LAST 24 HOURS
PAKISTANI GOVERNMENT PREPARING PLAN FOR NEW PHASES OF AFGHAN DEPORTATION OPERATION – The Minister of the Interior said the regime is working on a plan that will put in place in January 2024 to remove all remaining undocumented Afghans from the country. A source with access in Islamabad said that leaders in the government were pleased with the results of the operation to date but Minister Bugti (Interior) outlined the difficulties with the next phase of the operation and reminded cabinet officials that the majority of the Afghans who have been expelled went voluntarily. He did not appear to think the remaining phases of the operation would be carried out so easily. Some of the officials present voiced concerns that the operation would need to be wrapped up by the time of the elections but the Interior Minister would not accede to a ‘deadline’.
TALIBAN CONSTITUTION STILL UNDER REVIEW – The spokesman for the Taliban, Zabiullah Mujahid, said that the work was continuing but hedged on saying when the new constitution might be unveiled. Mujahid said the economy was the priority for Kabul/Kandahar and that no constitution could be conceived until economic issues were solved. Few believe any forthcoming constitution will involve public input and will be imposed on the country rather than ratified in a referendum. Mujahid has continually said that ‘work is progressing’ but most observers dismissed his claims long ago.
PAKISTAN’S ARMY RECORDS ANOTHER COUNTER-TERRORISM VICTORY ALONG BORDER – Multiple reports have credited the Pakistani Army for killing several armed militants in an engagement near the Khaisoor area (North Waziristan). At least 4 TTP fighters were neutralized in the operation and a noted TTP operative known as ‘Ibrahim’ was among the dead. A source in Rawalpindi said the militants had entered Pakistan from Afghanistan last Friday and were under periodic surveillance up until the operation was launched. None are thought to be Afghan citizens but 2 had recently issued Afghan Tazkera (ID cards) on them.
NEXT 24 HOURS
PROTESTS OVER ENTRY AT SPIN BOLDAK COULD TURN VIOLENT – More protests took place at the border crossing near Chaman yesterday as hundreds gathered to decry the new Pakistani policy of barring Afghan citizens who do not possess passports. Local eyewitnesses who have been observing the protests in the area for the past month say that there are plans to block the crossing on the Afghan side unless Pakistani authorities relent. Organizers of the protests are said to have been warning traders for the past week to not use the crossing. Should the crossing be obstructed, it will put the Taliban in a difficult position. They spent considerable time negotiating the release of cargo at the port of Karachi and may have to use force to break up any attempts to close the crossing. No timeline has been given but at-risk Afghans in the area should remain aware of the potential problem.
REGIONAL ROUNDUP
IRAN
Leaders of Iranian-backed militia groups in Syria reportedly met at the airport in Homs to discuss a coordinated strategy to respond to US attacks. The meeting is thought to be the first in over five years.
A chancellor for the Sharif University of Technology on Kish island has reportedly resigned after graduating photos showed female graduates without head coverings.
Houthi rebels who received support from Iran seized a ship in the Red Sea using helicopters have took the crew hostage.
PAKISTAN
A group of eleven US members of Congress have urged the US administration to withhold funding to Pakistan until elections are held.
Khalid Nisar Dogar, a PTI party leader from Punjab was arrested yesterday on charges related to the 9 May riots.
Acting Prime Minister Kakar said on Sunday that holding elections in a ‘timely’ manner is the priority for his government.
SPOTLIGHT ANALYSIS
Countering Violent Extremism with a Non-Militarised Model
By Bhaskar Jyoti Mahanta & Abhijan Das - E International Relations
While dealing with ways to counter religiously motivated terrorism or violent extremism, it is essential to begin by understanding the fundamental nature of violent extremism as an evolutionary concept that morphs based on temporal, cultural and geopolitical circumstances (Borum 2011, 1-6). Religiously motivated violent extremism is generally defined as an act committed to humiliate and kill all those who may dare to challenge or defy the hegemony of the God of perpetrator’s choice. While it may seem senseless mass slaughter to most, to the terrorists and their sympathisers, it is redemption (Simon and Benjamin 2002, 40). More often than not, the response to such acts of violence is delivered through the deployment of disproportionately higher levels of aggression, mostly through a militarised mechanism. America’s response to the 9/11 terrorist attacks is a case in point. However, to estimate the veracity of such a response, one needs to first appreciate how an individual travels through a pathway that leads to violent extremism. We will use what, in the authors’ view, is the most comprehensive model available to understand the pathways to violent extremism – and then study the efficacy of the militarised response mechanisms by comparing them with the results such approaches have achieved. The article thereafter attempts to prescribe alternative models for countering violent extremism (CVE) to demonstrate their effectiveness and conclude that a contextually relevant and blended (hard and soft) approach has historically proven to be most effective.
AFGHAN NEWS
Sharia Punishment Does Not Violate Human Rights: Supreme Court Official
By TOLO News
Speaking at a gathering held in the Academy of Science of Afghanistan, head of the Darul Iftah (a decision-making entity within the Supreme Court), Azizullah Mutaheri, said that…
WHO: 90% of Afghan returnees aiming to reclaim provinces of origin
By Bais Hayat - AMU TV
The report highlights that a significant majority of these returnees, specifically 90%, express the intention to return to their provinces of…
Herat earthquake survivors voice frustration over aid distribution amidst lingering challenges
By AMU TV
Survivors of Herat’s Oct. 7 earthquake continue to grapple with challenging conditions, as a number of them express dissatisfaction with the aid distribution process despite…
REGIONAL NEWS
Protesters Urge Pakistan To Stop Deporting Afghans
By Niaz Ali Khan - RFE
The Joint Action Committee for Refugees -- a platform of Pakistani politicians, activists, and lawyers -- organized the gathering on…
Cooperation sought in repatriation of Afghans
By The Pakistan Observer
Special Representative to the Prime Minister on Religious Harmony Hafiz Muhammad Tahir Mehmood Ashrafi has said Pakistan not only prioritizes peace in Afghanistan but…
INTERNATIONAL NEWS RELATING TO AFGHANISTAN
Reactions to Food And Drug Official's Trip to Europe
By Hadia Ziaei - TOLO News
After the reaction of the head of the Afghanistan Food and Drug Authority's trip to Germany and his speech among Afghan immigrants in this country, the…
New homes secured for Afghan refugees in Colchester
By Elliot Deady - The Daily Gazette
COLCHESTER Council has acquired extra homes to house Afghan refugees after receiving nearly £900,000 from the…
THE DAILY WTF
Trump suggests trade deal with Taliban to regain control of Bagram Airfield if re-elected
By AMU TV
He criticized the decision to hand over control of Bagram Airfield to Afghan forces after the United States left the military facility on July 2, 2021, ahead of…
Afghani to the Dollar: $1 – 69.07 AFN (as of 20 NOV 2023)