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.
The Pakistani government's selection to serve as chief minister for restive western tribal areas has stressed the need to "restore peace and security" in the Pashtun-dominated area and foster good relations with neighboring Afghanistan.
Since the attacks of September 11, 2001, on the United States, Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf has been a key ally in the U.S. war on terror. But with Musharraf's political life now on the line following the opposition's triumph in parliamentary elections this week, where Pakistani counterterrorism policy goes from here is the million-dollar question.
Pakistan's frontline status in the war on terror has attracted global attention to its upcoming parliamentary elections. Analysts' views are mixed on how much they will help in pacifying the Taliban insurgency and improving stability in Afghanistan.
A new independent study says that amid a growing insurgency Afghanistan risks becoming a failed state and a "forgotten war." In "The Briefing," the director of RFE/RL's Radio Free Afghanistan discusses the country's security situation and whether more U.S. military muscle will help.
Baluchis in Pakistan and Iran are increasingly marginalized, and see little chance of benefiting from new development projects on their resource-rich land.
October 18, 2007 (RFE/RL) -- Defying threats from Taliban militants, former Pakistan Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto has returned home after eight years of exile, vowing to help push Pakistan in a democratic direction -- and win the war on terrorism.
(RFE/RL) August 14, 2007 (RFE/RL) -- Senior U.S. officials have recently criticized Saudi Arabia's role in Iraq, which they see as supporting the Sunni insurgency.
The bloody confrontation over Islamabad's Red Mosque is a reminder of the challenges confronting embattled President Pervez Musharraf.
