Something to watch out for

by UmairJ

  After returning from Swat, I plan on focusing more on a topic that I have discussed in length on registan.net previously. The Baloch insurgency is a topic that analysts and military thinkers will focus more on in the coming years because of the continously deteriorating situation in Pakistan.   Here are two op-ed’s in [...]

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The Border War Escalates

by Joshua Foust

Well, this isn’t good: Islamabad (dap) – At least three Pakistani soldiers were killed and four injured Tuesday when a mortar fired from Afghanistan hit their outpost in the north-western tribal area, security officials said. The incident occurred in the Angoor Adda area of South Waziristan, one of seven districts where thousands of troops have [...]

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The Persistence of Myth

by Joshua Foust

“In this award winning adventure,” the promotional text goes, “Michael Wood embarks on a 2000 mile journey in the foot steps of Alexander’s triumphal march from Greece to India.” The clip above is his visit to the Kalash people in Chitral, Pakistan. As long time readers know, I’ve harbored a fascination with these people for [...]

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More Border Fighting Between Afghan, Pakistani Militaries

by Joshua Foust

Pajhwok reports: Afghan border police attacked checkpoints in Pakistan Wednesday night in response to recent artillery attacks from the other side of the border, an official said. According to Eastern Zone Border Police Commander Brig. Gen. Aminullah Amarkhel, Pakistani troops have fired 15 artillery shells across the Afghan border in recent days in an effort [...]

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The Border War Intensifies

by Joshua Foust

Afghanistan and Pakistan have made a habit of engaging in combat with each other over the last few years. I wrote about it earlier this year for AfPak Channel, and later noted an even bigger engagement than had previously been reported. But things have found a way to get even worse. Militants in Afghanistan launched [...]

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The view from Pakistan

by UmairJ

I had the ‘honour’ of waiting in traffic while Hamid Karzai was taken to Islamabad airport yesterday after his trip in which he met both Gilani and Zardari. The meetings were an attempt to create a better relationship between the two nations and it may have also included discussions concerning the place of the Taliban [...]

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The Border War Expands

by Joshua Foust

It’s something of an open secret that Pakistan and Afghanistan are engaged in a low-level border conflict. But for many years militants have crossed the border to attack both militaries as well. Today has seen the largest such battle, now in its second day. News agencies reported that up to 35 of the attackers had [...]

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Just another political matter

by UmairJ

The Pakistani government on tuesday set up an independent commission to investigate the May 2nd  US operation in Abbottabad. The decision to appoint the five-member was taken in an unscheduled two hour meeting between Gilani and Zardari, and according to the official notification, current Supreme Court Judge, Javed Iqbal will be heading the commission. The [...]

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Syed Saleem Shahzad, RIP

by Joshua Foust

Syed Saleem Shahzad, the Pakistan Bureau Chief of the Asia Times Online, has been found dead near his car in Sarai Alamgir, about 200 kilometres from Islamabad. The body, according to reports, showed “signs of torture.” This is a serious loss—not just for his family, which must mourn a senseless death, but for people trying [...]

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What a nightmare

by UmairJ

  Post-Osama Drama Osama is dead and the future of Afghanistan and Pakistan remains bleak. The United States may have acquired a psychological boost, however it comes at a price, as all things in this world do.  I am pretty sure that you are all aware by now of the deep level of paranoia that [...]

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