Abubakar Siddique

Cease-Fire Test Looms Large Over Afghan Talks

As delegations of Afghan society and the hard-line Taliban Islamist movement decide the agenda of expected lengthy talks over their country’s future political system, the issue of a cease-fire between their combatants looms large over the peace process.

Taliban Siege Cuts Off Remote Afghan District

The United Nations says an estimated 6,000 residents of Chinarto, a remote district in the southern Afghan province of Uruzgan, cannot access medical services and face food shortages because of the road closure by the Taliban.

Despite Near-Death Experience, Afghan Teenager Determined To Go Back To Iran

An Afghan teenager who survived an alleged shooting by Iranian police that set the car in which he was traveling on fire says he is ready to again try fleeing his war-ravaged homeland.

Afghan Woman Loses Three Husbands To War

Taj Bibi, a mother of five in her 30s, has lost three husbands, all brothers and Afghan army soldiers, to the war in Afghanistan.

Exposé On Former General's Vast Wealth Spurs Debate About Military Privilege In Pakistan

Pakistan’s powerful generals have for decades cited political corruption as a leading problem in the country that justified the toppling of governments through repeated coups and the military's manipulation of power.

For Displaced Afghans, Hardship Increases During Pandemic

For nearly four decades, Afghans have been one of the largest refugee groups globally, but in recent years internal displacement has turned into a top humanitarian issue for the country of 35 million people.

Head Of Pakistan’s Foreign Relations Committee Sees Strong Regional Position

Lawmaker Mushahid Hussain heads the Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs in the Pakistani Senate. In an interview with RFE/RL Gandhara, the former journalist weighed in on Islamabad’s recent spat with key ally Saudi Arabia and his country’s current standing in the region.

Pakistan Rethinks Saudi Ties In Changing Region

A changing regional landscape threatens longstanding security pact between Pakistan and Saudi Arabia

Taliban Taxes Illegal Gold Mines In Northeastern Afghanistan

Residents and officials in Afghanistan’s northeastern province of Badakhshan say the Taliban is raking in considerable revenues by taxing illegal gold mining in the remote region bordering China, Pakistan, and Tajikistan.

Rural Afghan Province Still Struggling With Internet Access

Two Years On, Pakistan’s Civilian Government Struggling To Find Its Feet

As Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan’s government completes its first two years in office this week, he and his cabinet members appeared to send out a coordinated message: The country’s rough patch is over.

One Family’s Torment Showcases A Region’s Suffering In Pakistan

For relatives, the fate of their disappeared loved ones in Pakistan is a constant agony.

Afghan Province Grows Bananas To Replace Opium Poppies

Loya Jirga: An Afghan Institution Surviving Tumultuous Centuries

Hopes for ending four decades of war in Afghanistan are high this week after a Loya Jirga or grand assembly of more than 3,000 political elites, tribal leaders, clerics, and activists approved the release of 400 Taliban prisoners.

More Afghan Sikhs, Hindus Migrating To India From Afghanistan

Sardar Gurbachan Singh Ghazniwal, 50, always considered Afghanistan his homeland. He braved all kinds of threats during his country’s four-decade-long war but resisted joining members of his country’s tiny Hindu and Sikh minority community in fleeing Afghanistan.

Taliban Accused Of Kidnapping, Murdering Afghan Policewoman

The family of a young female Afghan police officer is seeking justice after her recent kidnapping and murder in a volatile southeastern Afghan province.

Waziristan Tribes Demand Gov’t Hand Over Resources In Bid For Security

A major gathering of two Pashtun tribes in western Pakistan has requested that the government give their restive homeland its resources if security forces fail to establish peace in the region reeling from years of militant attacks and military operations.

Taliban Bans Music, Mobile Phones In Restive Afghan Province

Residents and officials in a southeast Afghan province say the group has imposed restrictions ranging from bans on music and mobile phones to shaving beards.

Afghan Family That Lost Three Sons Says Nothing Is More Precious Than Peace

As Muslims across the world celebrated the Eid al-Adha festival this past weekend, the 48-year-old spent most of her time visiting the graves of her three sons and trying to console their children.

As Intra-Afghan Talks Loom, Taliban Hark To 1990s Regime

Talks between the Afghan government and the hard-line Islamist Taliban movement finally appear to be on the horizon after the two sides announced a brief cease-fire during the Muslim festival of Eid al-Adha this week.