanistan over the past couple of years. These mysterious killings have given credence to reports that the TTP has been blighted by infighting. The faultlines within the group could be exploited to wean away the reconcilable elements.



Current approach

Pakistan is pursuing a comprehensive approach, using a combination of the available options, to inflict a decisive defeat on the terrorist groups. &ldquo;This well-planned and coordinated strategy involves armed forces, civil and military intelligence agencies and law-enforcement agencies at the operational level in the form of IBOs as well as kinetic operations against terrorist hideouts and bases,&rdquo; says Ali.

&ldquo;In my assessment Pakistan&#39;s current approach represents a superior and more comprehensive multi-domain CT (counterterrorism) strategy based on synergy between several elements of national power and close civil-military coordination than the previous approach which was more situational as well as mainly relied on either kinetic action or peace talks,&rdquo; according to Ali.

A slew of recent steps, including deportation of illegal aliens and crack down on the black economy and smuggling are further augmenting the kinetic, diplomatic and ideological gains by reducing the social space and financial support of the terrorist organisations which collect money through illegal and criminal activities which range from smuggling, drugs&#39; trade to abductions for money.

Dr Iqbal believes this &ldquo;carrot and stick approach&rdquo; is paying off. &ldquo;Recent developments, such as the apprehension of TTP fighters in Afghanistan, and few statements by some of the Afghan Taliban leaders condemning anti-Pakistan &lsquo;jihad&rsquo; suggest that this approach is yielding some results but not to the complete satisfaction of Islamabad,&rdquo; he says while referring to a statement from the Afghan interior ministry spokesman, Abdul Mateen Qani, earlier this month.

Qani claimed in an interview with TOLOnews that the Taliban regime had arrested about 40 TTP militants over the past year, emphasising Kabul&rsquo;s desire to maintain good relations with all neighbouring states. &ldquo;Today, there is no (terrorist) group operating in Afghanistan,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;There are a large number of Da&rsquo;ish [IS-K] captives with us, and around 35 to 40 TTP fighters are imprisoned by us.&rdquo; Surprisingly, a day after Qani&rsquo;s disclosure, a verified &lsquo;X&rsquo; handle purportedly of the &ldquo;Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan&rdquo;, the name TTA uses for itself for political legitimacy, denied any TTP fighters are in custody. Instead it claimed that the 40 imprisoned fighters are Pakistanis and belong to Da&rsquo;ish.

&ldquo;Plausible deniability&rdquo; aside, reports indicate that the TTA couldn&rsquo;t ignore the irrefutable evidence and has taken some action, leading to the disappearance of large bases in parts of Afghanistan, but the group still maintains small bases, especially in the eastern and southern provinces of Kunar, Nuristan, Paktia, Paktika, Khost, Zabul and Nangarhar. Even if the TTA is to be believed that there is no &ldquo;state-level&rdquo; support for the TTP in Afghanistan, the terror group does enjoy considerable support at the local level.



Uneasy relationship 

The Taliban regime has reacted angrily to the Pakistani government move to deport illegal Afghan immigrants with senior Taliban officials going as far as hurling veiled threats. Some rights groups and international organisations and countries have also criticised the decision disregarding Pakistan&rsquo;s growing security concerns. Investigations show that most of the recent terrorist violence, including some brazen mass causality attacks, involved Afghan nationals. Surprisingly, the generalised criticism conveniently ignores that Pakistan is neither expelling registered Afghan refugees nor those having valid travel permits or even some kind of document legalising their stay in the country. 

The hostile rhetoric from Taliban officials begs the question: why or if the TTA is turning against Pakistan? AfPak watchers believe the TTA is trying to appease the strategically cultivated anti-Pakistan sentiment for broader political legitimacy and to cast off the Pakistan&rsquo;s proxy tag. Gen Inam says that the Afghans and Pakistan have never been easy bedfellows. Differences between them have been there all along, but they used to be brushed under the carpet in favour of more strategic objectives. Say, for example, the Afghans have a position on the Durand Line which does not align with Pakistan&rsquo;s stance. 

&ldquo;The Taliban have a position on the TTP. They are unlikely to budge. It was overask from our side. We had taken for granted that the Taliban after recapturing power in Afghanistan would deal with the TTP problem,&rdquo; Gen Inam adds. However, he is not pessimistic about the future trajectory of the relationship of the two neighbours who are like &ldquo;conjoined twins.&rdquo; 



The terror nexus

For years, the spy agencies of India and Afghanistan had colluded with the TTP and Baloch separatists for the shared objective of destabilising Pakistan. The Taliban&rsquo;s return to power hasn&rsquo;t stopped TTP&rsquo;s terror campaign, leading many to question our strategic assessment. &ldquo;The TTP received funding from RAW through different tiers. Our intelligence assessment, our understanding of the nexus, our policy, everything was right,&rdquo; says Gen Inam. &ldquo;We knew everything since long, but our objective was more strategic: to pacify the dual front security scenario which we successfully achieved.&rdquo;

Of late, several smaller Baloch groups joined forces with the TTP to create a more lethal security challenge for Pakistan. This alignment of interests allowed the TTP to make inroads in the areas of Balochistan where it received strong pushbacks from Baloch groups in the past. The two sides, however, make strange bedfellows as the TTP professes religious motivation for its bloody campaign, while the Baloch insurgency is purely secular in nature. &ldquo;The relationship between sub-nationalist and religiously motivated terrorist organisations is benign, complex, and utalitation rather than ideological or cultural because both seek international support from the same international source and share the agenda of threatening Pakistan and its state institutions and discouraging foreign direct investment, despite their mutual cultural and ideological differences,&rdquo; says Ali. 



Strategic patience 

Last month, the caretaker information minister of Balochistan, Jan Achakzai, suggested that Pakistan may also consider hosting US drone bases to target the TTP, IS-K and other terrorist groups operating from Afghanistan. The statement came a day after at least 23 Pakistani servicemen were martyred in a brazen terrorist attack a compound used by the military in DI Khan district. Achakzai deleted the suggestion only hours after posting it on &ldquo;X&rdquo;, but it did make headlines internationally.

Gen Inam advises strategic patience to avoid any policy misstep that might have long-term implications. He believes the TTA-TTP marriage of interest would fall apart sooner or later &ndash; and he has several reasons to believe that. The TTP would become a strategic liability; pragmatism would override ideological affinity; TTP might threaten Afghanistan&rsquo;s sovereignty by becoming a potential stakeholder; TTP might become a hurdle in Taliban regime&rsquo;s effort to establish its writ across the country; and social pressure would also shrink space for the TTP. &ldquo;I think we should give time to the TTP issue. It would get resolved on its own with the passage of time,&rdquo; says Gen Inam. &ldquo;The TTP fighters would get old, die, and get fed up with their unpopular jihad.&rdquo;

However, this does not mean Pakistan could lower its guard. It should vigorously pursue the current multi-pronged strategy, including regulated kinetic action, to dismantle the TTP&rsquo;s local infrastructure, eliminate its sleeper cells in the urban centres, deoxygenate its ideology, choke its local support, bust its facilitators and abettors, and tighten border controls to stop infiltrations.

Dr Iqbal believes Pakistan needs to weigh its options with meticulous calculation in order to safeguard its short-term security and long-term geopolitical interests in the region. &ldquo;Islamabad needs to strike a delicate balance between coercion and motivation to ensure a friendly neighbourhood on its western border. This is crucial especially when Pakistan is increasingly squeezed by a much larger and assertive neighbour on the east,&rdquo; he says.

Afghanistan holds a pivotal position in Islamabad&rsquo;s ambitious pivot towards a geo-economic focus, says Dr Iqbal. &ldquo;A misstep in coercive actions could have far-reaching consequences on the economic objectives that Pakistan is aiming to achieve amid tectonic shifts in regional and global geopolitics.&rdquo; 

Gen Inam says that the Pak-Afghan relationship is strategic in nature and requires a strategic approach. The Taliban regime needs to wake up because &ldquo;strategic patience&rdquo; is wearing thin as Islamabad has now made future relationship with Kabul contingent on &ldquo;verifiable action&rdquo; against the TTP. Pragmatism should prevail over plausible deniability. The sooner the better.]]>
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			<title>Taliban rule 'made girlhood illegal', says Malala</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2449025/taliban-rule-made-girlhood-illegal-says-malala</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2449025/taliban-rule-made-girlhood-illegal-says-malala#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Tue, 05 Dec 23 17:58:53 +0500</pubDate>
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				<![CDATA[AFP]]>
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			<category><![CDATA[World]]></category>
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				<![CDATA[Malala Yousafzai calls Taliban rule in Afghanistan 'gender apartheid,' urges it to be a crime against humanity]]>
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				<![CDATA[Nobel Peace Prize laureate Malala Yousafzai said Tuesday that Taliban rule in Afghanistan has made &quot;girlhood illegal&quot;, as she called for gender apartheid to be made a crime against humanity.

In a speech marking the 10th anniversary of the death of South Africa&rsquo;s Nelson Mandela, the activist said: &quot;The Taliban have made girlhood illegal, and it is taking a toll.&quot;

She highlighted how Afghan girls frozen out of school are &quot;experiencing depression&quot;, &quot;turning to narcotics&quot; and &quot;attempting suicide&quot;.

Malala was the keynote speaker at an annual event held by the Mandela Foundation to commemorate the anti-apartheid icon and fellow Nobel Peace Prize winner.

After slamming what she called the &quot;unjust bombardment of Gaza&quot; by Israel since the unprecedented October 7 attacks by Hamas, she said crises in Gaza, Ukraine and Sudan had diverted attention from the treatment of women and girls in Afghanistan.

&quot;Our first imperative is to call the regime in Afghanistan what it really is. It is a gender apartheid,&quot; said Malala who was 15 when a group shot her in the head over her campaign for girls&#39; education.



Nelson Mandela&rsquo;s widow Graca Machel listens to Malala give her lecture. PHOTO: AFP

Access to education and work for girls and women has been severely restricted since the Taliban leaders took back power in August 2021.

Teenage girls and women are barred from schools and universities. Thousands of women have lost their government jobs -- or are being paid to stay home.

Read also:&nbsp;Streets and schools will soon be under fire again: Malala calls for a full ceasefire in Gaza

Girls and women are also prohibited from entering parks, funfairs or gyms.

&quot;South Africans fought for racial apartheid to be recognised and criminalised at the international level. In the process, they drew more of the world&#39;s attention to the horrors of apartheid,&quot; Malala told a packed Johannesburg theatre.

&quot;But gender apartheid has not been explicitly codified yet,&quot; she said.

&quot;We have an opportunity to do that right now,&quot; she added, calling for the definition to be inserted in a new UN treaty that is currently being debated.

Malala, former US secretary of state Hillary Clinton and other leading activists are campaigning for UN member states to amend a draft crimes against humanity treaty to include gender apartheid.]]>
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			<title>China says Afghan Taliban must reform before full diplomatic ties</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2448998/china-says-afghan-taliban-must-reform-before-full-diplomatic-ties</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2448998/china-says-afghan-taliban-must-reform-before-full-diplomatic-ties#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Tue, 05 Dec 23 09:40:56 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[AFP]]>
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			<category><![CDATA[World]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=2448998</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[Beijing does not formally recognise Afghanistan's Taliban rulers, but hosts ambassadors and maintain diplomacy]]>
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				<![CDATA[China said on Tuesday Afghanistan&#39;s Taliban government will need to introduce political reforms, improve security and mend relations with its neighbours before receiving full diplomatic recognition.

Beijing does not formally recognise Afghanistan&#39;s Taliban rulers, although both countries host each others&#39; ambassadors and have maintained diplomatic engagement.

&quot;China has always believed that Afghanistan should not be excluded from the international community,&quot; foreign ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin said on Tuesday when asked if China would now recognise the Taliban government.

&quot;We hope that Afghanistan will further respond to the expectations of the international community, build an open and inclusive political structure (and) implement moderate and stable domestic and foreign policies,&quot; he said.

Wang also said China urged Kabul to &quot;resolutely combat all types of terrorist forces, live in harmony with all countries around the world, especially neighbouring countries, and integrate with the international community at an early date&quot;.

Read&nbsp;Inaugural China-Afghanistan consignment via TIR agreement sets new milestone

&quot;As the concerns of all parties receive stronger responses, diplomatic recognition of the Afghan government will naturally follow,&quot; he said.

The Taliban government has not been officially recognised by any country since seizing power after the chaotic withdrawal of US troops in August 2021.

However, Kabul and Beijing have maintained some ties.

Afghanistan&#39;s new rulers have promised the country would not be used as a base for militants and, in exchange, China has offered economic support and investment for reconstruction.

China&#39;s foreign ministry said in a position paper on Afghanistan released this year that it &quot;respects the independent choices made by the Afghan people, and respects the religious beliefs and national customs&quot;.]]>
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			<title>Afghan Taliban say killed 12 ISKP leaders in 2023</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2448476/afghan-taliban-say-killed-12-iskp-leaders-in-2023</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2448476/afghan-taliban-say-killed-12-iskp-leaders-in-2023#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Thu, 30 Nov 23 07:02:27 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[Shahabulah Yousufzai]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Pakistan]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=2448476</guid>
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				<![CDATA[GDI launches an operation to eradicate Islamic State Khorasan Province]]>
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				<![CDATA[The intelligence agency of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (IEA), since the beginning of this year, has eliminated 12 top Islamic State Khorasan Province (ISKP) leaders in Afghanistan in their war against the terrorist group.

The General Directorate of Intelligence (GDI) launched an operation earlier this year to eradicate the ISKP, a militant group. In February, the Afghan Taliban administration&rsquo;s special forces killed ISKP&rsquo;s intelligence and military chief, commonly known as Kotar in Kabul, while arresting another high-ranking leader of the terrorist group in a separate operation.

According to the details shared by IEA, the GDI has so far neutralised the leader of Islamic State Hind Province (ISHP), the Justice and Media head of ISKP, an ISKP leadership council member, the ISKP&rsquo;s head of operations for Kabul city, the ISKP&rsquo;s head of military for Herat province, the ISKP head of guerilla operations for Kabul province, the deputy of the current ISKP leader and ISKP head for Central Zone, the ISKP&rsquo;s governor for Laghman province, ISKP&rsquo;s head for Nimroz province as well as the ISKP head for migration department.

Read &lsquo;ISKP second-in-command eliminated in Afghanistan&rsquo;

The operation by the Afghan Taliban commenced during Pakistan and Afghanistan&rsquo;s negotiations regarding the tackling of the threats posed by the banned Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) after a high-level delegation led by the country&rsquo;s former defence minister, Khawaja Asif visited Kabul on February 2023.

The visit had come after terrorist attacks in Peshawar Police Lines and Karachi Police Office earlier this year compelled Pakistani authorities to reach out to the Afghan Taliban.



Top 12 ISIS leaders/officials have been killed in Afghanistan since the beginning of this year. pic.twitter.com/VEghLVcVig
&mdash; Almirsad English (@AlmirsadEnglish) November 29, 2023



During their meeting, the officials from the Afghan Taliban administration had shared details of the ongoing operations against certain militant groups.

The information shared by the IEA today includes the details of the ISKP terrorists killed by the GDI:


	Ijaz Amin Ahangar aka Abu Usman al-Kashmiri, originally from the Srinagar district of Kashmir, was the leader of Islamic State Hind Province (ISHP)/Daesh India. He was killed on February 13, 2023, in the Kart-e-Naw area of Police District 8 (PD8), Kabul City, in an overnight operation conducted by the GDI.
	Kotar aka Qari Musa/Qari Fateh/Abbas Omari originally from Dago village of the Chaparhar district of Nangarhar province, was the Military and Intelligence head of Islamic State Khorasan Province (ISKP)/Daesh Afghanistan. He was killed on February 26, 2023, in the Khairkhana area of PD17, Kabul city in an overnight operation.
	Ziauddin Hakeem Syed aka Mohammad/Abu Saad originally from the Nangalam village of Pech Valley of the Manogay district, Kunar province, was the Justice and Media head of ISKP and was also the ex-interim leader of ISKP. He was killed on March 17, 2023, in Mazar-e-Sharif city of Balkh province, in an overnight operation.
	Abu Omar Afridi, originally from the Khyber district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, Pakistan, was an ISKP leadership council member. He was killed on March 17, 2023, in Mazar-e-Sharif city of Balkh province, in an overnight operation.
	Asad Laghmani aka Qais originally from Laghman province, was the ISKP head of operations for Kabul city. He was killed on March 21, 2023, in Batkhak village near PD12, Kabul City, in an overnight operation.
	Doctor Hussain, originally from Herat province, was an ISKP leadership council member and ISKP head of military for Herat province. He was killed on April 5, 2023, in the Mashwanian area of PD9, Herat City, the capital of Herat province, in an overnight operation.
	Omar Burhan, originally from the Kohat district of Kohat division, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, Pakistan, was the ISKP head of guerilla operations for Kabul province. He was killed on April 12, 2023, at Batkhak intersection in the Bagrami District, Kabul in an overnight operation.
	Engineer Omar aka Haider, Fareedon and Sikandar, originally from the Bagrami district of Kabul province, was the Deputy of the current ISKP leader and ISKP head for Central Zone. He was killed on May 5, 2023, in Shamshad street, near the Batkhak intersection, Bagrami District, in an overnight operation.
	Turab Khan, originally from Kandigal village, Alingar District of Laghman province, was the ISKP Governor for Laghman province. He was killed on May 31, 2023, in Khewa district, Nangarhar province, in an overnight operation.
	Najib, originally from Kunduz province, was the ISKP head for Nimroz province, He was killed on July 15, 2023, in Mirwais township, Bagrami District, Kabul province, in an overnight operation.
	Anas, originally from Uzbekistan, was in charge of orchestrating ISKP operations in Kabul city. He was killed on July 15, 2023, in Mirwais township, Bagrami District, Kabul province, in an overnight operation.
	Abdullah, originally from Kabul province, was the ISKP head of the migration department. Although there is no information on the exact date and location of his killing, based on the number of operations conducted by the GDI, he was most likely killed in the first half of this year.


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			<title>Afghan envoy told to extradite man behind Bannu attack</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2448329/afghan-envoy-told-to-extradite-man-behind-bannu-attack</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2448329/afghan-envoy-told-to-extradite-man-behind-bannu-attack#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Wed, 29 Nov 23 04:36:19 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[Kamran Yusuf]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Pakistan]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=2448329</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[Pakistan summons Taliban govt diplomat to convey four demands]]>
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				<![CDATA[The Foreign Office on Tuesday summoned the head of the Afghan diplomatic mission in Pakistan and conveyed to him four demands, including the extradition of Hafiz Gul Bahadur, whose group was responsible for the recent suicide attack in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa&rsquo;s Bannu district.

The representative of the Afghan Embassy in Pakistan was called to the FO to lodge a protest against the Nov 26 suicide attack in Bannu in which two civilians were killed and 10 others, including three soldiers, injured.

Pakistani investigations concluded that the suicide bomber was an Afghan national.

This was the 16th suicide attack carried out by an Afghan national in Pakistan.

Although, the FO did not issue any handout, sources told The Express Tribune that Pakistan conveyed its serious concern to the Taliban diplomat over the repeated use of Afghan soil to carry out attacks in the country.

They revealed that the Afghan representative was conveyed four key demands.

Those demands included a complete investigation into the Bannu attack and stern action against its perpetrators as well as abettors.

The sources said Pakistan also demanded immediate &ldquo;verifiable actions&rdquo; against all terrorist groups and their sanctuaries in the neighbouring country.

Similarly, the Afghan Taliban representative was told to apprehend Hafiz Gul Bahadur &ndash; who once headed an off-shoot of the TTP &ndash; and hand him over to Pakistan.

Islamabad also reiterated its demand that the Kabul regime should prevent the use of Afghan soil for terrorist attacks inside Pakistan.

Read&nbsp;Kabul seeks &lsquo;alternatives&rsquo; to tackle TTP

It is not clear if the Afghan regime paid any heed to Islamabad&rsquo;s latest demands as it has in the past refused to act against the terrorist outfit Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and its affiliates.

Tensions have been running high between the two countries for months over the issue.

Despite repeated demands, the Afghan Taliban government has been reluctant to neutralise the TTP.

Instead, the Afghan Taliban regime is still pushing for the revival of talks between Pakistan and the TTP.

The Afghan Taliban recently asked Pakistan to suggest alternatives to tackle the TTP problem.

The reason for the Afghan Taliban&rsquo;s hesitation to act against the TTP stems from its long association with the terrorist outfit.

However, Pakistani officials in recent days minced no words that the Afghan Taliban were controlling the TTP.

Since the return of the Afghan Taliban to power in the neighbouring country in Aug 2021, the number of terrorist attacks in Pakistan went up by 60% while suicide attacks by a staggering 500%.]]>
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			<title>Kabul seeks ‘alternatives’ to tackle TTP</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2448231/kabul-seeks-alternatives-to-tackle-ttp</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2448231/kabul-seeks-alternatives-to-tackle-ttp#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Tue, 28 Nov 23 04:19:56 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[Kamran Yousuf]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Pakistan]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=2448231</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[Sources maintain recent contacts between Pakistan and Afghanistan could not break deadlock]]>
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				<![CDATA[The Afghan Taliban government has asked Pakistan to suggest alternative ways to tackle the banned Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) as Kabul has flatly refused to use force against the terrorist outfit.
Tensions between Pakistan and Afghanistan have been running high for months over the TTP issue. At the heart of the stalemate is the reluctance by the Afghan Taliban to rein in the TTP.

Despite simmering tensions, the two countries have been in touch through appropriate channels to deal with the situation.

Sources familiar with the development told The Express Tribune on Monday that recent contacts could not break the deadlock as the Afghan Taliban remained stuck to their stance.

While Pakistan has pushed for the use of force to neutralise the TTP, the Taliban regime has been urging for alternative ways to deal with the problem.

The Afghan media reports quoting unnamed Taliban officials said Kabul would not take action against the TTP for two main reasons &ndash; TTP fought alongside the Taliban during the US-led military campaign in Afghanistan &ndash; secondly, it is against the Afghan tradition to act against their &ldquo;guests.&rdquo;

Similarly, the Afghan Taliban feared that any punitive action against the TTP would compel its fighters to join the Daesh terrorist outfit, which the Afghan Taliban consider as their number one enemy.

Sources noted that the Afghan Taliban were giving the same reason to Pakistan for their lack of action against the TTP, adding that this policy was not acceptable to Islamabad.

It is believed that the Afghan Taliban wanted the resumption of talks between Pakistan and the TTP. Islamabad has abandoned the process after the change of army command in November last year. Also, the previous rounds of talks could not produce the desired results as the number of terrorist attacks has only gone up.

Read&nbsp;Pakistan weighs options to tackle cross-border TTP threat

Pakistan has set a clear precondition for any talks with the TTP which envisages that the terrorist outfit completely lays down arms, submit to Pakistan&rsquo;s Constitution and law and only then Islamabad could consider dialogue.

However, the Taliban government wanted Pakistan to adhere to reported commitments it made during talks held earlier. Taliban officials reportedly claimed that 90 per cent of issues between Pakistan and the TTP were sorted out before the talks broke down.

However, sources here said the TTP wanted the restoration of status of Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) and giving the group liberty to operate in parts of the bordering areas.

Sources said Pakistan would not compromise on its territorial integrity and sovereignty. Taliban were told in clear terms that Pakistan would not negotiate with terrorists.

Since the Taliban return to power, the number of terrorist attacks rose by 60 per cent while the suicide attacks went up by 500 per cent.

The surge in violence was contrary to Pakistan&#39;s expectations. Islamabad at the time of Kabul&#39;s fall hoped that the Afghan Taliban government would take care of its security concerns. But the situation only got worse.]]>
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			<title>Afghan foreign minister to takeover mandate of deputy premier</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2448059/afghan-foreign-minister-to-takeover-mandate-of-deputy-premier</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2448059/afghan-foreign-minister-to-takeover-mandate-of-deputy-premier#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Sun, 26 Nov 23 12:25:56 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[Anadolu Agency]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[World]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=2448059</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[Deputy Premier Abdul Kabir missing from official meetings since September, Taliban say he is not feeling well]]>
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				<![CDATA[Afghanistan&#39;s acting Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi will temporarily assume the duties of deputy prime minister, local media said on Saturday.

Afghan Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid said that Muttaqi will temporarily take over the responsibilities of Mawlawi Abdul Kabir due to his illness, Tolo News reported.

Muttaqi will work and advise to acting Prime Minister Mullah Mohammad Hasan Akhund over domestic and foreign policy, it added.

Read also:&nbsp;Germany blasts Taliban official&#39;s appearance at Cologne mosque

&quot;Following up on domestic and foreign policy have been entrusted to the minister of foreign affairs, and the head of the political deputy PM&#39;s office should carry out the other work and activities,&rdquo; the broadcaster quoted Mujahid as saying.

Kabir has been missing from official meetings since September and his office said that he is not feeling well.

&quot;We hope that he will return to his duties in the coming days. He participates in consultations and gave advice to the government, but he did not visit his office because the physicians had urged him to take a rest,&rdquo; said Hassan Haqyar, head of the media directorate of the political deputy premier, according to Tolo.]]>
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			<title>The Afghan imbroglio</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2447744/the-afghan-imbroglio</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2447744/the-afghan-imbroglio#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Thu, 23 Nov 23 17:53:53 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[shahzad chaudhry]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Opinion]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=2447744</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[Over 3.5 million Afghans in the garb of refugees have upturned our social, economic and political matrices in KP]]>
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				<![CDATA[We have let this build on till we found ourselves immersed neck-deep in a self-created mess without a neat way out. Wages of misconception? Or sins of dereliction? Whatever may underwrite such callous handling of matters with another state, a not so affable neighbour, a brotherly state with whom fraternity seeps deep down over generations in ethno-religious intermixing that recognises no borders &mdash; under an internationally recognised obligation of easement facilitation &mdash; and yet, hostile to us in its intent, conduct and treatment; we have walked into a crisis of our own creation. If that isn&rsquo;t an affliction, what is? 

Afghanistan&rsquo;s reservations on an internationally recognised border and its claims on lands under Pakistan are well known. What was agreed between Afghan king Dost Mohammad and the British in India in 1893 may have run out in 1993 after a hundred years of its life but the Brits have since left and a new nation, now 76 years old, has inherited both the rights and obligations of that incumbency. The journey of coexistence has not been without its lows and yet we have kept pretensions. Earlier there was the concern of a second front even if it already existed in sentiment but we had never gone to war. When India initiated one on the eastern borders the Afghans chose to act nice. And they have never let us forget that: &lsquo;We could, and we didn&rsquo;t; remember that, always.&rsquo; Whether they could with any effect is open to question, but it could have acted as an inconvenient distraction. I guess they are making up for it now. Dispensations may have changed but the sentiment has prevailed. One can&rsquo;t even call it love-hate.

Afghan dependence on Pakistan is unparalleled in current times. Even Nepal exercises better sovereignty with India than how Afghanistan is indulged by us. Since the Taliban came to power, we have assumed the role of its magnanimous benefactors. None in the world recognises the regime and even if they did all Afghan trade must be facilitated through Pakistan. This has been going on since Pakistan came into being but now much more so since we act as their agents for all their needs and import or export on their behalf. They import with careless abandon using the FE from the Pakistani open market to smuggle the goods back into Pakistan making a windfall either way. As a result, smuggling is rampant &mdash; it was a way of life already, now it is an act of charitable benevolence. 

The over 3.5 million Afghans in the garb of refugees have upturned our social, demographic, economic and political matrices in KP as indeed in many major cities of Pakistan. Half of them are certified refugees, all others are illegal aliens who have found comfort in a corrupt and a compromised state apparatus where naturalisation comes easy in commercial transactions. They have taken over businesses and trucking, and are the prime dealers in Afghani, PKR and the USD in unregulated yet totally exposed and open illegal markets peddling their wares in public spaces. Want to know why USD is breaching all ranges and the PKR trashed, visit Peshawar and deal in all that you can muster. 

Afghans sell and buy these dollars to import what can be smuggled back into Pakistan throttling its rupee, its economy and the lives of the impoverished which number now officially stands at forty per cent of the 240 million Pakistanis. Inflation, humungous debt, unbearable discount rates, windfalls, unexplained wealth, a threatening default, a tanking economy &mdash; go, look for the roots in Kabul or Peshawar. The latter is now truly Kabul&rsquo;s strategic depth. Heck, of the nine trillion PKR currency in rotation, one-third is owned and retained by Afghan nationals. They are the modern hitmen of a target (Pakistan&rsquo;s) economy. What they may lack in arms and armour they make up in subverting the economy. Modern wars look quite like it. The lack of arms too is misplaced. The equipment Americans left behind when evacuating is patently in the hands of the larger Taliban fraternity including the TTP. 

Yet, they are neighbours and Muslim brethren with whom we share ethnic, religious and familial bonds over centuries. We sustain our conjoined twins with all we can offer at serious cost to ourselves. Their needs for cattle, wheat, flour and sugar and every other commodity are magnanimously and through great state benevolence scurried across as law looks the other way. In turn, opportunists on both sides use the transit-trade facility to order what we most lavishly love in indulgence and ostentation in reverse enablement even if illegal. The state of Pakistan does not import even an ounce of gold or a strand of silk, yet our markets are resplendent with these provisions; courtesy &mdash; Afghan trade. Imagine what the state loses in taxes and why the state remains poor and the moneyed elites filthy-rich. Peshawar and Kabul are indeed inseparable strategic depths for each other. General Aslam Beg Mirza may have uttered these words in an intellectual fit, but time and indulgence have bestowed the notion a greater meaning and a perpetual life. 

It could have stayed that way for eons had the TTP not spoiled the show. They harbour deeper notions imbued with heavenly fervour and zealousness to colour the land of Pathans in their hue. Huge pain to an already stretched and extended Pakistan has rendered the ensuing insurgency an existential threat. TTP&rsquo;s Afghan lords watch in amusement as a frenemy &mdash; a closet enemy &mdash; is pushed on the ropes. It implicitly challenges and dilutes Pakistan&rsquo;s stance on the Pak-Afghan border and threatens to bring the lands under Pashtuns into one integrated region as has been the dream over centuries. Just that it doesn&rsquo;t meld well with how Pakistan envisions its obligations as a twenty-first century nation-state. 

A nation-state must control its borders, not permit illegal aliens on its soil, regulate entry and exit and be able to defend itself to ensure uninterrupted pursuit of a nation&rsquo;s will and preference for its society, economy and polity. Paramilitaries, law enforcement, immigration, customs and border control and the government have a role to fulfil these obligations. And they must. But then we have this great ethnic soft spot for the brethren across and wish to keep them in good humour &mdash; the archaic interpretation of strategic depth already stands trumped. Trade should be strictly regulated per bilateral agreements without being blinded by convention and benevolence. Easement facilitation will need elaborate visa control regimes. Illegal residents need to be expelled. Those who mean harm need to be exterminated and where they might avail safe havens across the border they need to be appropriately engaged. 

We shouldn&rsquo;t shy away under any pretext to reclaim the mantle of a viable nation-state. Hopefully Afghans too will understand.

Published in The Express Tribune, November 24th, 2023.

Like Opinion &amp; Editorial on Facebook, follow @ETOpEd on Twitter to receive all updates on all our daily pieces.]]>
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			<title>Germany blasts Taliban official's appearance at Cologne mosque</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2447341/germany-blasts-taliban-officials-appearance-at-cologne-mosque</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2447341/germany-blasts-taliban-officials-appearance-at-cologne-mosque#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Mon, 20 Nov 23 15:24:58 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[AFP]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[World]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=2447341</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[Germany condemns Taliban official's mosque appearance in Cologne, seeks explanations from Turkish organisation Ditib]]>
			</description>
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				<![CDATA[Germany on Monday condemned an appearance by a Taliban official at a mosque in Cologne, with the interior minister demanding explanations from the Turkish organisation running the Islamic site.

Abdul Bari Omar, who is an official with the Taliban-run health authority in Afghanistan, attended the mosque to speak at a conference organised by an Afghan association in the city.

&quot;The appearance of a representative of the Taliban in Cologne is completely unacceptable and must be strongly condemned.

&quot;No-one should offer radical Islamists a platform in Germany,&quot; said Interior Minister Nancy Faeser.

She urged Ditib, the Turkish-Islamic association managing the mosque in the city&#39;s Chorweiler district to explain &quot;how it could have been possible that the room was used&quot; in this manner.

Ditib&#39;s management said it had no prior knowledge of the Taliban official&#39;s planned appearance.

&quot;Contrary to the original contract, it was transformed into a political event and a speaker who was not known to us had been invited,&quot; it said.

Read also: Afghan sisters take battle against Taliban to Cologne

Ditib rejected &quot;any proximity -- even spiritual -- to the Taliban&quot;.

The foreign ministry said the Taliban official had not been issued with a visa to enter Germany.

He had apparently been able to travel to the country using a Schengen visa issued by a &quot;neighbouring country&quot;, it added.

Local media said Omar had arrived from the Netherlands, where he had participated in a World Health Organization conference in early November.

Since the Taliban swept back to power in August 2021, billions of dollars in aid and assets have been frozen by the West in what the United Nations has described as an &quot;unprecedented fiscal shock&quot; to the aid-dependent Afghan economy.

Ditib -- the Turkish-Islamic Union for Religious Affairs -- is one of the largest Islamic organisations in Germany.]]>
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			<title>Repatriated girls face bleak future</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2447218/repatriated-girls-face-bleak-future</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2447218/repatriated-girls-face-bleak-future#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Sun, 19 Nov 23 18:45:37 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[Wisal Yousafzai]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Khyber Pakhtunkhwa]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=2447218</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[With Taliban’s ban on girls education, deported females say goodbye to academic aspirations]]>
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				<![CDATA[As schoolchildren across the country eagerly await growing up and pursuing their dream careers, Afghan girls deported back home to life under the extremist Taliban government resent the cruelty of maturing. They bid farewell not only to their friends and neighborhoods but also to their hopes of living an accomplished life.

For ten-year-old Palwasha, a third-generation Afghan immigrant born and raised in Azad Kashmir, Pakistan was her home. Even though she had only studied until Grade 5 at a local government school, Palwasha dreamt of growing up and pursuing a career in medicine. However, fate took a turn for Palwasha and many other school-going immigrant girls when the government decided to repatriate illegal Afghan aliens to their native country.

&ldquo;In Afghanistan, the Taliban have banned girls&rsquo; education from Grade 6 onwards. How will I ever fulfill my dream of studying medicine?&rdquo; pressed Palwasha, who felt that countless girls like her would have to sacrifice their dreams of earning a degree upon entering a life of repression across the border.

Concurring with Palwasha, Jalal Khan, her father, also shared his worries for his daughter&rsquo;s future in Afghanistan. &ldquo;While we are very indebted to the Pakistan government for providing education and employment to our families for the past four decades, its recent decision to send us back to Afghanistan will destroy the academic prospects of our daughters,&rdquo; resented Khan, who believed that Pakistan was no less a safe haven for Afghan women and children than developed European countries.

According to data obtained by The Express Tribune from the Chief Commissionerate for Afghan Refugees, at least 202,975 illegal Afghan immigrants, including 44,460 women and 101,230 children, have thus far been repatriated to Afghanistan via the Torkham border in K-P.

Sharing his insight on the matter, Ijaz Afridi, Vice President of the Sarhad Chamber of Commerce and Industries, opined that Pakistan must not turn away any Afghan immigrants who wish to create a better future for their children in Pakistan through the legal route.

&ldquo;Just the way our own people are settling in countries abroad, we too must facilitate any Afghan immigrant who wishes to build a life in Pakistan by issuing them work and business visas,&rdquo; addressed Afridi, who further acknowledged that Afghan businessmen had significantly contributed to developing Peshawar&rsquo;s economy.

&ldquo;In Peshawar, one in every ten traders used to be an Afghan immigrant,&rdquo; he added.

This situation, however, was reversed on October 3rd when the federal government announced its decision to repatriate almost one million Afghan aliens back to Afghanistan, out of which approximately 400,000 were based in K-P.

Speaking to the Express Tribune on the matter, Feroze Jamal Shah Kakakhel, Caretaker Information Minister of K-P, said, &ldquo;The involvement of illegal Afghan aliens in acts of terrorism against our state and people has been proven on several occasions. Sending back the unregistered immigrants will not only reduce the crime rate in Peshawar but will also create business opportunities for the local people. The K-P government&rsquo;s repatriation process is in line with the United Nations (UN) protocols.&rdquo;

Published in The Express Tribune, November 20th, 2023.]]>
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			<title>FM links Afghan trade to anti-TTP steps</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2446365/fm-links-afghan-trade-to-anti-ttp-steps</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2446365/fm-links-afghan-trade-to-anti-ttp-steps#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Tue, 14 Nov 23 12:41:53 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[AFP]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Pakistan]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=2446365</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[Kabul wants its 3,000 containers stuck at Karachi port released]]>
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				<![CDATA[Caretaker Foreign Minister Jalil Abbas Jilani on Tuesday told a visiting Afghan cabinet member that the full potential of regional trade and connectivity could be harnessed with &ldquo;collective action against terrorism&rdquo;.

Alhaj Nooruddin Azizi, the acting Afghan commerce minister, was in Islamabad to attend a tripartite huddle of Pakistan, Afghanistan, and Uzbekistan.

On the sidelines of the meeting, he met the interim foreign minister and discussed bilateral issues including the current move by Pakistan to deport Afghans illegally living in the country.

A Foreign Office statement read that the Jilani received the acting Afghan minister and reaffirmed Pakistan&rsquo;s commitment to have mutually beneficial ties with the neighbouring country.

&ldquo;The foreign minister said [the] full potential for regional trade and connectivity [could] be harnessed with collective action against terrorism,&rdquo; it added.

His statement suggests that Islamabad has linked any progress towards trade and regional connectivity with Kabul to the Afghan Taliban regime taking concrete steps against the banned Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP).

The issue has emerged as a major stumbling block as despite repeated demands by Pakistan, the Afghan Taliban government is reluctant to take action against the TTP.

Tensions have deepened in recent weeks between the two countries after Pakistan decided to deport all Afghans illegally residing in the country.

A statement issued by the Embassy of Afghanistan read that Azizi discussed bilateral trade with the interim Pakistani minister, especially the stranded goods of Afghan traders at Karachi port.

Pakistan authorities say they have lost millions of dollars in taxes because goods are being sent duty-free from its ports to land-locked Afghanistan, and then smuggled back across the border.

Afghan authorities say Pakistan has stopped more than 3,000 Afghanistan-bound containers at Karachi Port while demanding more tax and duty payments, causing millions of dollars in losses to its traders.

The goods include high-end electronics, machine parts, chemicals and textiles -- all of which attract huge tariffs if imported to Pakistan.

The quantities of these goods destined for Afghanistan have soared in the past two years and are unrealistic given the size of the market there, Pakistan officials say.

Azizi also took up the issue of the smooth transfer of refugees&#39; assets to Afghanistan as well as other related matters.

The visit of the Afghan commerce minister came at a time when Islamabad and Kabul are at odds with each other over the deportation of undocumented citizens of the neighbouring country living in Pakistan.

However, the root cause of their simmering tensions is the issue of cross-border terrorist attacks by the TTP.

Pakistan is upset that the Afghan Taliban are not taking action against the terrorist outfit.

At a recent news conference, caretaker Prime Minister Anwaarul Haq Kakar said there was a 60% surge in terrorist attacks in Pakistan since the return of Afghan Taliban to power in August 2021.

He continued that the number of suicide attacks went up by a staggering 500%.

&nbsp;Ambassador Asif Durrani, Pakistan&#39;s special envoy on Afghanistan, alleged that the Afghan Taliban were controlling the TTP and warned that their relationship was hurting the bilateral ties between the two countries.

In a recent interview, the special envoy said Pakistan could not fathom the fact that the TTP was under the Afghan Taliban&rsquo;s control and they were allowed to cross the border to carry out attacks in the country.

He cautioned that the future of the Pakistan-Afghanistan relationship was dependent on the Afghan Taliban&rsquo;s practical measures against the TTP.

&nbsp;]]>
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			<title>Conjoined terror of TTP &amp; Afghan Taliban</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2446025/conjoined-terror-of-ttp-afghan-taliban</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2446025/conjoined-terror-of-ttp-afghan-taliban#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Sun, 12 Nov 23 01:28:04 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[Naveed Hussain]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Pakistan]]></category><category><![CDATA[World]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=2446025</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[Plausible deniability will no longer work for Afghanistan’s de facto Taliban rulers.]]>
			</description>
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				<![CDATA[The ongoing spurt in high-profile and mass casualty terrorist attacks in Pakistan is worrying. Of more concern is the fact that Afghanistan serves as a springboard for most of these attacks. The brazen assault on the Mianwali training airbase and the deadly ambush on a military convoy in Gwadar happened in quick succession, preceded by a bomb attack on a police patrol in DI Khan, and followed by a deadly clash in the remote Tirah Valley of Khyber district. Tellingly, this terror spike came soon after the expiry of a deadline that the government had given to illegal aliens, primarily 1.7 million Afghans, to voluntarily repatriate to their home countries or face deportation.

Pakistan saw a relative lull in terrorist violence before the Taliban&rsquo;s takeover of Kabul in August 2021. Pakistan&rsquo;s security establishment expected that after their ascendency the Taliban would rein in the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), the banned umbrella of terrorist groups harboured by the Afghan and Indian spy agencies on Afghan soil to destabilise Pakistan. But they were wrong. Dead wrong! It was wrong to expect the Afghan Taliban would go after their Pakistani namesakes. It was wrong to expect the Tehreek-e-Taliban Afghanistan (TTA) would take on their ideological twin. It was wrong to expect Mullah Hibatullah Akhundzada (TTA chief) would order crackdown against Mufti Noor Wali Mehsud (TTP chief) who has sworn allegiance to him. It was wrong to expect the TTA would give up camaraderie with their &lsquo;brothers in arms&rsquo; against the NATO forces for 20 years. In fact, the TTA and TTP are two sides of the same coin.

Contrary to Pakistan&rsquo;s expectations, the embarrassing exit of the US-led forces from Afghanistan emboldened the TTP and motivated the group to replicate the TTA&rsquo;s &ldquo;stunning victory&rdquo; over NATO. A TTA-brokered peace tryst with the TTP soured quickly and the semblance of normalcy was shattered by an uptick in TTP violence. Pakistan has seen a 60% increase in terror incidents and a 500% rise in suicide bombings since the Taliban recaptured Kabul, killing nearly 2,300 Pakistanis, according to the official figures shared by the caretaker prime minister, Anwarul Haq Kakar, last week. He noted that 15 Afghan nationals were among the suicide bombers, while 64 Afghans were killed fighting Pakistani security forces this year. Pakistan has repeatedly reached out to the de facto rulers in Kabul with documentary evidence, asking for action against the TTP&rsquo;s safe havens and seeking handover of wanted terrorist commanders. The TTA remained non-committal &ndash; even in denial about the presence of the TTP on Afghan soil.

Kakar&rsquo;s claim is not exaggerated. The Global Terrorism Database also ranked Pakistan 4th on the Global Terrorism Index 2023, a two-notch increase from 2022 when there were 648 recorded attacks, resulting in 1,058 fatalities, while Afghanistan recorded 75% drop in terrorist violence, and 58% decrease in fatalities during the same period. The attacks were mainly carried out by the TTP, its outgrowth of Tehreek-e-Jihad Pakistan (TJP), Islamic State-Khorasan, and Baloch Liberation Army (BLA). The TTP seeks to peddle a religious justification for its terror campaign while Baloch groups are fighting a secular insurgency, but, of late, the two have cobbled up a nexus against the state and its security agencies. In 2022, two Baloch groups, one led by Mazar Baloch from Makran division, and the other headed by Aslam Baloch from Noshki district, swore allegiance to the TTP chief. Reports claim that in 2022 Mufti Noor Wali also &ldquo;approved the application of &lsquo;Majeed Brigade&rsquo; to join the TTP. Majeed Brigade is the BLA&rsquo;s elite squad tasked with carrying out suicide attacks. This nexus helped the TTP increase its footprint in Balochistan, especially in the non-Pashtun areas, while the Baloch separatists haven&rsquo;t objected to this ingress.

The latest violence surge has its origin in Afghanistan. Most attacks were planned and launched from there and involved Afghan nationals. Abdul Aziz Khan, the TJP commander who reportedly led the Mianwali airbase assault, was an Afghan national, while foreign weapons &ndash; including American M-4 and M-16A4 &ndash; were found on the attackers killed by security forces. The US-led forces and their Afghan prot&eacute;g&eacute;s left behind an estimated $7 billion worth of weapons during their chaotic exit from Afghanistan in 2021. These modern weapons, including might-vision goggles, precision rifles, quadcopters, and advanced snipers, have been made easily available to terrorist outfits of Pakistan, mainly to the TTP, BLA, TJP and BLF, on Afghan soil. Both Kabul and Washington deny it, though.

You cannot run with the hare and hunt with the hounds. The caretaker PM has given an unequivocal message to Kabul: choose between Pakistan and the TTP. But the Taliban regime is reluctant. Some Kabul-watchers believe the Taliban might have capacity issues to simultaneously take on both the TTP and IS-Khorasan at a time when they were seeking to stabilise their country post-NATO exit. They feared that the TTP, if threatened, would join forces with the IS-Khorasan and become a more potent existential threat for their nascent regime. Or a possible action against their ideological affiliates would create divisions within their own ranks. So, they prioritised the IS-Khorasan purge, claiming plausible deniability about the TTP&rsquo;s use of Afghan soil for a bloody campaign against Pakistan. Some reports indicate that the TTA top leaders use the TTP as a bargaining chip against Pakistan as they have multimillion-rupee businesses and other financial and strategic interests in Pakistan including unidentified properties, recruitment from Islamic seminaries, smuggling in foreign currency and narcotics, and exploitation of Afghan transit trade.

Afghanistan not only serves as a springboard for terrorist attacks, it also offers a launch-pad for the sinister propaganda campaigns of the TTP and Baloch insurgent groups. TTP&rsquo;s Umer Media, newspapers like Sautul Ummah, magazines like Mujalla-e-Taliban and Khadija&ndash;ul&ndash;Kubra, Passon podcast, and Twitter and Facebook accounts, Baloch groups&rsquo; website/Telegram channel &lsquo;Baluchistan Post&rsquo;, Radio channels Zembesh and social media accounts are handled from Afghanistan to radicalise and recruits.

PM Kakar said that despite repeated assurances, the de facto Kabul rulers didn&rsquo;t deliver on their counterterrorism pledges. &ldquo;Instead, clear evidence of enabling terrorism by Afghan Taliban members also emerged in some instances,&rdquo; he added. The Taliban&rsquo;s persistent refusal to assuage its security concerns pushed Pakistan to take a series of steps to secure itself that include enhancing border control, enforcing proper documentation and passport requirements, deporting illegal Afghans, and combatting smuggling in foreign currency and commodities through the porous border with Afghanistan. The crackdown on undocumented aliens stems from the upsurge in nationwide terrorist attacks as illegal foreigners are linked to those &ldquo;fueling terrorism and instability in Pakistan.&rdquo;

The Taliban regime reacted angrily. They rejected PM Kakar&rsquo;s allegations outright and instead asked Pakistan to put its own house in order. &ldquo;The Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan is not responsible for maintaining peace in Pakistan,&rdquo; the Taliban spokesperson, Zabihullah Mujahid, said in a scathing rejoinder. &ldquo;They should solve their internal problems by themselves and not blame Afghanistan for their failures.&rdquo; The interim foreign minister, Amir Khan Muttaqi, parroted the same narrative. &ldquo;The TTP is not our issue. It&rsquo;s Pakistan&rsquo;s internal issue. The TTP is Pakistan&rsquo;s reality. This is why 80,000 Pakistanis have been killed. Pakistani army and intelligence agencies must deal with them,&rdquo; he said in a BBC interview. The Taliban&rsquo;s plausible deniability is both disturbing and surprising. Disturbing, because Pakistan has repeatedly shared solid evidence to substantiate its claims that the TTP uses the Afghan soil to plan, orchestrate, and launch attacks inside Pakistan. And surprising, because the Taliban have consistently pushed Pakistan for negotiations and even hosted TTP&rsquo;s senior leaders in Kabul for direct meetings with Pakistani officials. If TTP and Baloch terror is an internal matter for Pakistan, then why most senior TTP and Baloch insurgents have been killed on Afghan soil?

While Mujahid and Muttaqi were diplomatic in their reaction, other Taliban regime officials were blunt &ndash; and even threatening. Interim prime minister Mullah Mohammad Hassan Akhund accused Pakistan of &ldquo;humiliating&rdquo; the Afghan refugees and warned: &ldquo;You [Pakistan] are a neighbour, you should think about the future.&rdquo; Mullah Yaqoob, the defence minister, also warned Pakistan to refrain from &ldquo;committing acts of cruelty&rdquo; against the Afghans before hurling a naked threat: &ldquo;As you sow, so shall you reap.&rdquo; Dismayed by the Taliban&rsquo;s response to its legitimate security concerns, Pakistan decided to stop speaking for the de facto Kabul rulers on international forums and to withdraw the &ldquo;special privileges&rdquo; extended to the interim Afghan administration. This could further dim the chances of international recognition for the Taliban government because Pakistan is perhaps the only country which has consistently advocated Kabul&rsquo;s case internationally. This move must be unsettling for the nascent Taliban regime, but all is not lost yet as Pakistan keeps a &ldquo;channel of communication open&rdquo; with Kabul despite all misgivings.

Plausible deniability wouldn&rsquo;t work because Pakistan claims to have evidence of the Taliban&rsquo;s control over the TTP. The Kabul regime has to rethink its policy of using the TTP and its affiliates as a veritable arm of their security apparatus to coerce Pakistan. They can never stabilise their country by destabilising or letting its proxies destabilise its neighbours. Pakistan and Afghanistan are not just two hyphenated neighbours, but, to quote former Afghan leader Hamid Karzai, they are &ldquo;conjoined twins&rdquo;. Their destinies are intertwined and fortunes interlinked. Their internal security, economic stability, and regional connectivity are interdependent; therefore, there is need to dial down angry rhetoric, reengage politically and diplomatically, and assuage each other&rsquo;s concerns for a peaceful neighbourhood where their peoples can progress and prosper.]]>
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			<title>Pakistan shifts stance on Afghan Taliban</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2445604/pakistan-shifts-stance-on-afghan-taliban</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2445604/pakistan-shifts-stance-on-afghan-taliban#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Thu, 09 Nov 23 04:26:00 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[Kamran Yousuf]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Pakistan]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=2445604</guid>
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				<![CDATA[Govt decides not extend any special privileges to Kabul failing to neutralise TTP]]>
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				<![CDATA[In a major policy shift, Pakistan has decided not to advocate the Afghan Taliban&rsquo;s case at the international level or extend any other assistance following failure of the Kabul authorities to neutralise the banned Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP).

At the same time, Islamabad will no longer extend any &ldquo;special privileges&rdquo; to the interim Afghan Taliban government in a move that suggests deterioration in relations between the two neighbours.

The immediate implication of Pakistan&rsquo;s apparent shift in its policy is that the chances of the Afghan Taliban government getting international recognition have become far slimmer than ever.

Official sources told The Express Tribune on Wednesday that Pakistan&rsquo;s goodwill gestures and assistance extended to the Afghan Taliban government after its return to power in August 2021 were taken for granted.

After the Taliban&rsquo;s return to power, Pakistan emerged as its main backer and advocate, urging the international community and stakeholders particularly the Western countries to stay engaged with the new rulers in Kabul.

Pakistan&rsquo;s policy of acting as the Afghan interim government&rsquo;s spokesperson often drew strong criticism both from within and outside the country. However, officials at that time defended the approach, insisting that the Afghan Taliban were a reality and had no other option but to work with them.

Islamabad made efforts with other regional players to ensure that sanctions against the Afghan Taliban government were lifted and Kabul should have access to the funds frozen by the US soon after the fall of Kabul in August 2021.

Also, Pakistan in order to facilitate the Afghan interim government, gave many incentives to Afghanistan in terms of trade and other facilities. But now, the sources said, Pakistan would no longer extend any special favours to the Afghan Taliban government as they were harbouring &ldquo;our enemies&rdquo;.

&ldquo;They were given a choice but it seems that they have opted for the TTP over Pakistan,&rdquo; according to a reliable source, referring to a message delivered by a high-level Pakistani delegation, including the then defence minister and the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) director general, to Kabul in February.

The Afghan Taliban government, however, insisted again on Wednesday that the country&rsquo;s soil was not being used by militants to stage attacks on other countries, and said that Pakistan&rsquo;s security problems were a domestic affair.

&ldquo;Regarding today&rsquo;s claims of the caretaker prime minister of Pakistan, we would like to say that the way the Islamic Emirate wants peace and stability in Afghanistan, it wants peace in Pakistan as well,&rdquo; said spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid, using the Taliban&rsquo;s formal name for Afghanistan.

&ldquo;The Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan is not responsible for maintaining peace in Pakistan. They should solve their own domestic problems on their own and not blame Afghanistan for their failures,&rdquo; Mujahid said.

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