Politics

As U.S. Moves To Exit Afghanistan, Rivals Prepare To Swoop In

With U.S. forces scheduled to leave Afghanistan within a year, Pakistan, Iran, and Russia see an opportunity to step in.

Afghanistan To Appoint Female Deputy Governors, Starting With President’s Home Province

A new decree from Afghan President Ashraf Ghani states that all of the country’s 34 provinces will appoint women as deputy governors.

Is Pakistan’s PM Khan About To Be Ousted From Power?

Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan appears to be fighting for political survival amid crises affecting his powerbase, his relationship with the country’s powerful military, and his performance in the face of multiple challenges affecting the well-being of 220 million Pakistanis.

Taliban Demand Release Of Convicted Afghan Drug Lord

A top leader of Afghanistan’s hard-line Islamist Taliban movement has demanded the United States release an Afghan drug kingpin serving a life sentence for international narcotics trafficking conspiracy in a U.S. prison.

Afghan Anti-Corruption Efforts 'Slowed' Due To Elections, COVID-19

ICC Expresses 'Profound Regret' Over Trump's Move To Sanction Afghan War Crimes Investigators

The International Criminal Court (ICC) has rejected a decision by U.S. President Donald Trump to authorize sanctions against any official investigating American troops over alleged war crimes in Afghanistan.

Pakistan Seeks to Disbar ‘Honest’ Top Judge

The resumption of a court case in Pakistan this week has reinforced a key question about why Islamabad wants to remove a top judge who is widely reputed to be one of the most competent and honest in the country.

Taliban Officials Deny Report That Top Leader Died From Coronavirus

Taliban officials have denied a report that its leader, Mullah Haibatullah Akhundzada, died after contracting the coronavirus.

Trump Says U.S. Has 'No Target' Date To Pull Troops From Afghanistan

U.S. President Donald Trump says he has not set a target date for a troop withdrawal from Afghanistan, where a fragile U.S.-Taliban peace process has gained renewed momentum in recent days.

Pakistan’s Minority Provinces Decry Gov’t Motives In Dividing Federal Resources

In a sign that efforts to roll back the autonomy of Pakistan’s provinces is snowballing into a crisis, politicians in three minority provinces in the country have criticized the recently constituted government commission tasked with dividing federal resources between Islamabad and four provinces.

Afghan President Ghani, Political Rival Abdullah Agree On Power-Sharing Deal

Afghan President Ashraf Ghani and his political rival Abdullah Abdullah, both of whom claimed to have won Afghanistan's presidential election in September, have reached a power-sharing agreement under which Abdullah will lead the government's efforts to reach a peace deal with the Taliban.