Abubakar Siddique, a journalist for RFE/RL's Radio Azadi, specializes in the coverage of Afghanistan and Pakistan. He is the author of The Pashtun Question: The Unresolved Key To The Future Of Pakistan And Afghanistan.
As campaigning for the upcoming presidential election officially kicks off in Afghanistan, insecurity in remote areas of the country remains a key concern. Improving the security situation was a prime reason for postponing the vote until August 20, but large swaths of the Afghan countryside have yet to be tamed.
The Pakistani military has been battling extremists for more than five years in the country's western border region, and history has shown that the Taliban and affiliated militants have emerged stronger after similar military operations by the government. With Pakistani troops now in the sixth week of a major operation in the Swat Valley and the surrounding region, can the government protect its gains this time?
Investigators are sifting through the rubble of Peshawar's luxury Pearl Continental Hotel, after a suicide truck bombing killed at least 11 people, including two UN aid workers.
As U.S. President Barack Obama delivered his much-awaited speech to the Muslim world, many were listening keenly to hear his thoughts on resolving the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Is that conflict so central to U.S.-Muslim relations and peace in the Muslim world?
The Pakistani Taliban has claimed responsibility for a suicide bomb attack in the eastern city of Lahore that killed at least 25 people. The attack is widely seen as the Taliban's response to the government's ongoing antiextremist operation in the Swat Valley. A recent string of high-profile militant attacks in Lahore suggest that Pakistan's war against the insurgents has now expanded into its heartland.
The Pakistani government's crackdown on Taliban fighters in the country's northwest has led to an exodus of residents so rapid and immense that it has dwarfed efforts to stave off a humanitarian crisis. Many have found shelter within welcoming communities or among relatives, but others are traveling immense distances in search of save haven.
Weeks before the start of the formal three-month campaign for Afghanistan's presidential vote, incumbent Hamid Karzai is maneuvering to stymie domestic political opposition and convince the international community that he remains an indispensible ally.
India looks forward to the prospect of a stable central government after the Congress-led bloc scored an impressive victory in elections that will enable it to return to power with a robust mandate. But as the country celebrates, its new government will face the arduous task of boosting stability in a region engulfed in crisis and conflict.
In a move seen as a prelude to a bloody urban battle against Taliban militants ensconced in Swat's regional capital, Mingora, Pakistani authorities have temporarily lifted a government curfew to allow civilians to flee to safety.
A visit to Pakistan to attend an economic development conference has rekindled the Afghan president's dream of turning his country into a hub for regional trade. But violence and rivalries threaten to turn that vision into a mirage.
The United States has announced the replacement of its top general in Afghanistan, a few weeks after U.S. President Barack Obama unveiled a new strategy aimed at ending the nearly eight-year conflict.
As residents make the arduous trip to the western Pakistani city of Mardan, they prepare to join the hundreds of thousands who have already sought refuge from recent fighting between the Pakistani military and hard-line Islamist militants. The exodus now threatens to complicate Pakistan's efforts to contain an expanding Taliban and Al-Qaeda insurgency.
As the Pakistani military prepares to fight a decisive battle against the Taliban in the western Swat Valley, the public mood in Pakistan has visibly turned against the Taliban. Analysts maintain that the change in public perceptions might prove crucial in denying the extremists public support and mobilizing the state to confront them head-on instead of trying to contain and appease them through peace agreements.
Afghan villagers are mourning relatives buried in mass graves after a coalition air strike that all sides say killed or injured noncombatants. The timing is awkward politically, as the U.S., Afghan, and Pakistani presidents gather in Washington.
Afghan President Hamid Karzai has chosen Mohammad Qasim Fahim to run for reelection with him as the senior of two vice presidents. Fahim was once Afghanistan's most powerful warlord, and his reputation for brutality precedes him. His surprise choice is drawing considerable criticism from rights groups and observers.
As U.S. President Barack Obama prepares for talks with his Afghan and Pakistani counterparts, his new "Af-Pak" strategy for combating extremism and restoring stability in the region is already facing rapidly evolving challenges.
In constituencies throughout India's 3 million square kilometers, millions of people have voted in the first phase of month-long parliamentary elections. While India has emerged as a significant global economic and political player, regional states have largely avoided copying India’s democratic example.
Pakistan's president has officially signed off on a controversial new law establishing Shari'a law in the Swat Valley and neighboring Malakand region, leaving war-weary residents anxiously looking forward to peace. But there are worrying signs that the resurgent Taliban could dash such hopes by seizing on the situation to solidify its control and expand its influence in neighboring areas.
Pakistan recently released 51 Afghans whom authorities found unconscious in a shipping container parked in the southwestern Pakistani city of Quetta on April 4. Police found another 45 Afghan migrants dead in the same container. The tragic episode reflects the deep crisis of people smuggling in Afghanistan.
Despite public pledges to closely coordinate their efforts in the fight against Al-Qaeda and Taliban militants, Pakistani and U.S. officials seem increasingly at odds on how to move forward in their struggle against extremism. Disagreements resurfaced during a visit this week to Afghanistan and Pakistan by U.S. Admiral Mike Mullen and U.S. regional envoy Richard Holbrooke.
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