Registan on Pakistan

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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Our Other Perennial Theme: Central Asia

by Joshua Foust

Going right back to our founding in 2003, Registan.net has been consumed with one very fundamental conceit: the region of Central Asia is important, both strategically and economically, to the world in general and the West in particular. So it was with some dismay that I read the latest CNAS report, which details their proposal [...]

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Chechens, Maybe, Unarmed?

by Joshua Foust

Christian Bleuer reinforces my skepticism of Chechen mania: Chechens have been reported en masse by the media – much to the annoyance of Registan and the angry folks at Kavkaz Center. But still, no Chechens – no online martyr tribute, no name, no documents, no Chechen prisoners, nothing. I’ll be shocked if the “Chechens” killed [...]

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Chechens and Uzbeks, Sittin’ in a Tree

by Joshua Foust

There was a suicide bombing today in Quetta. Five suspects, including three women and two children, were approaching a check post in the residential area of Kharotabad when security forces discovered they had explosive materials. The forces tried to arrest the group, at which point, one of the females blew herself up to avoid arrest, [...]

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Not a Complete Fraud

by Joshua Foust

RFE/RL tracked down some of the schools Greg Mortenson built in Pakistan: Mortensen has rejected the allegations of fraud, but the scandal has raised doubts over how many of Mortenson’s schools actually exist. The schools stretch across northern Pakistan and northeastern Afghanistan, and many are located in difficult to reach places, so it is hard [...]

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Discussing bin Laden’s Death

by Joshua Foust

I went on something of a media blitz yesterday, to talk about Osama bin Laden’s death. Here are some examples: After midnight on Sunday night, I spoke with Radio Australian about some initial reactions. I was also drinking scotch, which explains some of the stammering. For Aljazeera English, I was on a panel on Inside [...]

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