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Afghanistan Consumes More Than It Produces
June 05, 2011
Every day Afghan Consumers and households are bombarded by advertising foreign products. TVs, radios and newspapers are mostly dedicated to those foreign products imported by Afghan traders and rarely one can see that a national product is advertised through media and Afghanistan consumes more than it produces. Free market economy...
People Against Evil Forces of Destruction
June 05, 2011
For the last one decade, on one side human rights, women's rights, freedom, elected government, education and progress have been the predominant discourse subscribed by Afghan people. On the other side, the barbarity, terrorism, explosions, destruction of schools, killing of innocent people and pouring acid on the faces of schoolgirls have
Stifle the Evil Attempts
June 04, 2011
Things are getting hazier in Afghanistan. President talks of US-led occupation and the Afghans' uprising against them if NATO air operations are continued. Certain notorious elements optimize the opportunity to raise anti-American sentiments in public. Thanks to the current freedom of expression, some media channels vividly provoke...
Need for Furthering Interaction with Outside World
June 04, 2011
Due to years of war and conflict, Afghanistan remains one of the poorest countries in the world. It is facing myriads of problems, ranging from
high rate of child mortality and maternal death to high level of illiteracy and backbreaking poverty. There has been progress made after the fall of brutal and hard-line regime of Taliban...
Af-Pak-India Triangle
June 02, 2011
Shortly before the withdrawal process begins and amidst recent happenings in the country that demonstrate clear deterioration of security situation, afghan minister of defense is on a three-day trip to India. The visit is aimed at discussing bilateral ties and cooperation on security. Gen. Abdul Rahim Wardak met his Indian...
President Karzai and NATO on Crossroads
June 02, 2011
President Hamid Karzai, yet again, and with even stronger tone condemned the decision of NATO to carry on the airstrikes that have become very controversial issue between the President Office and NATO officials. After the last warning President on this occasion has even warned for a reaction if such operations are carried out. This very...
Afghan Children, the Unluckiest!
June 02, 2011
1st June marks the International children's day. In Afghanistan hardly people know about it. Yesterday, although there should have been programs at all levels aimed at creating public awareness about rights of children, no significant effort from government, civil cities, and human/children rights organizations was in place. Children
Do not Tie the Hands against Uncontained Terrorists
June 01, 2011
It is clear-cut that public support for the presence of international forces is impacted by the civilian casualties that continue to happen in the counter-insurgency operations and air strikes conducted by international forces in Afghanistan. This is because Afghan people do not want to continue to get killed either by...
No Significant Drawdown Favourable
June 01, 2011
Since December, 2009 when the new US strategy for Afghanistan was made public by President Obama – deployment of tens of thousands of more troops in Afghanistan during 2010 and gradual withdrawal of international forces from the summer 2011 – there have been serious concerns over premature drawdown of troops as insurgency has gone...
Unemployment, Dreadful Outcomes
June 01, 2011
Afghanistan stands among the poorest countries of world with more than 60 percent of its population living below or slightly above the line of poverty. The three decades of war have left economic infrastructures completely destructed and backward. No significant progress has been made albeit there have been international efforts to...
Leading Afghanistan into a Chaos
May 31, 2011
Few weeks before the start date for withdrawal of the US forces from Afghanistan, the forces contributing nations have run of patience because of what they observe in Afghanistan: increasing expenses and insecurity, huge death toll and little achievement. The Afghan government also expresses concern on how they are operating. Calling...
Speedy Growth of Telecommunication
May 31, 2011
The telecommunication sector in Afghanistan has made remarkable growth after the demise of Taliban. This growth has been both rapid and on a large scale. Starting with landline connections, presently there are modern GSM cellular networks working effectively and successfully. Even internet is easily available for the service of the people with...
Uprising and Israel-Palestine Conflict
May 31, 2011
Seemingly, the political equation is under a growing change in the case of Israel-Palestine conflict. There are signs that this change will improve the currently diplomatically feeble state of Palestine against Israel, if it does not necessarily lead into military and political empowerment. Egypt as one of the largest Middle East...
“The Last Warning” of President Karzai
May 30, 2011
ISAF has once again been warned by President Hamid Karzai over the deaths of civilians; this time the tone being very aggressive, and the warning being called as "The Last Warn ing". President Karzai has always reacted upon the reported casualties of the civilians by NATO or US-led air strikes. This particular reaction has come as a...
Illegal Extraction and Smuggling of Mineral Resources - A National Loss!
May 30, 2011
A traditional view about Afghanistan's economy is that around 70 percent of its economy is dependent on agriculture sector. That is a fact. But at least in the post-Taliban Afghanistan this sector has had no significant development. Keeping self sufficiency aside, major portion of our food needs are fulfilled by imports from various...
District Continues to Suffer While MPs are Sleeping Like a Log
May 30, 2011
With passage of years, the highways connecting Afghanistan have become extremely dangerous to travel. These highways have actually gone more risky than under Taliban, although Taliban is responsible for almost all the insecurity prevailing on these routes. High government officials mostly travel by air while civilians have to use the roads...
Suicide Attack on Governor House
May 29, 2011
The suicide attack on governor office's compound in Takhar province of Northern Afghanistan on Saturday May 28, 2011 has added another question mark to the mutual security arrangements of Afghan Forces and NATO. The attack was carried out after a meeting in governor office complex among the security officials and governor officials regarding...
Transparent System Required for Continued International Funding
May 29, 2011
Over the last ten years, Afghanistan has been receiving international aid for reconstruction projects and restoration of economic infrastructures. The effectiveness of the aid is not felt in terms of bringing tangible change to the lives of Afghan people. Last year, the economic restoration received a great blow when Kabul Bank,...
Failing to Become Rational Actors
May 29, 2011
Over the last ten years, Afghanistan has been hosting international community that has come to help the country get rid of terrorists and hard-line militants. This riddance is in the interests of both Afghanistan and international community led by the United States of America as their security was being threatened by the...
Struggling to Revamp Frayed Relations
May 28, 2011
Less than a month later than Al-Qaeda terror network's mastermind in Pakistan, several high ranking US officials have paid trips to Islamabad to restore trust and cooperation between the two countries in fight against extremism. The United States Foreign Secretary, Hillary Clinton, arrived in Islamabad on Friday May 27, 2011 to meet Pakistani...
Afghanistan’s Foreign Policy Challenges
May 28, 2011
Afghanistan's foreign policy and diplomatic machinery shoulder the critical responsibility of defining and shaping the country's short-term and long-term relations with the outside world. This has assumed greater significance for our country given the extensive involvement of the international community in Afghanistan in
The Old Course, the Old Tricks
May 28, 2011
It is becoming more evident that neither diplomatic approaches nor any military warnings can put off intentions of the Islamic Republic of Iran to complete the controversial Uranium enrichment process. Iran has consistently denied allegations that it seeks to develop a bomb. Yet many in the international community remain...
Impossible to Counter Terror Attacks, MoD Confesses
May 26, 2011
Yesterday our Defense Minister Abdur Rahim Wardak openly confessed that for him it was impossible to prevent the suicidal attacks. While talking to the representatives of people, Wardak said that such attacks would continue. Can this be conceived a proper response to the wants of the people and the families affected by ...
Obama’s European Tour
May 26, 2011
Perhaps, one of the top priorities of current President Obama's European tour is strengthening bilateral relationship with United Kingdom, which, however stable, has moved on rocky way, since Prime Minister David Cameron clearly has been violating his predecessor tradition of blindly following Washington's decisions. Mr. Cameron...
Do not Allow Militants to Disconnect Afghan People
May 26, 2011
Over the last ten years after the fall of Taliban regime, progresses have been made in different areas. Communication is one of the areas that have seen progress. The growth of mobile phone companies has helped make life easy for Afghan people. They are now connected with each other across the country and with their families, relatives and...
“Unhappy Brothers” Killed 12 Labors
May 25, 2011
It is not surprising to see laborers and workers are killed by the Taliban militants and insurgents. Because, these militants do not distinguish between work
ers and armed soldiers and they target whoever works with the government and builds schools, roads, bridges, teaches Afghan children or raise their voices in support of security...
Can Taliban Be Defeated!
May 25, 2011
The Taliban has changed its fighting techniques. Now it focuses on suicide bombings, commando-styles raids and target killings. In the last few days, there have several attacks in Afghanistan – attacks on a military hospital in Kabul, Khost Traffic Directorate, yesterday's bomb blast in Panjwayi district of Kandahar and several other acts of...
Narcotic is Potentially Corrupting
May 25, 2011
What has dealt severe blow to reputation of the country is definitely narcotic and opium cultivation. It's long time that Afghanistan has been ranked on the top of blacklist of opium grower in the world, but still the very growers struggle to survive, because they rarely capable of providing food, cloth and shelter for their family...
Marginalize Taliban/Omar’s Thinking Line
May 24, 2011
It has been almost two decades that Taliban line of thinking, which is inspired by broader Al-Qaeda thought, has served as a source of conflict and violence in Afghanistan and the region as a whole. This extremist line of thinking neither reflects the core and essence of Islamic teachings nor does it allow for development and prosperity of...
Dependence on Foreign Aid! Until When?
May 24, 2011
According to economic experts Afghanistan will need foreign economic aid at least until 2023. But that is just estimation. Keeping in view the current economic standing of Afghanistan, one can easily say that Afghanistan – in order to stand on its own feet– would need longer terms. If the international aid poured in Afghanistan in last ten years...
The Assault on Mehran Base
May 24, 2011
The assault on Mehran Base in Karachi, Pakistan has added another episode in the terror of Taliban who have been terrorizing the country vehemently since the death of Osama Bin Laden. Though it was not the first target of their retaliatory mission as earlier they had targeted the paramilitary cadets, which killed about 80 cadets, it was more...
Civilians Need to Act Responsibly
May 23, 2011
One of the most critical as well as complicated issues in the current anti-insurgency struggle in the country has been the issue of civilian casualties during Afghan or NATO military operations. Afghan government frequently has complained about operations which left misfortunate dead and injuries for innocent people. President Karzai...
Time of Confusion and Turbulence
May 23, 2011
Afghanistan is going through a time of confusion and turbulence. Confusion on the part of the government and international community, which are responsible for developing an effective strategy to move the country out of the ongoing violence and insurgency and ensure a durable peace for the Afghans. It is also a time of confusion for Afghan...
Storming Government Buildings Gaining Currency
May 23, 2011
Violence continues to rankle Afghan people across the country. Taliban's announced spring offensive seems to be carried out unchecked and the militants are targeting those whom they had set as their targets. In Zabul province, the militants had kidnapped about nine tribal elders, influential people and educators of schools and they...
Success of Reconciliation with Taliban
May 22, 2011
Recently the US Special Envoy for AfPak, Marc Grossman has said that all the insurgent factions in Afghanistan will not join the peace process. He said despite the efforts to reach out for negotiations, there will be people who will never reconcile and they must be defeated militarily.
It's a very realistic public admission of the US Special Envoy about...