Islamabad and Kabul have decided to continue holding discussions to reach an agreement on the entire Afghanistan-Pakistan Action Plan for Peace and Solidarity (APAPPS).

A joint statement read: &quot;The meeting was held in a cordial environment and both delegations made some progress on the APAPPS&quot;, reported the Dawn.&quot;An Afghan delegation held talks with Pakistani leadership in Islamabad on security cooperation amid the highly volatile security situation in their country. Foreign Secretary Tehmina Janjua led the Pakistani delegation at the talks while Afghan Deputy Foreign Minister Hekmat Khalil Karzai was leading the Afghan side,&quot; it reported.

The meeting comes in the backdrop of a series of deadly attacks in Afghanistan allegedly by Pakistan.Kabul has also accused Islamabad of harbouring the Taliban.

In a televised speech to the nation, Afghan President Ashraf Ghani recently alleged that the &quot;centre of Taliban terrorism is in Pakistan&quot; and demanded that authorities in the neighbouring country &quot;show some concrete action to rid their territory of insurgents.&quot;

After the three major militant attacks that took place in Kabul in the past two weeks, the pressure on the country`s government has intensified to beef up the security.

The APAPPS is a joint action plan for cooperation in the areas of counter-terrorism and reduction of violence, peace and reconciliation, refugees repatriation and joint economic development.&nbsp;

The pressure on the country's government has intensified to beef up the security

Islamabad and Kabul have decided to continue holding discussions to reach an agreement on the entire Afghanistan-Pakistan Action Plan for Peace and Solidarity (APAPPS). A joint statement read: "The meeting was held in a cordial environment and both delegations made some progress on the APAPPS", reported the Dawn."An Afghan delegation held talks with Pakistani leadership in Islamabad on security cooperation amid the highly volatile security situation in their country. Foreign Secretary Tehmina Janjua led the Pakistani delegation at the talks while Afghan Deputy Foreign Minister Hekmat Khalil Karzai was leading the Afghan side," it reported. The meeting comes in the backdrop of a series of deadly attacks in Afghanistan allegedly by Pakistan.Kabul has also accused Islamabad of harbouring the Taliban. In a televised speech to the nation, Afghan President Ashraf Ghani recently alleged that the "centre of Taliban terrorism is in Pakistan" and demanded that authorities in the neighbouring country "show some concrete action to rid their territory of insurgents." After the three major militant attacks that took place in Kabul in the past two weeks, the pressure on the country`s government has intensified to beef up the security. The APAPPS is a joint action plan for cooperation in the areas of counter-terrorism and reduction of violence, peace and reconciliation, refugees repatriation and joint economic development.

Pakistan, Afghanistan to continue talks on joint action plan

Pakistan has extended by two months the deadline for repatriation of Afghan refugees, giving a temporary relief to them amid a spike in violence in Afghanistan.

About 3 million Afghans have been living in Pakistan for decades. Nearly half of them are unregistered and staying in the country illegally.

The decision to extend the deadline for their return was taken by federal cabinet yesterday.

&quot;The cabinet approved grant of 60 days extension in the Proof of Registration (PoR) cards for Afghan refugees,&quot; said the statement.

The validity of legal refugee status for many Afghan refugees expired on January 31. This threw into doubt the future of these refugees.

Pakistan has extended the validity of PoR for the refugees at least six times in the past.

The Pakistani government says the country&#39;s economy &quot;has carried the burden of hosting Afghan refugees since long and in the present circumstances cannot sustain it further.&quot;

The 60-day extension came as Afghan Interior Minister Wais Ahmad Barmak and National Directorate of Security chief Mohamed Masoom Stanekzai visited Pakistan to discuss bilateral ties.

The security situation in Afghanistan, where US-led coalition forces and the Afghan army continue to battle the Afghan Taliban for control of areas of the country, has been deteriorating in recent weeks.

On Sunday, at least 103 people were killed in a suicide attack in the heart of the capital Kabul.

A day later, at least 11 soldiers were killed when gunmen attacked a military academy, also in Kabul.

Afghanistan and the US have blamed Pakistan for allegedly providing safe havens to elements of the Afghan Taliban and Haqqani Network. Pakistan denies the charge, alleging that it is Afghan forces that offer sanctuary to elements of the Pakistani Taliban.&nbsp;

Pakistan has extended the validity of PoR for the refugees at least six times in the past.

Pakistan has extended by two months the deadline for repatriation of Afghan refugees, giving a temporary relief to them amid a spike in violence in Afghanistan. About 3 million Afghans have been living in Pakistan for decades. Nearly half of them are unregistered and staying in the country illegally. The decision to extend the deadline for their return was taken by federal cabinet yesterday. "The cabinet approved grant of 60 days extension in the Proof of Registration (PoR) cards for Afghan refugees," said the statement. The validity of legal refugee status for many Afghan refugees expired on January 31. This threw into doubt the future of these refugees. Pakistan has extended the validity of PoR for the refugees at least six times in the past. The Pakistani government says the country's economy "has carried the burden of hosting Afghan refugees since long and in the present circumstances cannot sustain it further." The 60-day extension came as Afghan Interior Minister Wais Ahmad Barmak and National Directorate of Security chief Mohamed Masoom Stanekzai visited Pakistan to discuss bilateral ties. The security situation in Afghanistan, where US-led coalition forces and the Afghan army continue to battle the Afghan Taliban for control of areas of the country, has been deteriorating in recent weeks. On Sunday, at least 103 people were killed in a suicide attack in the heart of the capital Kabul. A day later, at least 11 soldiers were killed when gunmen attacked a military academy, also in Kabul. Afghanistan and the US have blamed Pakistan for allegedly providing safe havens to elements of the Afghan Taliban and Haqqani Network. Pakistan denies the charge, alleging that it is Afghan forces that offer sanctuary to elements of the Pakistani Taliban.

Pakistan extends Afghan refugees' repatriation deadline

The Pentagon has restricted the release of critical information on the progress being made in the war in Afghanistan, a move that will limit transparency, the US&nbsp;government&#39;s top watchdog on Afghanistan said on Monday.

For years, the Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction, or SIGAR, has published a quarterly report that includes unclassified data on the amount of territory controlled or influenced by the Taliban and the government.

In a report published late on Monday, SIGAR said, however, it was told not to release that information. The military also classified, for the first time since 2009, the actual and authorised total troop numbers and attrition rate for the Afghan National Defense and Security Forces, or ANDSF.

&quot;The implication is that I think the average American who reads our reports or reads your press accounts of it, has no meaningful ability to analyse how his money or her money is being spent on Afghanistan,&quot; John Sopko, who leads the independent watchdog office, told Reuters in an interview.

The Pentagon sought to deflect blame for the decision, the latest move to limit the amount of publicly available information about the 16-year-old war in Afghanistan - America&#39;s longest.

It said in a statement that the Department of Defense did not tell SIGAR to withhold the data, but rather it was the NATO-led Resolute Support coalition that made the determination.

It added that the Pentagon did not have the authority to overrule the classification made by Resolute Support, which is led by US&nbsp;General John Nicholson.

&quot;The Department continues to work with SIGAR, US&nbsp;Forces-Afghanistan, and NATO Resolute Support to resolve concerns about restrictions on information that was previously unclassified,&quot; Lieutenant Colonel Michael Andrews said.

Former officials and experts said that regardless of who restricted the information, it was particularly worrying because Afghan and US&nbsp;officials had publicly set a benchmark it would now be difficult to measure.

The top US general in Afghanistan set a goal in November of driving back Taliban insurgents enough to control at least 80 percent of the country within two years.

In its most recent report, SIGAR said that 43 percent of Afghanistan&#39;s districts were either under Taliban control or being contested.

Sopko said people would jump to the conclusion that information was being withheld because progress was not being made, which may not be the case.

A similar accusation was made during the Vietnam War, which later proved true.

&quot;In essence, you can ask me almost any question and I will have to say, it is classified or non-releasable, I mean you go down the list, it is just amazing,&quot; Sopko said.

He added that the Department of Defense did not give him any reasons for the move.

Recent attacks

The move by the Pentagon comes amid a spate of violence in Afghanistan over the past nine days that is putting a new, more aggressive strategy under the spotlight.

An ambulance bomb in the city center killed more than 100 people, just over a week after an attack on the Hotel Intercontinental, also in Kabul, killed more than 20, including four US&nbsp;citizens.

President Donald Trump has committed an additional 3,000 US&nbsp;troops to Afghanistan in recent weeks, bringing the total number of American troops in Afghanistan to about 14,000.

Michael Kugelman, with the Woodrow Wilson Center, said it made little sense to block the information.

&quot;It&#39;s not fair to the American people, to American troops and I would think it&#39;s pretty hard to justify doing something like this,&quot; Kugelman said.

It is not the first time data has been withheld on the Afghan war.

Last year, US&nbsp;forces in Afghanistan restricted the amount of data it provided on the ANDSF, including casualties, personnel strength, and attrition rates - data that has now been completely withheld.

The US&nbsp;military said at the time the data belonged to the Afghan government, which did not want it released.

A former US&nbsp;official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said there was pressure on the US&nbsp;military to achieve the success that could create a risk of not being fully open with the facts.

&quot;We&#39;re going in a direction of hiding facts and shading and shaping facts in reaction to a lot of pressure to show fast results,&quot; the former official said.

The move will limit transparency, the US government's top watchdog on Afghanistan said on Monday

The Pentagon has restricted the release of critical information on the progress being made in the war in Afghanistan, a move that will limit transparency, the US government's top watchdog on Afghanistan said on Monday. For years, the Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction, or SIGAR, has published a quarterly report that includes unclassified data on the amount of territory controlled or influenced by the Taliban and the government. In a report published late on Monday, SIGAR said, however, it was told not to release that information. The military also classified, for the first time since 2009, the actual and authorised total troop numbers and attrition rate for the Afghan National Defense and Security Forces, or ANDSF. "The implication is that I think the average American who reads our reports or reads your press accounts of it, has no meaningful ability to analyse how his money or her money is being spent on Afghanistan," John Sopko, who leads the independent watchdog office, told Reuters in an interview. The Pentagon sought to deflect blame for the decision, the latest move to limit the amount of publicly available information about the 16-year-old war in Afghanistan - America's longest. It said in a statement that the Department of Defense did not tell SIGAR to withhold the data, but rather it was the NATO-led Resolute Support coalition that made the determination. It added that the Pentagon did not have the authority to overrule the classification made by Resolute Support, which is led by US General John Nicholson. "The Department continues to work with SIGAR, US Forces-Afghanistan, and NATO Resolute Support to resolve concerns about restrictions on information that was previously unclassified," Lieutenant Colonel Michael Andrews said. Former officials and experts said that regardless of who restricted the information, it was particularly worrying because Afghan and US officials had publicly set a benchmark it would now be difficult to measure. The top US general in Afghanistan set a goal in November of driving back Taliban insurgents enough to control at least 80 percent of the country within two years. In its most recent report, SIGAR said that 43 percent of Afghanistan's districts were either under Taliban control or being contested. Sopko said people would jump to the conclusion that information was being withheld because progress was not being made, which may not be the case. A similar accusation was made during the Vietnam War, which later proved true. "In essence, you can ask me almost any question and I will have to say, it is classified or non-releasable, I mean you go down the list, it is just amazing," Sopko said. He added that the Department of Defense did not give him any reasons for the move. Recent attacks The move by the Pentagon comes amid a spate of violence in Afghanistan over the past nine days that is putting a new, more aggressive strategy under the spotlight. An ambulance bomb in the city center killed more than 100 people, just over a week after an attack on the Hotel Intercontinental, also in Kabul, killed more than 20, including four US citizens. President Donald Trump has committed an additional 3,000 US troops to Afghanistan in recent weeks, bringing the total number of American troops in Afghanistan to about 14,000. Michael Kugelman, with the Woodrow Wilson Center, said it made little sense to block the information. "It's not fair to the American people, to American troops and I would think it's pretty hard to justify doing something like this," Kugelman said. It is not the first time data has been withheld on the Afghan war. Last year, US forces in Afghanistan restricted the amount of data it provided on the ANDSF, including casualties, personnel strength, and attrition rates - data that has now been completely withheld. The US military said at the time the data belonged to the Afghan government, which did not want it released. A former US official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said there was pressure on the US military to achieve the success that could create a risk of not being fully open with the facts. "We're going in a direction of hiding facts and shading and shaping facts in reaction to a lot of pressure to show fast results," the former official said.

Pentagon blocks release of key data on Afghan war - watchdog

Afghanistan&#39;s envoy to the Unites States Majeed Qarar, spoke to WION giving details about Pakistan&#39;s involvement in the recent Afghan terror attacks.&nbsp;

&quot;It is not that this news has emerged recently. In Afghanistan, everyone knows where the Talibani forces are coming from in Pakistan,&quot; Qarar told WION.

Qarar noted that the international media is not aware of this fact but &quot;these are clear evidence&quot;.&nbsp;

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A clear proof that the attack on Kabul&#39;s Inter (Con) Hotel was planned in a madrasa, on Pakistan&#39;s soil. Abdul Qahar, the father of one of the suicide attackers is an eyewitness of the story. Please watch the video: <a href="https://t.co/uGFdT4nZ7a">https://t.co/uGFdT4nZ7a</a>
&mdash; Majeed Qarar (@MajeedQarar) <a href="https://twitter.com/MajeedQarar/status/958022789138649088?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 29, 2018</a></blockquote>
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Speaking of the Trump administration&#39;s stance on Pakistan and terror groups, Qarar hoped that the White House continues to tighten its grip around Pakistan with respect to terrorism.

Qarar noted that Pakistan always retaliates when put under pressure. &quot;The country has been supplying military-grade equipment to terror forces. Instead of solving the matter they meddle with our internal issues. We admit that we have issues, we faced wars for years,&quot; noted Qarar.

Qarar&nbsp;said that Pakistan&#39;s atrocities are only going to unify the Afghan nations. He shared that the Afghan forces manage to seize material on a daily basis.

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<h5>These military-grade equipment are not available anywhere for sale. Pakistan sells them through its domestic black market.</h5>
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&quot;And these are military-grade equipment, not available anywhere for sale. Pakistan sells these through its domestic black market; they buy these weapons from international companies.&quot;

Qarar concluded by saying that Pakistan should stop meddling with Afghanistan&#39;s internal affairs and give up its stance of denial. &quot;Pakistan must do its part, accept what they are doing,&quot; shared Qarar.

Qarar recently shared a video on his social media platform.&nbsp;

Also read: <a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/attack-on-kabuls-intercontinental-hotel-was-planned-in-pakistan-afghan-envoy-to-us-31193">Attack on Kabul&#39;s Intercontinental Hotel was planned in Pakistan: Afghan envoy to </a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/attack-on-kabuls-intercontinental-hotel-was-planned-in-pakistan-afghan-envoy-to-us-31193">US</a>

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The night vision goggles found with Taliban attackers in maiwand&#39;s ANA base were military grade goggles (Not sold to public) procured by Pak army from a British company &amp; supplied 2 Lashkar-e-Tayyeba in Kashmir &amp; Taliban in Afghanistn. Lashkar-e-Tayyeba is an int&#39;l terrorist org.
&mdash; Majeed Qarar (@MajeedQarar) <a href="https://twitter.com/MajeedQarar/status/957805793541345283?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 29, 2018</a></blockquote>
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In the video, Abdul Qahar -- an eyewitness of the incident -- shares details about his son&#39;s enrollment in a Pakistan-based Madrasa. Qahar&#39;s son was one of the suicide attackers in the Kabul Intercontinental Hotel attack.&nbsp;

Qarar noted that the international media is not aware of this fact but these serve as clear evidence

Afghanistan's envoy to the Unites States Majeed Qarar, spoke to WION giving details about Pakistan's involvement in the recent Afghan terror attacks. "It is not that this news has emerged recently. In Afghanistan, everyone knows where the Talibani forces are coming from in Pakistan," Qarar told WION. Qarar noted that the international media is not aware of this fact but "these are clear evidence". A clear proof that the attack on Kabul's Inter (Con) Hotel was planned in a madrasa, on Pakistan's soil. Abdul Qahar, the father of one of the suicide attackers is an eyewitness of the story. Please watch the video: https://t.co/uGFdT4nZ7a — Majeed Qarar (@MajeedQarar) January 29, 2018 × Speaking of the Trump administration's stance on Pakistan and terror groups, Qarar hoped that the White House continues to tighten its grip around Pakistan with respect to terrorism. Qarar noted that Pakistan always retaliates when put under pressure. "The country has been supplying military-grade equipment to terror forces. Instead of solving the matter they meddle with our internal issues. We admit that we have issues, we faced wars for years," noted Qarar. Qarar said that Pakistan's atrocities are only going to unify the Afghan nations. He shared that the Afghan forces manage to seize material on a daily basis. These military-grade equipment are not available anywhere for sale. Pakistan sells them through its domestic black market. × "And these are military-grade equipment, not available anywhere for sale. Pakistan sells these through its domestic black market; they buy these weapons from international companies." Qarar concluded by saying that Pakistan should stop meddling with Afghanistan's internal affairs and give up its stance of denial. "Pakistan must do its part, accept what they are doing," shared Qarar. Qarar recently shared a video on his social media platform. Also read: Attack on Kabul's Intercontinental Hotel was planned in Pakistan: Afghan envoy to US The night vision goggles found with Taliban attackers in maiwand's ANA base were military grade goggles (Not sold to public) procured by Pak army from a British company & supplied 2 Lashkar-e-Tayyeba in Kashmir & Taliban in Afghanistn. Lashkar-e-Tayyeba is an int'l terrorist org. — Majeed Qarar (@MajeedQarar) January 29, 2018 × In the video, Abdul Qahar -- an eyewitness of the incident -- shares details about his son's enrollment in a Pakistan-based Madrasa. Qahar's son was one of the suicide attackers in the Kabul Intercontinental Hotel attack.

Pakistan buys weapons from international companies, sells to Taliban through domestic markets: Afghan envoy to US tells WION

The Taliban are openly active in 70 per cent of Afghanistan&#39;s districts, fully controlling 4 percent of the country and demonstrating an open physical presence in another 66 per cent, according to a BBC study published on Tuesday.

The BBC estimate, which it said was based on conversations with more than 1,200 individual local sources in all districts of the South Asian country, was significantly higher than the most recent assessment by the NATO-led coalition of the Taliban&#39;s presence.

The coalition said on Tuesday that the Taliban contested or controlled only 44 percent of Afghan districts as of October 2017.

Afghanistan has been reeling over the past nine days from a renewed spate of violence that is adding scrutiny to the latest, more aggressive US backed strategy to bolster Afghan forces battling the Taliban in a 16-year-old war.

A bomb hidden in an ambulance struck the city centre and killed more than 100 people, just over a week after an attack on the Hotel Intercontinental, also in Kabul, which left more than 20 people dead, including four US citizens.

Although the BBC counted 399 districts in Afghanistan, the NATO-led force counted 407 districts. The reason for the discrepancy was not immediately clear.

The BBC study said the Afghan government controlled 122 districts or about 30 percent of the country. Still, it noted that did not mean that they were free from Taliban attacks.

&quot;Kabul and other major cities, for example, suffered major attacks - launched from adjacent areas, or by sleeper cells - during the research period, as well as before and after,&quot; the report said.

Asked about the BBC&#39;s study, the Pentagon did not comment directly but pointed to the latest figures by the NATO-led coalition asserting that about 56 percent of Afghanistan&#39;s territory was under Afghan government control or influence.

The study by Britain&#39;s public broadcaster quoted a spokesman for Afghan President Ashraf Ghani playing down the findings.

The BBC study also said ISIS had a presence in 30 districts, but noted it did not fully control any of them.

The BBC study said the Afghan government controlled 122 districts, or about 30 percent of the country. Still, it noted that did not mean that they were free from Taliban attacks.

The Taliban are openly active in 70 per cent of Afghanistan's districts, fully controlling 4 percent of the country and demonstrating an open physical presence in another 66 per cent, according to a BBC study published on Tuesday. The BBC estimate, which it said was based on conversations with more than 1,200 individual local sources in all districts of the South Asian country, was significantly higher than the most recent assessment by the NATO-led coalition of the Taliban's presence. The coalition said on Tuesday that the Taliban contested or controlled only 44 percent of Afghan districts as of October 2017. Afghanistan has been reeling over the past nine days from a renewed spate of violence that is adding scrutiny to the latest, more aggressive US backed strategy to bolster Afghan forces battling the Taliban in a 16-year-old war. A bomb hidden in an ambulance struck the city centre and killed more than 100 people, just over a week after an attack on the Hotel Intercontinental, also in Kabul, which left more than 20 people dead, including four US citizens. Although the BBC counted 399 districts in Afghanistan, the NATO-led force counted 407 districts. The reason for the discrepancy was not immediately clear. The BBC study said the Afghan government controlled 122 districts or about 30 percent of the country. Still, it noted that did not mean that they were free from Taliban attacks. "Kabul and other major cities, for example, suffered major attacks - launched from adjacent areas, or by sleeper cells - during the research period, as well as before and after," the report said. Asked about the BBC's study, the Pentagon did not comment directly but pointed to the latest figures by the NATO-led coalition asserting that about 56 percent of Afghanistan's territory was under Afghan government control or influence. The study by Britain's public broadcaster quoted a spokesman for Afghan President Ashraf Ghani playing down the findings. The BBC study also said ISIS had a presence in 30 districts, but noted it did not fully control any of them.

Taliban active in 70 per cent of Afghanistan, BBC study finds

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/watch-live-lunar-eclipse-gives-super-blue-blood-moon-31350" target="_blank">Watch Live: Lunar eclipse gives super blue blood moon</a>

The super blood blue moon is currently visible in Los Angeles, California and Tokyo. Residents in Arizona and Los Angeles were the first to witness the sightings. Stargazers in Tokyo were also able to see the first glimpse of the unique celestial phenomena.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/indias-2016-17-gdp-growth-unchanged-at-71-per-cent-government-data-31349" target="_blank">India&#39;s 2016-17 GDP growth unchanged at 7.1 </a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/indias-2016-17-gdp-growth-unchanged-at-71-per-cent-government-data-31349" target="_blank">per cent</a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/indias-2016-17-gdp-growth-unchanged-at-71-per-cent-government-data-31349" target="_blank">: Government data</a>

India&#39;s annual economic growth in the fiscal year that ended in March 2017 was unchanged at 7.1 percent, a government statement said on Wednesday.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/state-of-the-union-address-barack-obama-versus-donald-trump-31291" target="_blank">State of the Union address: Barack Obama versus Donald Trump</a>

As the 45th President of the United States delivered his&nbsp;<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/state-of-the-union-address-us-president-donald-trump-bids-for-safe-strong-and-united-america-31271">first State of the Union address</a>&nbsp;today, Donald Trump touched upon the themes of building a stronger, safer and united America, and pacing towards realising the &#39;American dream&#39;.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/earthquake-hits-afghanistan-1-killed-in-pakistan-31314" target="_blank">Earthquake hits Afghanistan, 1 killed in Pakistan</a>

A powerful<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/earthquake-jolts-delhi-tremors-felt-across-north-india-31299">&nbsp;6.1 magnitude earthquake hit northern</a>&nbsp;Afghanistan today. No casualties were immediately reported in &nbsp;Afghanistan. The epicentre was near Afghanistan&#39;s Jarm which had witnessed a devastating earthquake in 2015.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/hong-kong-bans-ivory-sales-traders-angry-31346" target="_blank">Hong Kong bans ivory sales, traders angry</a>

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Watch Live: Lunar eclipse gives super blue blood moon The super blood blue moon is currently visible in Los Angeles, California and Tokyo. Residents in Arizona and Los Angeles were the first to witness the sightings. Stargazers in Tokyo were also able to see the first glimpse of the unique celestial phenomena. India's 2016-17 GDP growth unchanged at 7.1 per cent: Government data India's annual economic growth in the fiscal year that ended in March 2017 was unchanged at 7.1 percent, a government statement said on Wednesday. State of the Union address: Barack Obama versus Donald Trump As the 45th President of the United States delivered his first State of the Union address today, Donald Trump touched upon the themes of building a stronger, safer and united America, and pacing towards realising the 'American dream'. Earthquake hits Afghanistan, 1 killed in Pakistan A powerful 6.1 magnitude earthquake hit northern Afghanistan today. No casualties were immediately reported in Afghanistan. The epicentre was near Afghanistan's Jarm which had witnessed a devastating earthquake in 2015. Hong Kong bans ivory sales, traders angry Hong Kong voted to ban ivory sales in a landmark move Wednesday to end the infamous trade in the city.

WION Evening News brief, January 31, 2018

Since the early eighties, Afghanistan has been witnessing the worst crimes against the humanity. The country had been the battleground of the superpowers of the world and now facing extreme forms of violence and, as a result, the country is at the rock bottom of all the developmental indexes in the world. The human life is subjected to worst tortures, killings are common, and terror activities are a daily news in the mountain country.

&nbsp;

The US-backed and Pakistan-trained Mujahedeen groups fought with the Soviet forces and forced them to retreat. As a result, a large number of Afghan refugees moved into the areas across Durand Line and established themselves. Various Islamic sects of Pakistan, including Jamaat-e-Islami, took this opportunity to establish their madrasas or religious schools in these areas.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

When Afghanistan was going through a process of destabilisation after the withdrawal of Soviet Troops, Pakistan needed to gain its influence over Afghanistan. For this purpose, it needed a force loyal to it and brutal enough to fight the mighty Northern Alliance of Afghanistan. The Madrasas proved to be an ideal recruiting ground for the Pakistan ISI and a new breed of terror was created -the Taliban.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

Over next few years, these seminaries were converted into arms and bomb-making factories and terrorist training centres with the help of Pakistan Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI).

&nbsp;

The only one responsible for these crimes was the Pakistan government which turned these religious seminaries into terror factories. Later, these madrasas provided numerous cadres of Al-Qaeda and more than 1 lakh fighters to the Afghan Taliban. Not only this, they continued to provide terrorists and suicide bombers for the ongoing terror activities in Afghanistan, India and the Middle East.&nbsp; Many ISIS cadres also came out from some of these madrasas. These madrasas soon became an easy and effective training centre of Pakistan&#39;s ISI.

&nbsp;

The border between Pakistan and Afghanistan is extremely porous and facilitates easy movement of even a large force across as there is no surveillance. Hence, this was a major advantage for Pakistan ISI to run madrasas in these areas.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

These terror factories are not run on mere donations of the public but receive massive funds from the Pakistan government as well as the Middle Eastern countries. A Times of India news report said, in 2016, Pakistan&#39;s Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa government gave Rs 300 million to one of the prominent madrasa, also known as the &#39;University of Jihad&#39;. The madrasa is known to have many Taliban leader among its alumni.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

Not only this, it has been alleged that the agents of the Pakistan government often compel and even kidnap Afghan children to study in these madrasas so that they can be taught the most violent form of Islam and turned into a deadly fighter. As per a report published in the Deccan Chronicle (dated 31 Jul 2017), Afghan police caught an organised syndicate which used to traffic young boys to the madrasas across the border in Pakistan from interiors of Afghanistan. They recovered a large number of Afghan boys who were being taken to Pakistan to study in these madrasas against their own will. This proves that Pak support to these madrasas is not only limited to indoctrination but also providing them with manpower, military training, funds and other forms of logistical support.

&nbsp;

Today, there are over 15000 madrasas being run on Pak- Afghan border out of which more than 60% are in Baluchistan alone. The reason is obvious, the most important aspect of Taliban or their ideological hub which is called as Quetta Shura is located in the Baluchistan province itself. This is the group which is managing a large number of madrasas in the area. Surprisingly, nearly all of them are teaching either the Deobandi Philosophy of Islam or Salafi ideology, both are extremely violent and most radical forms of Islam.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

As of now, nearly all attacks or violence in Afghanistan is traced back to one or the other madrasas in Pakistan. As per the statement made by the Afghan Ambassador in the US, Mr Majeed Qarar, the attack on Kabul&rsquo;s Intercontinental Hotel was also planned in one such madrasa in Pakistan. He quoted the video of the father of one of the suicide attackers who visited the madrasa many times to bring their son back but he was so badly brain-washed that he refused to come back with them.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

There have been allegations substantiated by evidences that Pakistan had been providing equipment and weapons to terrorists in Afghanistan. During the recent attack on Maiwand Army Base of Afghanistan, the night vision goggles recovered from terrorists reveal the entire story. They were made by a company in Britain and procured by Pak Army for their military operations. Now, how they reached these terrorists, the question reveals the answer itself.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

&nbsp;In March 2016, Pak PM&rsquo;s advisor Mr Sartaz Ajeez himself accepted that &ldquo;These madrasas had well-oiled terror infrastructure, beyond imagination, running bomb-making factories, terrorists training centres and those to train suicide bombers - all under multi-storeyed basement under the mosque&rdquo; which proves the fact that these madrasas are really operating as terror factories.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

He further mentioned that &quot;In one mosque that I visited, I remember, in Miranshah, from outside we did not see anything. But under the mosque, there were a 70-room basement, three stories, in which there were four-five IED factories, four-five suicide training centres, communication network, VIP room, conference rooms, amazing infrastructure,&quot;&nbsp;

&nbsp;

This is very horrifying, to say the least. The world is surprised to know how these terror factories are still able to run on Pakistani soil smoothly. Pakistan government may deny their association with them but, at last, they are openly operating on their land and making a mockery of their law. Moreover, the victims of these terror factories are only the poor and innocent Afghan population and not Pakistan.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

It is the responsibility of the global leaders now to make an all-out effort&nbsp;and ensure that these terror factories are not only closed but their leaders and perpetrators of terror should be brought to justice.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)&nbsp;&nbsp;

Today, there are over 15000 madrasas on Pak- Afghan border out of which more than 60% are in Baluchistan as the ideological hub of Taliban is in the province.

Since the early eighties, Afghanistan has been witnessing the worst crimes against the humanity. The country had been the battleground of the superpowers of the world and now facing extreme forms of violence and, as a result, the country is at the rock bottom of all the developmental indexes in the world. The human life is subjected to worst tortures, killings are common, and terror activities are a daily news in the mountain country. The US-backed and Pakistan-trained Mujahedeen groups fought with the Soviet forces and forced them to retreat. As a result, a large number of Afghan refugees moved into the areas across Durand Line and established themselves. Various Islamic sects of Pakistan, including Jamaat-e-Islami, took this opportunity to establish their madrasas or religious schools in these areas. When Afghanistan was going through a process of destabilisation after the withdrawal of Soviet Troops, Pakistan needed to gain its influence over Afghanistan. For this purpose, it needed a force loyal to it and brutal enough to fight the mighty Northern Alliance of Afghanistan. The Madrasas proved to be an ideal recruiting ground for the Pakistan ISI and a new breed of terror was created -the Taliban. Over next few years, these seminaries were converted into arms and bomb-making factories and terrorist training centres with the help of Pakistan Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI). The only one responsible for these crimes was the Pakistan government which turned these religious seminaries into terror factories. Later, these madrasas provided numerous cadres of Al-Qaeda and more than 1 lakh fighters to the Afghan Taliban. Not only this, they continued to provide terrorists and suicide bombers for the ongoing terror activities in Afghanistan, India and the Middle East. Many ISIS cadres also came out from some of these madrasas. These madrasas soon became an easy and effective training centre of Pakistan's ISI. The border between Pakistan and Afghanistan is extremely porous and facilitates easy movement of even a large force across as there is no surveillance. Hence, this was a major advantage for Pakistan ISI to run madrasas in these areas. These terror factories are not run on mere donations of the public but receive massive funds from the Pakistan government as well as the Middle Eastern countries. A Times of India news report said, in 2016, Pakistan's Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa government gave Rs 300 million to one of the prominent madrasa, also known as the 'University of Jihad'. The madrasa is known to have many Taliban leader among its alumni. Not only this, it has been alleged that the agents of the Pakistan government often compel and even kidnap Afghan children to study in these madrasas so that they can be taught the most violent form of Islam and turned into a deadly fighter. As per a report published in the Deccan Chronicle (dated 31 Jul 2017), Afghan police caught an organised syndicate which used to traffic young boys to the madrasas across the border in Pakistan from interiors of Afghanistan. They recovered a large number of Afghan boys who were being taken to Pakistan to study in these madrasas against their own will. This proves that Pak support to these madrasas is not only limited to indoctrination but also providing them with manpower, military training, funds and other forms of logistical support. Today, there are over 15000 madrasas being run on Pak- Afghan border out of which more than 60% are in Baluchistan alone. The reason is obvious, the most important aspect of Taliban or their ideological hub which is called as Quetta Shura is located in the Baluchistan province itself. This is the group which is managing a large number of madrasas in the area. Surprisingly, nearly all of them are teaching either the Deobandi Philosophy of Islam or Salafi ideology, both are extremely violent and most radical forms of Islam. As of now, nearly all attacks or violence in Afghanistan is traced back to one or the other madrasas in Pakistan. As per the statement made by the Afghan Ambassador in the US, Mr Majeed Qarar, the attack on Kabul’s Intercontinental Hotel was also planned in one such madrasa in Pakistan. He quoted the video of the father of one of the suicide attackers who visited the madrasa many times to bring their son back but he was so badly brain-washed that he refused to come back with them. There have been allegations substantiated by evidences that Pakistan had been providing equipment and weapons to terrorists in Afghanistan. During the recent attack on Maiwand Army Base of Afghanistan, the night vision goggles recovered from terrorists reveal the entire story. They were made by a company in Britain and procured by Pak Army for their military operations. Now, how they reached these terrorists, the question reveals the answer itself. In March 2016, Pak PM’s advisor Mr Sartaz Ajeez himself accepted that “These madrasas had well-oiled terror infrastructure, beyond imagination, running bomb-making factories, terrorists training centres and those to train suicide bombers - all under multi-storeyed basement under the mosque” which proves the fact that these madrasas are really operating as terror factories. He further mentioned that "In one mosque that I visited, I remember, in Miranshah, from outside we did not see anything. But under the mosque, there were a 70-room basement, three stories, in which there were four-five IED factories, four-five suicide training centres, communication network, VIP room, conference rooms, amazing infrastructure," This is very horrifying, to say the least. The world is surprised to know how these terror factories are still able to run on Pakistani soil smoothly. Pakistan government may deny their association with them but, at last, they are openly operating on their land and making a mockery of their law. Moreover, the victims of these terror factories are only the poor and innocent Afghan population and not Pakistan. It is the responsibility of the global leaders now to make an all-out effort and ensure that these terror factories are not only closed but their leaders and perpetrators of terror should be brought to justice. (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

Opinion: Madrasas in Pakistan are serving as terror factories of Afghanistan

Majeed Qarar, the Afghan Diplomat to the US, alleges that&nbsp;<a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/five-arrested-over-kabul-intercontinental-hotel-shooting-30990">Kabul&#39;s Intercontinental hotel attack</a> was planned in a Madarasa in Pakistan.

Qarar released a video on his social handles which shows Abdul Qahar -- father of one of the suicide attackers.

In the video, Qahar -- an eyewitness of the incident -- shares details about his son&#39;s enrollment in a Pakistan-based Madrasa.&nbsp;

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
A clear proof that the attack on Kabul&#39;s Inter (Con) Hotel was planned in a madrasa, on Pakistan&#39;s soil. Abdul Qahar, the father of one of the suicide attackers is an eyewitness of the story. Please watch the video: <a href="https://t.co/uGFdT4nZ7a">https://t.co/uGFdT4nZ7a</a>
&mdash; Majeed Qarar (@MajeedQarar) <a href="https://twitter.com/MajeedQarar/status/958022789138649088?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 29, 2018</a></blockquote>
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He noted that he &amp; his wife visited the son twice to bring him back, but he was not ready to go&nbsp;with them. Qahar also mentioned the militancy in Madrasa.&nbsp;

He admitted that he was informed about his son&#39;s death when he was called to Pakistan.&nbsp;

Majeed&nbsp;Qarar previously took to Twitter revealing that Pakistan army supplied equipment to attackers of the Afghan Military Academy.&nbsp;

&quot;The night vision goggles found with Taliban attackers in Maiwand&nbsp;ANA base were military grade goggles (Not sold to the public) procured by Pak army from a British company &amp; supplied 2 Lashkar-e-Taiba in Kashmir &amp; Taliban in Afghanistan. Lashkar-e-Taiba is an international terrorist org&quot;, Qarar tweeted yesterday.&nbsp;

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The night vision goggles found with Taliban attackers in maiwand&#39;s ANA base were military grade goggles (Not sold to public) procured by Pak army from a British company &amp; supplied 2 Lashkar-e-Tayyeba in Kashmir &amp; Taliban in Afghanistn. Lashkar-e-Tayyeba is an int&#39;l terrorist org.
&mdash; Majeed Qarar (@MajeedQarar) <a href="https://twitter.com/MajeedQarar/status/957805793541345283?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 29, 2018</a></blockquote>
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At least four Taliban gunmen attacked Kabul&#39;s landmark Intercontinental Hotel on January 27 and started shooting at guests. The shooting went on for at least 12 hours.

The overnight attack killed at least 22 people, the majority of them were foreigners including citizens from Venezuela, the Ukraine, Germany and Kazakhstan and America.

About 100 people were kept hostage who were released after the attack.

The video shows Abdul Qahar, father of one of the suicide attackers

Majeed Qarar, the Afghan Diplomat to the US, alleges that Kabul's Intercontinental hotel attack was planned in a Madarasa in Pakistan. Qarar released a video on his social handles which shows Abdul Qahar -- father of one of the suicide attackers. In the video, Qahar -- an eyewitness of the incident -- shares details about his son's enrollment in a Pakistan-based Madrasa. A clear proof that the attack on Kabul's Inter (Con) Hotel was planned in a madrasa, on Pakistan's soil. Abdul Qahar, the father of one of the suicide attackers is an eyewitness of the story. Please watch the video: https://t.co/uGFdT4nZ7a — Majeed Qarar (@MajeedQarar) January 29, 2018 × He noted that he & his wife visited the son twice to bring him back, but he was not ready to go with them. Qahar also mentioned the militancy in Madrasa. He admitted that he was informed about his son's death when he was called to Pakistan. Majeed Qarar previously took to Twitter revealing that Pakistan army supplied equipment to attackers of the Afghan Military Academy. "The night vision goggles found with Taliban attackers in Maiwand ANA base were military grade goggles (Not sold to the public) procured by Pak army from a British company & supplied 2 Lashkar-e-Taiba in Kashmir & Taliban in Afghanistan. Lashkar-e-Taiba is an international terrorist org", Qarar tweeted yesterday. The night vision goggles found with Taliban attackers in maiwand's ANA base were military grade goggles (Not sold to public) procured by Pak army from a British company & supplied 2 Lashkar-e-Tayyeba in Kashmir & Taliban in Afghanistn. Lashkar-e-Tayyeba is an int'l terrorist org. — Majeed Qarar (@MajeedQarar) January 29, 2018 × At least four Taliban gunmen attacked Kabul's landmark Intercontinental Hotel on January 27 and started shooting at guests. The shooting went on for at least 12 hours. The overnight attack killed at least 22 people, the majority of them were foreigners including citizens from Venezuela, the Ukraine, Germany and Kazakhstan and America. About 100 people were kept hostage who were released after the attack.

Attack on Kabul's Intercontinental Hotel was planned in Pakistan: Afghan envoy to US

US President Donald Trump on Monday rejected the idea of talks with the Taliban after a series of deadly attacks in Afghanistan, in an apparent contradiction of his own strategy to end America&#39;s longest foreign war.

Trump condemned the militant group for the carnage in Kabul and pledged to &quot;finish what we have to finish.&quot;

Trump&#39;s comments suggest he sees a military victory over the Taliban, an outcome that military and diplomatic officials say cannot be achieved with the resources and manpower he has authorised.

When he announced an increase in US troops to Afghanistan in August, US officials said the goal was to force the Taliban to negotiate a political settlement.

&quot;I don&#39;t see any talking taking place,&quot; Trump told reporters as he began meeting at the White House with members of the United Nations Security Council.

&quot;I don&#39;t think we&#39;re prepared to talk right now. It&#39;s a whole different fight over there. They&#39;re killing people left and right. Innocent people are being killed left and right.&quot;

Trump last year ordered an increase in US troops to Afghanistan, air strikes and other assistance to Afghan forces. The US ambassador to the United Nations, Nikki Haley, said earlier this month the strategy was working and pushing the insurgents closer to peace talks.

That was before a suicide bomber penetrated the highly guarded centre of Kabul on Saturday and detonated an explosives-laden ambulance, killing more than 100 people and wounding at least 235. That attack followed a brazen Taliban assault on the city&#39;s Intercontinental Hotel and other acts of violence.

Four US citizens were killed and two wounded in the January 20 attack on the Intercontinental Hotel, the US State Department said last week. At least 20 people were killed in the hotel assault.

No evidence of military victory

&quot;When you see what they&#39;re doing and the atrocities that they&#39;re committing, and killing their own people, and those people are women and children ... it is horrible,&quot; Trump said.

&quot;We don&#39;t want to talk to the Taliban. We&#39;re going to finish what we have to finish, what nobody else has been able to finish, we&#39;re going to be able to do it,&quot; Trump said.

Current and former US officials said that despite the carnage, the United States had no choice but to promote peace talks.

A US official, speaking on condition of anonymity, expressed surprise at Trump&rsquo;s comments and said there was an understanding that defeating the Taliban was not purely a military problem.

&ldquo;You can never really take talks off the table,&rdquo; the official said.

Laurel Miller, who served as acting US special representative to Afghanistan and Pakistan until June, said the stated goal of Trump&#39;s Afghanistan strategy was &quot;to increase military pressure on the Taliban in order to motivate them to engage in a political settlement.&quot;

There is no evidence, she said, &quot;that suggests that the US and Afghan forces can defeat the Taliban on the battlefield.&quot;

Afghanistan&#39;s UN ambassador, Mahmoud Saikal, told Reuters on Monday that fighting needed to continue against certain elements of the Taliban.

&quot;There are two categories of Taliban: One is the reconcilable elements who are in touch with us, who are talking to us, and one is the irreconcilable,&quot; Saikal said.

&ldquo;The irreconcilables and those who have chosen to fight, we need to fight. We need to fight against them, we need to have the capability to withstand against them and to defend our people,&quot; he said.

'We don't want to talk to the Taliban. We're going to finish what we have to finish, what nobody else has been able to finish, we're going to be able to do it,'Trump said

US President Donald Trump on Monday rejected the idea of talks with the Taliban after a series of deadly attacks in Afghanistan, in an apparent contradiction of his own strategy to end America's longest foreign war. Trump condemned the militant group for the carnage in Kabul and pledged to "finish what we have to finish." Trump's comments suggest he sees a military victory over the Taliban, an outcome that military and diplomatic officials say cannot be achieved with the resources and manpower he has authorised. When he announced an increase in US troops to Afghanistan in August, US officials said the goal was to force the Taliban to negotiate a political settlement. "I don't see any talking taking place," Trump told reporters as he began meeting at the White House with members of the United Nations Security Council. "I don't think we're prepared to talk right now. It's a whole different fight over there. They're killing people left and right. Innocent people are being killed left and right." Trump last year ordered an increase in US troops to Afghanistan, air strikes and other assistance to Afghan forces. The US ambassador to the United Nations, Nikki Haley, said earlier this month the strategy was working and pushing the insurgents closer to peace talks. That was before a suicide bomber penetrated the highly guarded centre of Kabul on Saturday and detonated an explosives-laden ambulance, killing more than 100 people and wounding at least 235. That attack followed a brazen Taliban assault on the city's Intercontinental Hotel and other acts of violence. Four US citizens were killed and two wounded in the January 20 attack on the Intercontinental Hotel, the US State Department said last week. At least 20 people were killed in the hotel assault. No evidence of military victory "When you see what they're doing and the atrocities that they're committing, and killing their own people, and those people are women and children ... it is horrible," Trump said. "We don't want to talk to the Taliban. We're going to finish what we have to finish, what nobody else has been able to finish, we're going to be able to do it," Trump said. Current and former US officials said that despite the carnage, the United States had no choice but to promote peace talks. A US official, speaking on condition of anonymity, expressed surprise at Trump’s comments and said there was an understanding that defeating the Taliban was not purely a military problem. “You can never really take talks off the table,” the official said. Laurel Miller, who served as acting US special representative to Afghanistan and Pakistan until June, said the stated goal of Trump's Afghanistan strategy was "to increase military pressure on the Taliban in order to motivate them to engage in a political settlement." There is no evidence, she said, "that suggests that the US and Afghan forces can defeat the Taliban on the battlefield." Afghanistan's UN ambassador, Mahmoud Saikal, told Reuters on Monday that fighting needed to continue against certain elements of the Taliban. "There are two categories of Taliban: One is the reconcilable elements who are in touch with us, who are talking to us, and one is the irreconcilable," Saikal said. “The irreconcilables and those who have chosen to fight, we need to fight. We need to fight against them, we need to have the capability to withstand against them and to defend our people," he said.

Trump rejects peace talks with Taliban in departure from Afghan strategy

Barely 15 days after the seize of Intercontinental hotel in Kabul, another deadly blast shook the city where an explosives-laden ambulance blew itself up in a busy street of Kabul, the capital of Afghanistan which was considered a heavenly city a few decades back.

&nbsp;

Both the attacks were a handiwork of Taliban, a strong militia group considered extremely close to the leadership of Pakistan. The shadows of Mr Trump&rsquo;s decision on withholding the US Aid to Pakistan cannot be ruled out in these attacks.

&nbsp;

But there is another deadly group opening up slowly in Afghanistan. The Islamic State of Iraq and Levant (ISIL of ISIS) in Khorasan. ISIS is not behind Taliban in brutality. On Wednesday, 24th January 2018, they executed a deadly attack on Jalalabad at Nangarhar on the office of a British Aid Agency &ldquo;Save the Children&rdquo;, killing 4 people and injured several dozens.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

In the war-torn country, both the groups are fighting to get more and more territory as well as supporters. Both are major terrorist groups but there are serious differences among them. &nbsp;

While Taliban is a group of terrorists comprising of Madarsa students and their teachers which were trained and armed by Pakistan ISI, the ISIS is a full-fledged army which can fight even small conventional wars.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

In Afghanistan, Taliban is a mix of various ethnic and tribal groups and, currently, going through a bad phase of disarray, infighting and leadership crisis. They have been badly hammered by the Coalition forces, as well as Afghan Army, and have lost about 10000 of their fighters in the last two decades or so. But ironically, they have been able to sustain well despite of these aspects. They have killed an equal number of Coalition and Afghan Soldiers and are able to control more than 45% of the Afghanistan Territory. This is more than the area under Taliban control when America started Operation Enduring Freedom in 2001.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

As far as religious alienation is concerned, Taliban strictly follows the Deobandi school of Sunni Islam while the ISIS is a strong Salafi group. There are major ideological differences too. Contrary to the ISIS, Taliban primarily rules as per tribal customs and traditions made by the people. Whereas ISIS has only one aim, the imposition of Shariyat in totality.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

The primary aim of Taliban is to establish their rule over Afghan territory irrespective of religious issues. The ISIS, however, has only one aim: to establish the Islamic rule under the Caliphate, encompassing the entire Muslim community or Ummah in the territory. They are much more organised, brutal and fearless.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

Since its arrival in Afghanistan in 2015, the group has killed over 700 people and injured more than 1600. That&rsquo;s an alarming figure. They calculated their move and started active operations only after the US backed forces decided to withdraw after declaring an end to Operation Enduring Freedom in 2014. Exactly the way they did in Iraq.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

ISIS has another major advantage and that is related to their defeat in Iraq and Syria. A sizeable population of ISIS fighters is now returning because of the group losing grounds in Iraq and Syria. A large number of them are from Pakistan, Afghanistan and Uighurs from China and there cannot be a better territory for them to operate than Afghanistan.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

On top of this, many Taliban commanders are defecting and joining the ISIS. The Khorasan Region ISIS, which was initially started by a group of just the 70 people who moved from Iraq to create the force in Afghanistan in 2014, now boasts of several thousand within just 3 years. Surprisingly, the major stronghold of the ISIS in Afghanistan is Nangarhar province which connects the country with Pakistan through the Khyber Pass.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

So, what is the future of the country now? A nation, which is witnessing the worst form of terrorism sponsored by its neighbours, will it ever be able to come out of the dark shadows? Will the citizen of this country ever live a normal life? They have been suffering badly in the past because of inter group fighting.&nbsp; Initially, it was the US backed coalition to fight Soviet forces, then it was fighting with AL- Qaeda and then with Taliban and now it seems to be ISIS. But one factor is common to all and that is active support from the Pakistan Government and its ISI.

&nbsp;

I would feel that there are only two ways- firstly to isolate the country from any kind of ISI or Pakistani influence and, secondly, to come down heavily on the terrorist groups existing within the territory of the country.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

Most importantly, Afghan leaders must understand as to who can help them really in the world. Who are the friends and who are the foes? It will of mutual benefit if India and Afghanistan decide to help each other out to end the scourge of terrorism from the region.

&nbsp;

(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)&nbsp;&nbsp;

ISIS is more organised, brutal and fearless than Taliban

Barely 15 days after the seize of Intercontinental hotel in Kabul, another deadly blast shook the city where an explosives-laden ambulance blew itself up in a busy street of Kabul, the capital of Afghanistan which was considered a heavenly city a few decades back. Both the attacks were a handiwork of Taliban, a strong militia group considered extremely close to the leadership of Pakistan. The shadows of Mr Trump’s decision on withholding the US Aid to Pakistan cannot be ruled out in these attacks. But there is another deadly group opening up slowly in Afghanistan. The Islamic State of Iraq and Levant (ISIL of ISIS) in Khorasan. ISIS is not behind Taliban in brutality. On Wednesday, 24th January 2018, they executed a deadly attack on Jalalabad at Nangarhar on the office of a British Aid Agency “Save the Children”, killing 4 people and injured several dozens. In the war-torn country, both the groups are fighting to get more and more territory as well as supporters. Both are major terrorist groups but there are serious differences among them. While Taliban is a group of terrorists comprising of Madarsa students and their teachers which were trained and armed by Pakistan ISI, the ISIS is a full-fledged army which can fight even small conventional wars. In Afghanistan, Taliban is a mix of various ethnic and tribal groups and, currently, going through a bad phase of disarray, infighting and leadership crisis. They have been badly hammered by the Coalition forces, as well as Afghan Army, and have lost about 10000 of their fighters in the last two decades or so. But ironically, they have been able to sustain well despite of these aspects. They have killed an equal number of Coalition and Afghan Soldiers and are able to control more than 45% of the Afghanistan Territory. This is more than the area under Taliban control when America started Operation Enduring Freedom in 2001. As far as religious alienation is concerned, Taliban strictly follows the Deobandi school of Sunni Islam while the ISIS is a strong Salafi group. There are major ideological differences too. Contrary to the ISIS, Taliban primarily rules as per tribal customs and traditions made by the people. Whereas ISIS has only one aim, the imposition of Shariyat in totality. The primary aim of Taliban is to establish their rule over Afghan territory irrespective of religious issues. The ISIS, however, has only one aim: to establish the Islamic rule under the Caliphate, encompassing the entire Muslim community or Ummah in the territory. They are much more organised, brutal and fearless. Since its arrival in Afghanistan in 2015, the group has killed over 700 people and injured more than 1600. That’s an alarming figure. They calculated their move and started active operations only after the US backed forces decided to withdraw after declaring an end to Operation Enduring Freedom in 2014. Exactly the way they did in Iraq. ISIS has another major advantage and that is related to their defeat in Iraq and Syria. A sizeable population of ISIS fighters is now returning because of the group losing grounds in Iraq and Syria. A large number of them are from Pakistan, Afghanistan and Uighurs from China and there cannot be a better territory for them to operate than Afghanistan. On top of this, many Taliban commanders are defecting and joining the ISIS. The Khorasan Region ISIS, which was initially started by a group of just the 70 people who moved from Iraq to create the force in Afghanistan in 2014, now boasts of several thousand within just 3 years. Surprisingly, the major stronghold of the ISIS in Afghanistan is Nangarhar province which connects the country with Pakistan through the Khyber Pass. So, what is the future of the country now? A nation, which is witnessing the worst form of terrorism sponsored by its neighbours, will it ever be able to come out of the dark shadows? Will the citizen of this country ever live a normal life? They have been suffering badly in the past because of inter group fighting. Initially, it was the US backed coalition to fight Soviet forces, then it was fighting with AL- Qaeda and then with Taliban and now it seems to be ISIS. But one factor is common to all and that is active support from the Pakistan Government and its ISI. I would feel that there are only two ways- firstly to isolate the country from any kind of ISI or Pakistani influence and, secondly, to come down heavily on the terrorist groups existing within the territory of the country. Most importantly, Afghan leaders must understand as to who can help them really in the world. Who are the friends and who are the foes? It will of mutual benefit if India and Afghanistan decide to help each other out to end the scourge of terrorism from the region. (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

Opinion: India should consider ISIS to be more deadly than Taliban

Militants on Monday raided a military academy in Kabul, the Afghan capital, killing 11 soldiers, the fourth major attack in a spate of violence over the past nine days that is putting a new, more aggressive US&nbsp;strategy under the spotlight.

Five gunmen attacked an army outpost near one of Afghanistan&#39;s main military academies on Monday and 11 soldiers were killed and 15 wounded before the attackers were subdued, the defence ministry said.

Islamic State claimed responsibility for the attack near the Marshal Fahim military academy on the city&#39;s western outskirts, in which four of the gunmen were killed and one captured.

It came two days after an ambulance bomb in the city centre killed more than 100 people and just over a week after another attack on the Hotel Intercontinental, also in Kabul, killed more than 20.

Both of those attacks were claimed by the Taliban.

Ministry of Defence officials said the five militants, armed with rocket-propelled grenades and automatic rifles, attacked the outpost near the well-defended academy just before dawn.

&quot;The Afghan National Army is the country&#39;s defence force and makes sacrifices for the security and well-being of the people,&quot; the ministry said.

Security officials at the scene said the gunmen had used a ladder to get over a wall into the post.

In October, a suicide attacker rammed a car full of explosives into a bus carrying cadets from the academy, known as the Defence University, killing 15 of them.

While militants claiming allegiance to Islamic State operate in mountains in the eastern province of Nangarhar, little is known about the group and many analysts question whether they are solely responsible for the attacks they have claimed in Kabul and elsewhere.

Islamic State claimed an assault on the office of aid group Save the Children in the eastern city of Jalalabad on Wednesday in which six people were killed.

The attacks have put pressure on President Ashraf Ghani and his US&nbsp;allies, who have expressed growing confidence that a new, more aggressive military strategy has succeeded in driving Taliban insurgents back from major provincial centres.

The United States has stepped up its assistance to Afghan security forces and its air strikes against the Taliban and other militant groups, aiming to break a stalemate and force the insurgents to the negotiating table.

However, the Taliban have dismissed suggestions they have been weakened and said Saturday&#39;s bombing was a message to President Donald Trump.

&quot;The Islamic Emirate has a clear message for Trump and his hand kissers, that if you go ahead with a policy of aggression and speak from the barrel of a gun, don&#39;t expect Afghans to grow flowers in response,&quot; Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid said in a statement, using the term the Islamist militants use to describe themselves.

This week&#39;s surge of violence is unlikely to sway the U.S. strategy, or breathe life into stalled efforts to get peace talks going.

The U.S. military and the Afghan government say big attacks on civilians are evidence that the militants are being squeezed in the countryside.

Trump condemned the Saturday attack, saying it &quot;renews our resolve and that of our Afghan partners&quot;.

&quot;We will not allow the Taliban to win!&quot; he said on Twitter on Sunday.

But Ghani, embroiled in confrontation with provincial powerbrokers defying central rule, faces anger from an increasingly frustrated population, who want him to set aside political divisions and focus on security.

&quot;People think the government is working very badly, that the security agencies think about themselves and don&#39;t care, and the international coalition just wants to fight with air strikes and doesn&#39;t have any good intelligence,&quot; said Najib Mahmood, political science professor at Kabul University.

Saturday&#39;s blast in one of the most heavily protected parts of the city, close to foreign embassies and government buildings, was the worst in the Afghan capital since a truck bomb near the German embassy killed 150 people in May.

The May blast triggered bloody anti-government protests but there has been no sign of any such agitation this week.

The United States and Afghanistan have accused Pakistan of helping the Taliban in a bid to undermine old rival India&#39;s growing influence in Afghanistan.

Pakistan, which denies accusations it fosters the Afghan war, condemned the attack and called for &quot;concerted efforts and effective cooperation&quot; to tackle militancy.

A few hours after Monday&#39;s attack, Indonesian President Joko Widodo arrived in Kabul. Indonesia has the world&#39;s biggest Muslim population, and Widodo has proposed its Islamic scholars could help promote Afghan peace.

Islamic State claimed responsibility for the attack near the Marshal Fahim military academy on the city's western outskirts.

Militants on Monday raided a military academy in Kabul, the Afghan capital, killing 11 soldiers, the fourth major attack in a spate of violence over the past nine days that is putting a new, more aggressive US strategy under the spotlight. Five gunmen attacked an army outpost near one of Afghanistan's main military academies on Monday and 11 soldiers were killed and 15 wounded before the attackers were subdued, the defence ministry said. Islamic State claimed responsibility for the attack near the Marshal Fahim military academy on the city's western outskirts, in which four of the gunmen were killed and one captured. It came two days after an ambulance bomb in the city centre killed more than 100 people and just over a week after another attack on the Hotel Intercontinental, also in Kabul, killed more than 20. Both of those attacks were claimed by the Taliban. Ministry of Defence officials said the five militants, armed with rocket-propelled grenades and automatic rifles, attacked the outpost near the well-defended academy just before dawn. "The Afghan National Army is the country's defence force and makes sacrifices for the security and well-being of the people," the ministry said. Security officials at the scene said the gunmen had used a ladder to get over a wall into the post. In October, a suicide attacker rammed a car full of explosives into a bus carrying cadets from the academy, known as the Defence University, killing 15 of them. While militants claiming allegiance to Islamic State operate in mountains in the eastern province of Nangarhar, little is known about the group and many analysts question whether they are solely responsible for the attacks they have claimed in Kabul and elsewhere. Islamic State claimed an assault on the office of aid group Save the Children in the eastern city of Jalalabad on Wednesday in which six people were killed. The attacks have put pressure on President Ashraf Ghani and his US allies, who have expressed growing confidence that a new, more aggressive military strategy has succeeded in driving Taliban insurgents back from major provincial centres. The United States has stepped up its assistance to Afghan security forces and its air strikes against the Taliban and other militant groups, aiming to break a stalemate and force the insurgents to the negotiating table. However, the Taliban have dismissed suggestions they have been weakened and said Saturday's bombing was a message to President Donald Trump. "The Islamic Emirate has a clear message for Trump and his hand kissers, that if you go ahead with a policy of aggression and speak from the barrel of a gun, don't expect Afghans to grow flowers in response," Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid said in a statement, using the term the Islamist militants use to describe themselves. This week's surge of violence is unlikely to sway the U.S. strategy, or breathe life into stalled efforts to get peace talks going. The U.S. military and the Afghan government say big attacks on civilians are evidence that the militants are being squeezed in the countryside. Trump condemned the Saturday attack, saying it "renews our resolve and that of our Afghan partners". "We will not allow the Taliban to win!" he said on Twitter on Sunday. But Ghani, embroiled in confrontation with provincial powerbrokers defying central rule, faces anger from an increasingly frustrated population, who want him to set aside political divisions and focus on security. "People think the government is working very badly, that the security agencies think about themselves and don't care, and the international coalition just wants to fight with air strikes and doesn't have any good intelligence," said Najib Mahmood, political science professor at Kabul University. Saturday's blast in one of the most heavily protected parts of the city, close to foreign embassies and government buildings, was the worst in the Afghan capital since a truck bomb near the German embassy killed 150 people in May. The May blast triggered bloody anti-government protests but there has been no sign of any such agitation this week. The United States and Afghanistan have accused Pakistan of helping the Taliban in a bid to undermine old rival India's growing influence in Afghanistan. Pakistan, which denies accusations it fosters the Afghan war, condemned the attack and called for "concerted efforts and effective cooperation" to tackle militancy. A few hours after Monday's attack, Indonesian President Joko Widodo arrived in Kabul. Indonesia has the world's biggest Muslim population, and Widodo has proposed its Islamic scholars could help promote Afghan peace.

11 Afghan soldiers killed in Kabul attack, IS claims responsibility

Australia cruised into the final of the Under-19 World Cup with an easy six-wicket win over Afghanistan at Hagley Oval in Christchurch on Thursday.&nbsp;

The three-time champions chased down Afghanistan&#39;s target of 182 at a canter, losing just four wickets as they reached it with more than 12 overs remaining.

Australian all-rounder Jonathan Merlo took four for 24 with the ball before opening batsman Jack Edwards smashed 72 in a man-of-the-match knock.

They will play the winner of Tuesday&#39;s semi-final between India and Pakistan in the tournament decider on Saturday.

Afghanistan has had a dream run at this year&#39;s tournament, defeating Pakistan and Sri Lanka in the group stages, then thrashing hosts New Zealand by 202 runs to make the final four for the first time.&nbsp;

But their batsmen failed to fire against Australia, leaving a spin-heavy attack little to defend.

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Australia have just confirmed their tickets to Tauranga for the <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/U19CWC?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#U19CWC</a> Final with a six-wicket win over Afghanistan! 
 
Will their opponent be ???????? or ????????? 
 
Scores &amp; Stats ➡️ <a href="https://t.co/jqTHMnPrv3">https://t.co/jqTHMnPrv3</a> <a href="https://t.co/Gj8uLWPy4W">pic.twitter.com/Gj8uLWPy4W</a>
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&quot;We did a bit of research on their spinners and thought it&#39;d be a good idea to take the game to them,&quot; Edwards said. &quot;Try to get them before they get us.&nbsp;

&quot;The pitch was pretty slow, probably gave us a bit of time to read the spin, which helped.&quot;

Afghanistan won the toss and surprisingly chose to bat in humid conditions, making a slow start after losing opening batsman Ibraham Zadran early.&nbsp;

Ikram Ali Khil worked hard to steady proceedings, patiently bringing up his half-century off 80 balls.&nbsp;

But he played a lone hand and could not find a partner at the other end as regular dismissals prevented the Afghans from building any momentum.

They struggled to 86 for four at the halfway mark and hopes of a significant total ended when Ikram departed on 80.

Afghanistan ended their innings all out for 181 after 48 overs.

Defending a modest total, they did themselves no favours when they dropped Edwards on eight.

He went on to top score for the Australians, supported by Param Uppal, who was 32 not out.

&nbsp;

Australia will play the winner of Tuesday's semi-final between India and Pakistan in the tournament decider on Saturday

Australia cruised into the final of the Under-19 World Cup with an easy six-wicket win over Afghanistan at Hagley Oval in Christchurch on Thursday. The three-time champions chased down Afghanistan's target of 182 at a canter, losing just four wickets as they reached it with more than 12 overs remaining. Australian all-rounder Jonathan Merlo took four for 24 with the ball before opening batsman Jack Edwards smashed 72 in a man-of-the-match knock. They will play the winner of Tuesday's semi-final between India and Pakistan in the tournament decider on Saturday. Afghanistan has had a dream run at this year's tournament, defeating Pakistan and Sri Lanka in the group stages, then thrashing hosts New Zealand by 202 runs to make the final four for the first time. But their batsmen failed to fire against Australia, leaving a spin-heavy attack little to defend. Australia have just confirmed their tickets to Tauranga for the #U19CWC Final with a six-wicket win over Afghanistan! Will their opponent be ???????? or ????????? Scores & Stats ➡️ https://t.co/jqTHMnPrv3 pic.twitter.com/Gj8uLWPy4W — ICC (@ICC) January 29, 2018 × "We did a bit of research on their spinners and thought it'd be a good idea to take the game to them," Edwards said. "Try to get them before they get us. "The pitch was pretty slow, probably gave us a bit of time to read the spin, which helped." Afghanistan won the toss and surprisingly chose to bat in humid conditions, making a slow start after losing opening batsman Ibraham Zadran early. Ikram Ali Khil worked hard to steady proceedings, patiently bringing up his half-century off 80 balls. But he played a lone hand and could not find a partner at the other end as regular dismissals prevented the Afghans from building any momentum. They struggled to 86 for four at the halfway mark and hopes of a significant total ended when Ikram departed on 80. Afghanistan ended their innings all out for 181 after 48 overs. Defending a modest total, they did themselves no favours when they dropped Edwards on eight. He went on to top score for the Australians, supported by Param Uppal, who was 32 not out.

Australia outplays Afghanistan to reach U-19 World Cup final

Gunmen launched a pre-dawn attack on a<a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/gunfire-and-explosions-at-marshal-fahim-military-university-in-kabul-31031" target="_blank"> military academy in Kabul </a>on Monday, security officials said,&nbsp;in an ongoing assault that marks the latest violence to strike the Afghan capital.&nbsp;

Some of the attackers at the Marshal Fahim Military Academy have been killed, an Afghan security source said, in the third major attack in the city in just over a week.&nbsp;

At least four attackers were still involved in an intense gun battle with security forces, the source said, adding the gunmen had not managed to enter the heavily fortified academy.

Three soldiers have been wounded, defence ministry spokesman Dawlat Waziri said.

&quot;One bomber detonated himself and the rest of the attackers are resisting. They are under siege by our forces,&quot; Waziri added.

Witnesses said they heard several explosions and gunfire at around 5:00 am at the academy on the outskirts of Kabul where high-ranking military officers are trained.&nbsp;

A reporter at the scene said he could &quot;hear explosions&quot;. Security forces have swarmed the area and blocked the road leading to the academy.&nbsp;

An officer inside the academy&#39;s compound said he heard an explosion followed by an exchange of gunfire.&nbsp; &nbsp;

Kabul police spokesman Basir Mujahid confirmed that there had been rocket and gunfire.&nbsp;&nbsp;

There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the raid, which comes days after a Taliban suicide attacker driving an explosives-packed ambulance blew up in a crowded area of the city, killing and wounding hundreds.&nbsp;

At least 103 people were killed and 235 wounded in Saturday&#39;s lunchtime attack -- one of the worst bombings in the city in recent years -- which was followed by a national day of mourning in the war-weary country.

The government has blamed the Taliban-affiliated Haqqani Network, which Afghan and Western officials suspect of involvement in at least some of the recent attacks in the capital.&nbsp;

Monday&#39;s raid came as both the insurgents and the Islamic State group have escalated their attacks on Kabul, turning it into one of the deadliest places in Afghanistan for civilians.

On January 20, Taliban insurgents stormed Kabul&#39;s landmark Intercontinental hotel and killed at least 25 people, the majority foreigners.

But there is still confusion over the true toll from that attack with conflicting figures given by officials and Afghan media reporting higher numbers

Kabul is on high alert as the city braces for further attacks. Security warnings sent to foreigners in recent days said IS militants were planning to attack supermarkets, hotels and shops frequented by foreigners.&nbsp;

Some of the attackers at the Marshal Fahim Military Academy have been killed, an Afghan security source said, in the third major attack in the city in just over a week

Gunmen launched a pre-dawn attack on a military academy in Kabul on Monday, security officials said, in an ongoing assault that marks the latest violence to strike the Afghan capital. Some of the attackers at the Marshal Fahim Military Academy have been killed, an Afghan security source said, in the third major attack in the city in just over a week. At least four attackers were still involved in an intense gun battle with security forces, the source said, adding the gunmen had not managed to enter the heavily fortified academy. Three soldiers have been wounded, defence ministry spokesman Dawlat Waziri said. "One bomber detonated himself and the rest of the attackers are resisting. They are under siege by our forces," Waziri added. Witnesses said they heard several explosions and gunfire at around 5:00 am at the academy on the outskirts of Kabul where high-ranking military officers are trained. A reporter at the scene said he could "hear explosions". Security forces have swarmed the area and blocked the road leading to the academy. An officer inside the academy's compound said he heard an explosion followed by an exchange of gunfire. Kabul police spokesman Basir Mujahid confirmed that there had been rocket and gunfire. There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the raid, which comes days after a Taliban suicide attacker driving an explosives-packed ambulance blew up in a crowded area of the city, killing and wounding hundreds. At least 103 people were killed and 235 wounded in Saturday's lunchtime attack -- one of the worst bombings in the city in recent years -- which was followed by a national day of mourning in the war-weary country. The government has blamed the Taliban-affiliated Haqqani Network, which Afghan and Western officials suspect of involvement in at least some of the recent attacks in the capital. Monday's raid came as both the insurgents and the Islamic State group have escalated their attacks on Kabul, turning it into one of the deadliest places in Afghanistan for civilians. On January 20, Taliban insurgents stormed Kabul's landmark Intercontinental hotel and killed at least 25 people, the majority foreigners. But there is still confusion over the true toll from that attack with conflicting figures given by officials and Afghan media reporting higher numbers Kabul is on high alert as the city braces for further attacks. Security warnings sent to foreigners in recent days said IS militants were planning to attack supermarkets, hotels and shops frequented by foreigners.

Gunmen attack Kabul military academy: Officials

US president Donald Trump has been awarded a &#39;Medal of Bravery&#39; by residents of Afghanistan&#39;s Logar province for his strict actions against Pakistan.&nbsp;

Said Farhad Akbari, a community leader in the province said on January 14 that over 300 people at an informal council agreed to award him the medal, media reports said.&nbsp;

&quot;This is a handmade medal from available gold,&quot; RadioFreeEurope Radio Liberty (RFE/RL) reported, citing Said Farhad Akbari as saying.

He also presented a handwritten message which said: &nbsp;&ldquo;This Bravery Medal is from the Afghan people to Donald Trump, president of the United States of America.&rdquo;

The medal is made with funds collected by Afghans from the Logar province, 60 kilometres in the south of Kabul.

It is worth 45,000 Afghanis (645 dollars) approximately and has been made out of 15 grams of Gold, according to the reports.

The bravery award has been handed over to the US Embassy in Kabul.

&quot;US Ambassador in Kabul John R. Bass has promised that he will soon hand over the medal to President Trump,&quot; said Akbari.

Akbari also said that the community has &quot;waited 16 years&quot; for someone in the US administration to make comments of that kind concerning Pakistan.&nbsp;

Trump has tweeted earlier this year accusing Pakistan of <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/weve-been-fooled-for-15-years-no-more-donald-trumps-tweet-to-pakistan-28253">&quot;lies and deceit</a>&quot; and proving &quot;<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/us-blocks-usd-255-million-military-aid-to-pakistan-28291" target="_blank">safe haven</a>&quot; to terrorists in return for &nbsp;$33 billion aid over the last 15 years.

Said Farhad Akbari, a community leader in the province said on January 14 that over 300 people at an informal council agreed to award him the medal for his strict action against Pakistan

US president Donald Trump has been awarded a 'Medal of Bravery' by residents of Afghanistan's Logar province for his strict actions against Pakistan. Said Farhad Akbari, a community leader in the province said on January 14 that over 300 people at an informal council agreed to award him the medal, media reports said. "This is a handmade medal from available gold," RadioFreeEurope Radio Liberty (RFE/RL) reported, citing Said Farhad Akbari as saying. He also presented a handwritten message which said: “This Bravery Medal is from the Afghan people to Donald Trump, president of the United States of America.” The medal is made with funds collected by Afghans from the Logar province, 60 kilometres in the south of Kabul. It is worth 45,000 Afghanis (645 dollars) approximately and has been made out of 15 grams of Gold, according to the reports. The bravery award has been handed over to the US Embassy in Kabul. "US Ambassador in Kabul John R. Bass has promised that he will soon hand over the medal to President Trump," said Akbari. Akbari also said that the community has "waited 16 years" for someone in the US administration to make comments of that kind concerning Pakistan. Trump has tweeted earlier this year accusing Pakistan of "lies and deceit" and proving "safe haven" to terrorists in return for $33 billion aid over the last 15 years.

Donald Trump awarded 'Medal of Bravery' by Afghanistan

Afghanistan will play its maiden Test match in the southern Indian city of Bangalore on June 14, cricket officials announced Tuesday.

India&#39;s cricket board said it welcomed the opportunity to host its &quot;friends&quot; for their first Test since they gained full status last year.

The war-torn nation have played the majority of their home games in India, which has supported the minnows in their quest for Test status.

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&quot;It will be a historic day for Afghanistan and everybody is waiting for it,&quot; Afghanistan cricket board chairman Atif Mashal said in New Delhi.

Afghanistan have emerged as a competitive international team, with strong performances in the limited-overs format including two one-day series victories in Zimbabwe.

Last year, spinner Rashid Khan and former captain Mohammad Nabi became the first Afghans to be picked in the lucrative Indian Premier League auction.

Afghanistan and Ireland were granted five-day status in June last year by the International Cricket Council, becoming the 11th and 12th Test-playing nations. 
&nbsp;

India's cricket board said it welcomed the opportunity to host its 'friends' for their first Test since they gained full status last year

Afghanistan will play its maiden Test match in the southern Indian city of Bangalore on June 14, cricket officials announced Tuesday. India's cricket board said it welcomed the opportunity to host its "friends" for their first Test since they gained full status last year. The war-torn nation have played the majority of their home games in India, which has supported the minnows in their quest for Test status. The Test will kick off on June 14 × "It will be a historic day for Afghanistan and everybody is waiting for it," Afghanistan cricket board chairman Atif Mashal said in New Delhi. Afghanistan have emerged as a competitive international team, with strong performances in the limited-overs format including two one-day series victories in Zimbabwe. Last year, spinner Rashid Khan and former captain Mohammad Nabi became the first Afghans to be picked in the lucrative Indian Premier League auction. Afghanistan and Ireland were granted five-day status in June last year by the International Cricket Council, becoming the 11th and 12th Test-playing nations.

Afghanistan to play maiden Test against India at Bengaluru in June

Around 17 militants affiliated with the Islamic State have been killed in a drone strike carried out in eastern Nangarhar province of Afghanistan&nbsp; on Sunday.

The latest airstrike was conducted by the United States forces in two districts using an unnamed aerial vehicle.&nbsp;

Officials have informed that 14 militants were killed in Haska Mina district while the rest three were killed in Achin district.

According to reports, foreign fighters were are also among those killed in the airstrikes. The coalition sent an Afghan militia leader, a USA service member, and an interpreter.&nbsp;

Reports further say that a compound of terror group was also targeted and taken during the air strike.&nbsp;

There have been no comments from the militant group as yet.&nbsp;

According to the report, US warplanes have carried out hundreds of airstrikes, while its special forces conducted ground operations in the province.

As per the new Afghan strategy of the US administration, which President Donald Trump announced in August, the forces have intensified the attacks against Taliban and the number of soldiers has gone up as well.

Presently, there are about 14,000 US soldiers in Afghanistan.&nbsp; 
&nbsp;

According to the report, US warplanes have carried out hundreds of airstrikes, while its special forces conducted ground operations in the province.

Around 17 militants affiliated with the Islamic State have been killed in a drone strike carried out in eastern Nangarhar province of Afghanistan on Sunday. The latest airstrike was conducted by the United States forces in two districts using an unnamed aerial vehicle. Officials have informed that 14 militants were killed in Haska Mina district while the rest three were killed in Achin district. According to reports, foreign fighters were are also among those killed in the airstrikes. The coalition sent an Afghan militia leader, a USA service member, and an interpreter. Reports further say that a compound of terror group was also targeted and taken during the air strike. There have been no comments from the militant group as yet. According to the report, US warplanes have carried out hundreds of airstrikes, while its special forces conducted ground operations in the province. As per the new Afghan strategy of the US administration, which President Donald Trump announced in August, the forces have intensified the attacks against Taliban and the number of soldiers has gone up as well. Presently, there are about 14,000 US soldiers in Afghanistan.

17 IS militants killed in airstrike in Afghanistan

A senior US diplomat had talks in Pakistan on Monday following an outcry over President Donald Trump&#39;s accusation that the nuclear-armed South Asian state had engaged in &quot;lies and deceit&quot; as a US ally in the war in neighbouring Afghanistan.

Alice Wells, principal deputy assistant secretary of state for South and Central Asia, met with Pakistani Foreign Secretary Tehmina Janjua, the Foreign Ministry and U.S. Embassy said.

A Foreign Ministry statement said Wells &quot;acknowledged Pakistan&#39;s efforts in eradicating terrorism&quot; and &quot;underlined the need for strengthening intelligence cooperation&quot; to fight terrorism.

Relations between United States and Pakistan were already tense when Trump tweeted on Jan. 1 that the United States had foolishly given Pakistan $33 billion in aid over 15 years and was rewarded with &quot;nothing but lies &amp; deceit, thinking of our leaders as fools&quot;.

It is not clear what prompted Trump&#39;s tweet, which infuriated Pakistani officials and caught the rest of the US administration off guard.

The United States has long complained that the Afghan Taliban and Haqqani networks that target American troops inside Afghanistan are allowed to take shelter on Pakistani soil.

Pakistan denies this, and accuses the United States of ignoring its vast sacrifices - casualties have numbered in the tens of thousands - in fighting terrorism.

The Trump administration also last week announced the suspension of about $2 billion in security aid to Pakistan - officially a US ally - over accusations that Islamabad is playing a double game in Afghanistan.

Alice Wells, principal deputy assistant secretary of state for South and Central Asia, met with Pakistani Foreign Secretary Tehmina Janjua, the Foreign Ministry and U.S. Embassy said.

A senior US diplomat had talks in Pakistan on Monday following an outcry over President Donald Trump's accusation that the nuclear-armed South Asian state had engaged in "lies and deceit" as a US ally in the war in neighbouring Afghanistan. Alice Wells, principal deputy assistant secretary of state for South and Central Asia, met with Pakistani Foreign Secretary Tehmina Janjua, the Foreign Ministry and U.S. Embassy said. A Foreign Ministry statement said Wells "acknowledged Pakistan's efforts in eradicating terrorism" and "underlined the need for strengthening intelligence cooperation" to fight terrorism. Relations between United States and Pakistan were already tense when Trump tweeted on Jan. 1 that the United States had foolishly given Pakistan $33 billion in aid over 15 years and was rewarded with "nothing but lies & deceit, thinking of our leaders as fools". It is not clear what prompted Trump's tweet, which infuriated Pakistani officials and caught the rest of the US administration off guard. The United States has long complained that the Afghan Taliban and Haqqani networks that target American troops inside Afghanistan are allowed to take shelter on Pakistani soil. Pakistan denies this, and accuses the United States of ignoring its vast sacrifices - casualties have numbered in the tens of thousands - in fighting terrorism. The Trump administration also last week announced the suspension of about $2 billion in security aid to Pakistan - officially a US ally - over accusations that Islamabad is playing a double game in Afghanistan.

US diplomat holds talks with Pakistan amid tension over Trump's 'deceit' tweet

The Afghanistan government, on Thursday, released 75 Hizb-e-Islami party members who had been imprisoned in Pul-e-Charkhi prison in the east of Kabul city.&nbsp;

The release was made following the peace agreement between Afghan President Ashraf Ghani and Hizb-e-Islami leader Gulbuddin Hekmatyar last year.

The prisoners had been held for a long time as their release had been delayed since organisations criticized the government for agreeing to the move saying that the prisoners had been involved in insurgency incidents that killed civilians. 
&nbsp; 
Hizb-e-Islami claims that there are 3,000 of its members being held in Afghan prisons.

According to Article 11 of the peace agreement, it stated: &quot;After assessment of their documents, all prisoners of Hizb-e-Islami who are accused of political and security crimes and are exempted from &#39;the right of people&#39;&quot; (a legal term which is used for those who don&#39;t carry any complaint from members of the public in a court).

As per media reports, a total of 145 HI men had been released so far.&nbsp;

The released prisoners had been accused of political and security crimes. This was the third batch of HI prisoners released on Thursday.

The first batch of prisoners was released last year in May, which included 55 people. Around 13 more were released later in the same year.&nbsp;

The release was made following the peace agreement between Afghan President Ashraf Ghani and Hizb-e-Islami leader Gulbuddin Hekmatyar last year

The Afghanistan government, on Thursday, released 75 Hizb-e-Islami party members who had been imprisoned in Pul-e-Charkhi prison in the east of Kabul city. The release was made following the peace agreement between Afghan President Ashraf Ghani and Hizb-e-Islami leader Gulbuddin Hekmatyar last year. The prisoners had been held for a long time as their release had been delayed since organisations criticized the government for agreeing to the move saying that the prisoners had been involved in insurgency incidents that killed civilians. Hizb-e-Islami claims that there are 3,000 of its members being held in Afghan prisons. According to Article 11 of the peace agreement, it stated: "After assessment of their documents, all prisoners of Hizb-e-Islami who are accused of political and security crimes and are exempted from 'the right of people'" (a legal term which is used for those who don't carry any complaint from members of the public in a court). As per media reports, a total of 145 HI men had been released so far. The released prisoners had been accused of political and security crimes. This was the third batch of HI prisoners released on Thursday. The first batch of prisoners was released last year in May, which included 55 people. Around 13 more were released later in the same year.

Afghanistan releases 75 Hizb-e-Islami prisoners from Kabul

Over 21 militants were killed in the latest airstrike carried out in western Farah province of Afghanistan which also included some Pakistani nationals.&nbsp;

The airstrike was conducted in the Khak-e-Safid area which destroyed at least three vehicles, seven vehicles. Among those killed were three Pakistani nationals.&nbsp;

Farah is among the relatively restive provinces in West of Afghanistan where the anti-government armed militant groups including the Taliban insurgents are actively operating in some of its districts.

Although, Taliban have not made any comment on the incident as yet.&nbsp;

On Monday, at least three terrorists belonging to the Islamic State (IS) group were killed in the airstrikes carried out in eastern Kunar province of Afghanistan.

A senior Taliban leader who was heading the Red Unit command of the group for western parts of Farah province was also killed last year in a counter-terrorism operation.

The airstrike was conducted in the Khak-e-Safid area which destroyed at least three vehicles, seven vehicles. Among those killed were three Pakistani nationals

Over 21 militants were killed in the latest airstrike carried out in western Farah province of Afghanistan which also included some Pakistani nationals. The airstrike was conducted in the Khak-e-Safid area which destroyed at least three vehicles, seven vehicles. Among those killed were three Pakistani nationals. Farah is among the relatively restive provinces in West of Afghanistan where the anti-government armed militant groups including the Taliban insurgents are actively operating in some of its districts. Although, Taliban have not made any comment on the incident as yet. On Monday, at least three terrorists belonging to the Islamic State (IS) group were killed in the airstrikes carried out in eastern Kunar province of Afghanistan. A senior Taliban leader who was heading the Red Unit command of the group for western parts of Farah province was also killed last year in a counter-terrorism operation.

Pakistan nationals among 21 killed in Afghanistan air strike

Pakistan is believed to have told US interlocutors that a major military offensive against the Taliban from both sides of the Afghan border, if failed, will have negative consequences for the entire region, according to a media report today.

The key element in the new US strategy for Afghanistan is to launch a two-pronged military offensive that inflicts a military defeat on the Taliban and forces them to join the Afghan reconciliation process on Kabul&#39;s conditions, diplomatic sources told Dawn News.

The paper in a detailed report from Washington reported that Pakistanis do not disagree with the basic thrust of the American argument but they have one major worry: What if it fails?

Trump in August unveiled his South Asia policy and vowed to boost strategic partnership with India in Afghanistan. He had called for tougher measures against Pakistan if it fails to cooperate with the US in its fight against terrorism.

Pakistani officials, who have interacted with US officials on this issue, say that they too have the same ambition: ridding the region, particularly Afghanistan, of militants.

US Defence Secretary Jim Mattis at his weekend briefing at the Pentagon urged Islamabad to cooperate with the US in defeating the Afghan Taliban, including the Haqqani Network which, he says, has safe havens inside Pakistan and uses them to recuperate and re-launch attacks into Afghanistan.

While Pakistanis reject the US charge that they have allowed the Haqqani Network to maintain safe havens, they appear more eager to understand the US plan to defeat the Taliban.

But they fear that a major military offensive, without engaging some Taliban factions in direct talks first, could be counter-productive. The Taliban might outlive this offensive too, and deal with it &quot;lying low in their mountain fastness, as they did with previous offensives,&quot; as one interlocutor said.

And in the process Pakistan will lose whatever influence it has. With all lines of communication closed, the Taliban will become even more dangerous, particularly for Pakistan, which has always faced the blowback of previous adventures in Afghanistan, whether launched by the Russians or Americans, the report said.

The Pakistani officials their interlocutors that the country is still coping with the consequences of Britain&#39;s Afghan adventures. Those adventures led to the creation of FATA, a buffer zone between Pakistan and Afghanistan, which later became the source of many troubles.

The Trump administration, however, does not seem much interested in the Pakistani argument, at least for now. But it would if the Taliban outlive the proposed offensive as well, the report said.&nbsp;

The new US strategy for Afghanistan is to launch a two-pronged military offensive

Pakistan is believed to have told US interlocutors that a major military offensive against the Taliban from both sides of the Afghan border, if failed, will have negative consequences for the entire region, according to a media report today. The key element in the new US strategy for Afghanistan is to launch a two-pronged military offensive that inflicts a military defeat on the Taliban and forces them to join the Afghan reconciliation process on Kabul's conditions, diplomatic sources told Dawn News. The paper in a detailed report from Washington reported that Pakistanis do not disagree with the basic thrust of the American argument but they have one major worry: What if it fails? Trump in August unveiled his South Asia policy and vowed to boost strategic partnership with India in Afghanistan. He had called for tougher measures against Pakistan if it fails to cooperate with the US in its fight against terrorism. Pakistani officials, who have interacted with US officials on this issue, say that they too have the same ambition: ridding the region, particularly Afghanistan, of militants. US Defence Secretary Jim Mattis at his weekend briefing at the Pentagon urged Islamabad to cooperate with the US in defeating the Afghan Taliban, including the Haqqani Network which, he says, has safe havens inside Pakistan and uses them to recuperate and re-launch attacks into Afghanistan. While Pakistanis reject the US charge that they have allowed the Haqqani Network to maintain safe havens, they appear more eager to understand the US plan to defeat the Taliban. But they fear that a major military offensive, without engaging some Taliban factions in direct talks first, could be counter-productive. The Taliban might outlive this offensive too, and deal with it "lying low in their mountain fastness, as they did with previous offensives," as one interlocutor said. And in the process Pakistan will lose whatever influence it has. With all lines of communication closed, the Taliban will become even more dangerous, particularly for Pakistan, which has always faced the blowback of previous adventures in Afghanistan, whether launched by the Russians or Americans, the report said. The Pakistani officials their interlocutors that the country is still coping with the consequences of Britain's Afghan adventures. Those adventures led to the creation of FATA, a buffer zone between Pakistan and Afghanistan, which later became the source of many troubles. The Trump administration, however, does not seem much interested in the Pakistani argument, at least for now. But it would if the Taliban outlive the proposed offensive as well, the report said.

Pakistan cautions US about consequences of anti-Taliban offensive

A suicide attack hit Kabul on Thursday evening.

Kabul&#39;s Tolo News network said at least 10 people were killed in the explosion.

A Reuters reporter saw a police vehicle carrying dead or wounded security personnel, in an area close to a police operation.

Officials and witnesses told Reuters that the blast caused heavy casualties among security personnel.

Tolo News quoting emergency hospital sources said almost 20 wounded were brought to the facility after the explosion.

No group has claimed responsibility for the attack which occurred in a crowded area.&nbsp;

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According to Afghan ministry of interior, it was a suicide attack, the target was security forces who were providing security for a protest in Kabul. There are some casualties, but the exact number of the casualties is not clear yet.
&mdash; Fahim Abed (@fahimabed) <a href="https://twitter.com/fahimabed/status/948960706573070337?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 4, 2018</a></blockquote>
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&nbsp;

A suicide attack hit an area of the Afghan capital Kabul

A suicide attack hit Kabul on Thursday evening. Kabul's Tolo News network said at least 10 people were killed in the explosion. A Reuters reporter saw a police vehicle carrying dead or wounded security personnel, in an area close to a police operation. Officials and witnesses told Reuters that the blast caused heavy casualties among security personnel. Tolo News quoting emergency hospital sources said almost 20 wounded were brought to the facility after the explosion. No group has claimed responsibility for the attack which occurred in a crowded area. According to Afghan ministry of interior, it was a suicide attack, the target was security forces who were providing security for a protest in Kabul. There are some casualties, but the exact number of the casualties is not clear yet. — Fahim Abed (@fahimabed) January 4, 2018 ×

Afghanistan: Blast in Kabul, at least 10 killed

In a bid to strengthen Afghanistan&rsquo;s air force, India is reportedly planning to purchase used Russian-made Mi-35 helicopter gunships for the Afghan National Security and Defense Forces (ANSDF).

The purchase was considered at the special request of the Afghan government headed by Ashraf Ghani.

The move signals closer cooperation between New Delhi and Moscow to bolster Afghanistan&#39;s air capabilities.

It also highlights the growing military cooperation between India and Afghanistan.&nbsp;

An Indian Defence Ministry team is expected to travel to an East European country, possibly Serbia or Ukraine, that still operate Soviet-era aircraft, and an Afghan defence team is expected in Delhi shortly to follow up on the discussions.&nbsp;

As per media reports, there was heightened urgency for the helicopter transaction, as all seven of the old Mi-25/35 attack helicopters and Cheetal utility helicopters transferred by New Delhi to Kabul in 2016, have been grounded and need repairs.

NATO countries cannot purchase Russian-made hardware&ndash;including the parts needed to repair Soviet-era helicopters&ndash;due to Western-imposed sanctions on Russia.&nbsp;

As a result, the Indian initiative will be of particular importance.

If reports are to be believed, Russia has already agreed to take over maintenance of the Indian-supplied Mi-25s and M-17 transport helicopters.

The purchase was considered at the special request of the Afghan government headed by Ashraf Ghani

In a bid to strengthen Afghanistan’s air force, India is reportedly planning to purchase used Russian-made Mi-35 helicopter gunships for the Afghan National Security and Defense Forces (ANSDF). The purchase was considered at the special request of the Afghan government headed by Ashraf Ghani. The move signals closer cooperation between New Delhi and Moscow to bolster Afghanistan's air capabilities. It also highlights the growing military cooperation between India and Afghanistan. An Indian Defence Ministry team is expected to travel to an East European country, possibly Serbia or Ukraine, that still operate Soviet-era aircraft, and an Afghan defence team is expected in Delhi shortly to follow up on the discussions. As per media reports, there was heightened urgency for the helicopter transaction, as all seven of the old Mi-25/35 attack helicopters and Cheetal utility helicopters transferred by New Delhi to Kabul in 2016, have been grounded and need repairs. NATO countries cannot purchase Russian-made hardware–including the parts needed to repair Soviet-era helicopters–due to Western-imposed sanctions on Russia. As a result, the Indian initiative will be of particular importance. If reports are to be believed, Russia has already agreed to take over maintenance of the Indian-supplied Mi-25s and M-17 transport helicopters.

Watch: India to buy Russian Mi-35 helicopters for Afghanistan

al Qaeda&#39;s slain chief Osama bin Laden&#39;s 12-year old grandson was reportedly killed in an air strike along the Afghanistan-Pakistan border last year, reports said.&nbsp;

According to media reports, Osama bin Hamza bin Laden died between July and August last year.

The information came to light after Terror monitor, an online platform which keeps a close watch on actions of jehadi groups, tweeted that a letter mourning Osama&#39;s grandson was being circulated in Afghanistan.

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<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/AlQaeda?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#AlQaeda</a> Supporters Circulating Letter Mourns The Death Of Its Leader Hamza Bin Laden&#39;s Oldest Son Osama Bin Hamza Bin Laden (Osama Bin Laden&#39;s Grandson) In <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Afghanistan?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Afghanistan</a>. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/TerrorMonitor?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#TerrorMonitor</a> <a href="https://t.co/WdJ9l98hOQ">pic.twitter.com/WdJ9l98hOQ</a>
&mdash; Terrormonitor.org (@Terror_Monitor) <a href="https://twitter.com/Terror_Monitor/status/947800180643864576?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 1, 2018</a></blockquote>
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His father Hamza bin Laden is reportedly being groomed as Osama bin Laden&#39;s heir.

Reports say Hamza bin Laden has become active as an al Qaeda propagandist since his father, Osama, was killed by US forces in Pakistan&#39;s Abbottabad in 2011.&nbsp;

In January, the US added Hamza to its terror list, who was separated from his father after 9/11.

Several documents which were seized during the raid were released by the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) last year.&nbsp;

It also included the first public images of Hamza as an adult. 
&nbsp;

According to media reports, Osama bin Hamza bin Laden died between July and August last year

al Qaeda's slain chief Osama bin Laden's 12-year old grandson was reportedly killed in an air strike along the Afghanistan-Pakistan border last year, reports said. According to media reports, Osama bin Hamza bin Laden died between July and August last year. The information came to light after Terror monitor, an online platform which keeps a close watch on actions of jehadi groups, tweeted that a letter mourning Osama's grandson was being circulated in Afghanistan. #AlQaeda Supporters Circulating Letter Mourns The Death Of Its Leader Hamza Bin Laden's Oldest Son Osama Bin Hamza Bin Laden (Osama Bin Laden's Grandson) In #Afghanistan. #TerrorMonitor pic.twitter.com/WdJ9l98hOQ — Terrormonitor.org (@Terror_Monitor) January 1, 2018 × His father Hamza bin Laden is reportedly being groomed as Osama bin Laden's heir. Reports say Hamza bin Laden has become active as an al Qaeda propagandist since his father, Osama, was killed by US forces in Pakistan's Abbottabad in 2011. In January, the US added Hamza to its terror list, who was separated from his father after 9/11. Several documents which were seized during the raid were released by the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) last year. It also included the first public images of Hamza as an adult.

Watch: Osama bin laden's grandson killed in air strike

The international terrorist Hafiz Saeed has been repeatedly thumbing his nose at the Pakistani establishment as well as at the United States, but Islamabad remains obdurate in not taking any action against him and several other terrorists. On several occasions, the US expressed its displeasure and concern, and nudged Pakistan to arrest and charge Saeed for his crimes. But Pakistan has always looked the other way around. What is that which is preventing Pakistan from booking Saeed at the expense of its fragile ties with the US?&nbsp;

&nbsp;

There can be only two plausible reasons. Either Pakistan is impotent and afraid of the might of Saeed or it is a well-thought-out plan of action to get even with its now estranged ally. Saeed, who carries a $10 million American bounty on his head for terror activities, is a U.N. and United States designated terrorist. Moreover, India has blamed Jamaat-ud-Dawa (JuD) chief for the 2008 Mumbai attack that killed 166 people, including six Americans.

&nbsp;

&nbsp;Pakistan has been at the receiving end ever since the Donald Trump administration took over in January last year. President Trump has been particularly hard on Pakistan since he was on his campaign trail. There is no doubt that there has been a tectonic shift in American policy of late as the US desperation grows because of Pakistan&rsquo;s failure to rein in militants ensconced in its backyard.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

The ties between Pakistan and the US had started straining during the Barack Obama administration.&nbsp; It all began with the killing of al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden by US special forces in May 2011 on Pakistani soil in an operation kept secret from the then Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif government. The US, which had launched a massive manhunt for Laden, mastermind of the deadly September 11 attacks, was shocked that he was being provided a safe sanctuary by Pakistan whom it considered a strategic ally in its fight against terrorism. Even though, the US chose to maintain a fa&ccedil;ade of relationship with Pakistan because of its interests in Afghanistan.

&nbsp;

&nbsp;But all that seems to be over now! &quot;We will defeat radical Islamic terrorism when I&rsquo;m president. We will stand shoulder to shoulder with India in sharing intelligence and keeping our people safe mutually,&quot; Trump had said during electioneering. And true to his words, one can notice a paradigm shift in the new US dispensation as far as the battle against Islamic militants is concerned. From here onwards, one can expect a no-nonsense US policy on terrorism which should be a major cause of worry for Pakistan, which continues to host several militant groups hostile to both India and the US.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

Unlike his predecessors, there is an increasing likelihood of Trump seeking to reshape the decades-old policy towards Pakistan by linking US aid to its commitment against terrorism. Today the US administration has announced withholding $255 million in aid to Pakistan.&nbsp; Though a pittance, the message is loud and clear that the US is dissatisfied with the obstinacy shown by Pakistan in not taking substantive action against terrorist networks that continue to flourish there with the full support of the administration.

&nbsp;

&nbsp;Pakistan has been the recipient of more than $33 billion in aid since 2002. And it has done precious little to rein in militants. The US frustration seems to have reached the point of no return as President Trump in his August address said:&nbsp; &quot;We have been paying Pakistan billions and billions of dollars at the same time they are housing the very terrorists that we are fighting.&quot;&nbsp; Since then he has dispatched his top diplomatic and military advisors to Pakistan -- Secretary of State Rex Tillerson and Secretary of Defense Jim Mattis &ndash; who read out the riot act to senior officials of Pakistan. But thus far, Pakistan does not seem to have been rattled by such warnings.

&nbsp;

&nbsp;On the contrary, not only did it free Saeed from the so-called &ldquo;house arrest&rdquo; with the lame excuse that the Lahore court did not merit his detention, it went on to justify his release. To rub salt into the wound, its foreign office spokesperson Mohammad Faisal said that Islamabad was committed to the implementation of United Nations Security Council 1267 sanctions regime on terrorists and had taken several steps in this regard.

&nbsp;

&nbsp;If that was not enough, Pakistan allowed Saeed to open the first office of his political group Milli Muslim League (MML) in Lahore. Saeed has also declared his political ambitions by announcing that his organisation JuD would contest the 2018 general elections under the banner of the MML. Ironically, according to Pakistani government records, the MML is the offshoot of the banned Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) and JuD. In fact, Saeed was showered with flower petals as he openly toured several areas in full public glare.

&nbsp;

Can it happen in any civilised country that a UN-designated terrorist is allowed to roam free? But anything can happen in a rogue country like Pakistan which even allows a terrorist group to launch its political party and let it contest the elections. The MML-backed candidate had secured the fourth position with 6,000 votes, double than that of Pakistan People&rsquo;s Party (PPP) and Jamaat- i-Islami combined in a by-election in Lahore&#39;s NA-120 constituency last September. The seat had fallen vacant when the then Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif had to resign, following his disqualification by Pakistan&#39;s Supreme Court.

&nbsp;

It is hard to digest that Saeed would have been allowed to open the office of MML without the consent of the government of the day and that too when the US had expressed its strong concerns and said in a statement that it hopes Pakistan &quot;does the right thing&quot; in not allowing that to happen and added that it &quot;want(s) to make...clear so that everybody knows&quot;, that the US has put a bounty of $10 million on Saeed, the founder of the Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT).&nbsp; It is an open secret that Saeed has the full backing of Pakistani army which has been at loggerheads with the government.

&nbsp;

&nbsp;The question then arises whether Saeed has the tacit support of the Pakistani establishment or it is too afraid to take action against him as he is being backed by the army. Pakistan Army chief Gen Qamar Javed Bajwa came in full support of the Mumbai terror attack mastermind when he appeared before a parliament forum last month and said that Saeed, like every other Pakistani, had the right to raise the Kashmir issue. It is a known fact that the army enjoys far greater power than the elected government in Pakistan and no government can afford to go against the wishes of the army. Whatever may be Pakistan&rsquo;s reason to prop up Saeed, but one thing is certain. Pakistan is in for a rude shock in the coming months.

&nbsp;

(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

Either Pakistan is impotent and afraid of the might of Saeed or it is a well-thought-out plan of action to get even with its now estranged ally, the US.

The international terrorist Hafiz Saeed has been repeatedly thumbing his nose at the Pakistani establishment as well as at the United States, but Islamabad remains obdurate in not taking any action against him and several other terrorists. On several occasions, the US expressed its displeasure and concern, and nudged Pakistan to arrest and charge Saeed for his crimes. But Pakistan has always looked the other way around. What is that which is preventing Pakistan from booking Saeed at the expense of its fragile ties with the US? There can be only two plausible reasons. Either Pakistan is impotent and afraid of the might of Saeed or it is a well-thought-out plan of action to get even with its now estranged ally. Saeed, who carries a $10 million American bounty on his head for terror activities, is a U.N. and United States designated terrorist. Moreover, India has blamed Jamaat-ud-Dawa (JuD) chief for the 2008 Mumbai attack that killed 166 people, including six Americans. Pakistan has been at the receiving end ever since the Donald Trump administration took over in January last year. President Trump has been particularly hard on Pakistan since he was on his campaign trail. There is no doubt that there has been a tectonic shift in American policy of late as the US desperation grows because of Pakistan’s failure to rein in militants ensconced in its backyard. The ties between Pakistan and the US had started straining during the Barack Obama administration. It all began with the killing of al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden by US special forces in May 2011 on Pakistani soil in an operation kept secret from the then Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif government. The US, which had launched a massive manhunt for Laden, mastermind of the deadly September 11 attacks, was shocked that he was being provided a safe sanctuary by Pakistan whom it considered a strategic ally in its fight against terrorism. Even though, the US chose to maintain a façade of relationship with Pakistan because of its interests in Afghanistan. But all that seems to be over now! "We will defeat radical Islamic terrorism when I’m president. We will stand shoulder to shoulder with India in sharing intelligence and keeping our people safe mutually," Trump had said during electioneering. And true to his words, one can notice a paradigm shift in the new US dispensation as far as the battle against Islamic militants is concerned. From here onwards, one can expect a no-nonsense US policy on terrorism which should be a major cause of worry for Pakistan, which continues to host several militant groups hostile to both India and the US. Unlike his predecessors, there is an increasing likelihood of Trump seeking to reshape the decades-old policy towards Pakistan by linking US aid to its commitment against terrorism. Today the US administration has announced withholding $255 million in aid to Pakistan. Though a pittance, the message is loud and clear that the US is dissatisfied with the obstinacy shown by Pakistan in not taking substantive action against terrorist networks that continue to flourish there with the full support of the administration. Pakistan has been the recipient of more than $33 billion in aid since 2002. And it has done precious little to rein in militants. The US frustration seems to have reached the point of no return as President Trump in his August address said: "We have been paying Pakistan billions and billions of dollars at the same time they are housing the very terrorists that we are fighting." Since then he has dispatched his top diplomatic and military advisors to Pakistan -- Secretary of State Rex Tillerson and Secretary of Defense Jim Mattis – who read out the riot act to senior officials of Pakistan. But thus far, Pakistan does not seem to have been rattled by such warnings. On the contrary, not only did it free Saeed from the so-called “house arrest” with the lame excuse that the Lahore court did not merit his detention, it went on to justify his release. To rub salt into the wound, its foreign office spokesperson Mohammad Faisal said that Islamabad was committed to the implementation of United Nations Security Council 1267 sanctions regime on terrorists and had taken several steps in this regard. If that was not enough, Pakistan allowed Saeed to open the first office of his political group Milli Muslim League (MML) in Lahore. Saeed has also declared his political ambitions by announcing that his organisation JuD would contest the 2018 general elections under the banner of the MML. Ironically, according to Pakistani government records, the MML is the offshoot of the banned Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) and JuD. In fact, Saeed was showered with flower petals as he openly toured several areas in full public glare. Can it happen in any civilised country that a UN-designated terrorist is allowed to roam free? But anything can happen in a rogue country like Pakistan which even allows a terrorist group to launch its political party and let it contest the elections. The MML-backed candidate had secured the fourth position with 6,000 votes, double than that of Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) and Jamaat- i-Islami combined in a by-election in Lahore's NA-120 constituency last September. The seat had fallen vacant when the then Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif had to resign, following his disqualification by Pakistan's Supreme Court. It is hard to digest that Saeed would have been allowed to open the office of MML without the consent of the government of the day and that too when the US had expressed its strong concerns and said in a statement that it hopes Pakistan "does the right thing" in not allowing that to happen and added that it "want(s) to make...clear so that everybody knows", that the US has put a bounty of $10 million on Saeed, the founder of the Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT). It is an open secret that Saeed has the full backing of Pakistani army which has been at loggerheads with the government. The question then arises whether Saeed has the tacit support of the Pakistani establishment or it is too afraid to take action against him as he is being backed by the army. Pakistan Army chief Gen Qamar Javed Bajwa came in full support of the Mumbai terror attack mastermind when he appeared before a parliament forum last month and said that Saeed, like every other Pakistani, had the right to raise the Kashmir issue. It is a known fact that the army enjoys far greater power than the elected government in Pakistan and no government can afford to go against the wishes of the army. Whatever may be Pakistan’s reason to prop up Saeed, but one thing is certain. Pakistan is in for a rude shock in the coming months. (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

Opinion: US blocks aid but Pakistan still backs Hafiz Saeed. Why?

January 1 is Samad Alawi&#39;s birthday. It&#39;s also the birthday of his wife, his two sons, 32 of his friends and thousands of other Afghans -- a date chosen for convenience by a generation who do not know when they were born.

In the absence of birth certificates or official records, many Afghans have long used the seasons or historical events to help determine their age.&nbsp;

But the explosion of social media networks such as Facebook, which require users to register their birthday, and the growing demand for passports and visas have forced Afghans to pick a day -- any day.

January 1 has become a common choice, although the date is more about practicality than parties.

&quot;It seemed all Afghans had birthdays on January 1,&quot; Samad Alawi, who is 43, said.

Even those who know their real birth date often choose January 1 because they do not want the hassle of converting their birthday from the Solar Hijri, an Islamic calendar used only in Afghanistan and Iran.&nbsp;

The first day of the year in Hijri usually corresponds to March 21.

&quot;When I first created my Facebook account in 2014 it was just easier to choose January 1 as my birthday from the drop down list,&quot; Alawi told AFP.&nbsp;

&quot;The internet was also slow and it was difficult to convert the date to a Western calendar.&quot;&nbsp;

Even the official identity card, or Tazkira, held by most Afghans offers little official clarity, with a person&#39;s age &quot;determined based on physical appearance&quot;.

&quot;My Tazkira says I was three years old in 1365 in the Hijri calendar (1986). That is the year my Tazkira was issued,&quot; Abdul Hadi, who is now 34, told AFP.

&quot;There is no blank space for a date of birth in an Afghan Tazkira. How can you remember your date of birth if you don&#39;t have one on the record?&quot;

Authorities are trying to change that.&nbsp;

In recent years Afghan hospitals in major cities have started issuing newborn babies with birth certificates -- something previous generations lack.&nbsp;

The government also plans to issue e-Tazkiras, or computerised national ID cards, to Afghans which would include their date of birth, if it is known. But the process has been stalled for years by political and technical problems.

In the absence of official records, some educated parents resort to recording their children&#39;s birthdays on slips of paper which are often kept in a copy of the Koran.&nbsp;

&quot;I hope one day all Afghans have their proper date of births so that social media doesn&#39;t have to tell them how old they are,&quot; Alawi said.

In the absence of official records, some educated parents resort to recording their children's birthdays on slips of paper which are often kept in a copy of the Koran

January 1 is Samad Alawi's birthday. It's also the birthday of his wife, his two sons, 32 of his friends and thousands of other Afghans -- a date chosen for convenience by a generation who do not know when they were born. In the absence of birth certificates or official records, many Afghans have long used the seasons or historical events to help determine their age. But the explosion of social media networks such as Facebook, which require users to register their birthday, and the growing demand for passports and visas have forced Afghans to pick a day -- any day. January 1 has become a common choice, although the date is more about practicality than parties. "It seemed all Afghans had birthdays on January 1," Samad Alawi, who is 43, said. Even those who know their real birth date often choose January 1 because they do not want the hassle of converting their birthday from the Solar Hijri, an Islamic calendar used only in Afghanistan and Iran. The first day of the year in Hijri usually corresponds to March 21. "When I first created my Facebook account in 2014 it was just easier to choose January 1 as my birthday from the drop down list," Alawi told AFP. "The internet was also slow and it was difficult to convert the date to a Western calendar." Even the official identity card, or Tazkira, held by most Afghans offers little official clarity, with a person's age "determined based on physical appearance". "My Tazkira says I was three years old in 1365 in the Hijri calendar (1986). That is the year my Tazkira was issued," Abdul Hadi, who is now 34, told AFP. "There is no blank space for a date of birth in an Afghan Tazkira. How can you remember your date of birth if you don't have one on the record?" Authorities are trying to change that. In recent years Afghan hospitals in major cities have started issuing newborn babies with birth certificates -- something previous generations lack. The government also plans to issue e-Tazkiras, or computerised national ID cards, to Afghans which would include their date of birth, if it is known. But the process has been stalled for years by political and technical problems. In the absence of official records, some educated parents resort to recording their children's birthdays on slips of paper which are often kept in a copy of the Koran. "I hope one day all Afghans have their proper date of births so that social media doesn't have to tell them how old they are," Alawi said.

January 1 marks mass birthday in Afghanistan

An explosion killed 18 people with at least 13 injured at a funeral procession in Jalalabad, Afghanistan.

According to Attaullah Khogyani, spokesman for the provincial governor, the blast hit people gathered for the funeral of a former district governor.

No immediate responsibility for the attack has been claimed.&nbsp;

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12 killed and 14 wounded in a blast at a funeral ceremony in Jalalabad city of Nangarhar Province: Afghan media <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Afghanistan?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Afghanistan</a>
&mdash; ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/947419155031932928?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 31, 2017</a></blockquote>
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According to the deputy spokesman for the governor of Nangarhar province, a rickshaw carrying explosives went off among people gathered for a funeral.

Initial reports suspected a suicide bomber behind the attack, however, the authorities now believe it to be a remotely-detonated explosion.

The explosion occured three days after Kabul was attacked by a suicide bombing that killed 41 people with at least 80 wounded.

Islamic State claimed responsibility for the attack that targeted the <a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/kabul-attack-death-toll-rises-to-41-84-injured-27966">Shi&#39;ite cultural centre in Kabul</a> on Thursday.

(With inputs from Reuters)&nbsp;

No immediate responsibility for the attack has been claimed.?

An explosion killed 18 people with at least 13 injured at a funeral procession in Jalalabad, Afghanistan. According to Attaullah Khogyani, spokesman for the provincial governor, the blast hit people gathered for the funeral of a former district governor. No immediate responsibility for the attack has been claimed. 12 killed and 14 wounded in a blast at a funeral ceremony in Jalalabad city of Nangarhar Province: Afghan media #Afghanistan — ANI (@ANI) December 31, 2017 × According to the deputy spokesman for the governor of Nangarhar province, a rickshaw carrying explosives went off among people gathered for a funeral. Initial reports suspected a suicide bomber behind the attack, however, the authorities now believe it to be a remotely-detonated explosion. The explosion occured three days after Kabul was attacked by a suicide bombing that killed 41 people with at least 80 wounded. Islamic State claimed responsibility for the attack that targeted the Shi'ite cultural centre in Kabul on Thursday. (With inputs from Reuters)

Afghanistan: Blast at funeral kills 18, 13 injured

India today strongly condemned the &quot;cowardly&quot; suicide terror attack at a cultural centre in Kabul and said it is committed to extending all possible support to Afghanistan in its fight against terrorism.

More than 40 people were killed in the terror strike at the Shiite cultural centre near a media outlet in the Afghanistan capital yesterday.

The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said in a statement that India backs all efforts to bring stability and security to Afghanistan and remains steadfast in its solidarity with the government and the people of Afghanistan at this difficult time.

India strongly condemned the &quot;cowardly suicide terror attack&quot; at a media news agency and the cultural centre in which more than 40 innocent lives were lost and many injured, it said.

India is committed to extending all possible support in their fight against the menace of terrorism and efforts to bring peace, stability and security in the country,&nbsp;it added.

The ministry also extended condolences to the families of the victims of the dastardly attack.&nbsp;

India said it is committed to extending all possible support to Afghanistan in its fight against terrorism

India today strongly condemned the "cowardly" suicide terror attack at a cultural centre in Kabul and said it is committed to extending all possible support to Afghanistan in its fight against terrorism. More than 40 people were killed in the terror strike at the Shiite cultural centre near a media outlet in the Afghanistan capital yesterday. The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said in a statement that India backs all efforts to bring stability and security to Afghanistan and remains steadfast in its solidarity with the government and the people of Afghanistan at this difficult time. India strongly condemned the "cowardly suicide terror attack" at a media news agency and the cultural centre in which more than 40 innocent lives were lost and many injured, it said. India is committed to extending all possible support in their fight against the menace of terrorism and efforts to bring peace, stability and security in the country, it added. The ministry also extended condolences to the families of the victims of the dastardly attack.

India condemns 'cowardly' Kabul terror attack

A <a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/4-dead-and-8-wounded-in-afghan-news-agency-blast-27937">suicide bombing in Kabul</a>, Afghanistan killed about 40 people on Thursday.

Several were reported injured after&nbsp;multiple explosions occurred&nbsp;near a Shiite cultural centre.&nbsp;&nbsp;

The Islamic State group has now claimed responsibility for the bombing.&nbsp;

The extremist group released a statement confirming the same on its propaganda outlet, Amaq.

The statement also noted that the group targeted the centre with &quot;three bombs followed by a suicide,&quot; noted an AFP report.&nbsp;

 
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The extremist group released a statement confirming the same on its propaganda outlet, Amaq

A suicide bombing in Kabul, Afghanistan killed about 40 people on Thursday. Several were reported injured after multiple explosions occurred near a Shiite cultural centre. The Islamic State group has now claimed responsibility for the bombing. The extremist group released a statement confirming the same on its propaganda outlet, Amaq. The statement also noted that the group targeted the centre with "three bombs followed by a suicide," noted an AFP report.

Kabul blasts: Islamic State group claims responsibility

According to fresh reports, the <a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/kabul-blasts-islamic-state-group-claims-responsibility-27958">attack at Tebyan Social-Cultural activities centre in Kabul</a> has claimed 41 lives so far.

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<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/UPDATE?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#UPDATE</a> Attack at Tebyan Social-Cultural activities center in Kabul claimed 41 lives and injured 84 people, says spokesman for Public Health Ministry: Afghanistan media
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Close to 84 people have been injured, spokesman for Public Health Ministry of Afghanistan told media.&nbsp;

The Islamic State group claimed responsibility for the attack earlier today.

IS&#39;s online statement noted that the group targeted the centre with &quot;three bombs followed by a suicide,&quot; noted an AFP report.&nbsp; 
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A spokesman for Public Health Ministry of Afghanistan told media today

According to fresh reports, the attack at Tebyan Social-Cultural activities centre in Kabul has claimed 41 lives so far. #UPDATE Attack at Tebyan Social-Cultural activities center in Kabul claimed 41 lives and injured 84 people, says spokesman for Public Health Ministry: Afghanistan media — ANI (@ANI) December 28, 2017 × Close to 84 people have been injured, spokesman for Public Health Ministry of Afghanistan told media. The Islamic State group claimed responsibility for the attack earlier today. IS's online statement noted that the group targeted the centre with "three bombs followed by a suicide," noted an AFP report.

Kabul attack: Death toll rises to 41, 84 injured

At least 14 Afghan soldiers were injured in a car bombing at 505 Boost Police Zone in Lashkargah city, capital of Helmand Province on Wednesday.

The Tolo News quoted a spokesman for the provincial governor, Omar Zwak, as saying that the blast happened after a car bomb detonated while the soldiers were leaving the base to launch a military operation.

No group has claimed the responsibility for the attack so far.

Further details are awaited.

No group has claimed the responsibility for the attack so far.

At least 14 Afghan soldiers were injured in a car bombing at 505 Boost Police Zone in Lashkargah city, capital of Helmand Province on Wednesday. The Tolo News quoted a spokesman for the provincial governor, Omar Zwak, as saying that the blast happened after a car bomb detonated while the soldiers were leaving the base to launch a military operation. No group has claimed the responsibility for the attack so far. Further details are awaited.

Car bomb injures 14 Afghanistan soldiers in Helmand

At least 11 militants belonging to the Islamic State (IS) terrorist group were killed in an Afghan airstrike in the country&#39;s east.

The Tolo News, on Tuesday, quoted the Ministry of Interior&#39;s statement that the strike was conducted in Achin district of Nangarhar province.

Weapons stocked in the hideout were also destroyed in the airstrike, the statement added.

IS has not commented on the incident so far.

Earlier on Sunday, several IS militants were killed in an operation carried out by the Afghan security forces in eastern Nangarhar province.

A heroin factory was also destroyed in that raid.

The Islamic State has not commented on the incident so far.

At least 11 militants belonging to the Islamic State (IS) terrorist group were killed in an Afghan airstrike in the country's east. The Tolo News, on Tuesday, quoted the Ministry of Interior's statement that the strike was conducted in Achin district of Nangarhar province. Weapons stocked in the hideout were also destroyed in the airstrike, the statement added. IS has not commented on the incident so far. Earlier on Sunday, several IS militants were killed in an operation carried out by the Afghan security forces in eastern Nangarhar province. A heroin factory was also destroyed in that raid.

11 Islamic State militants killed in Afghanistan

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