Abubakar Siddique

Afghan Province Looks To Islamic Schools To Prevent Youth From Joining Militants

Clerics and tribal leaders in an eastern Afghan province want authorities to rebuild and expand madrasahs, or religious schools, to prevent local youth from seeking Islamic education abroad.

Opposition Protest In Pakistan Tests Military’s Political Ties

For decades, Pakistan’s powerful military has shaped politics by imposing dictatorships and persecuting politicians. When not ruling directly, it has been frequently accused of manipulating political parties, elections, and civilian governments.

Kabul Residents Turn To Bicycles To Beat Traffic

A growing number of Kabul residents are turning to bicycles to get around the Afghan capital where many downtown roads are clogged during rush hours and sometimes even at other times of the day.

Apex Pakistani Court Suspends Provincial Ruling Against Forced Disappearances

The Pakistani Supreme Court has suspended a ruling by the high court in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Province that could have led to the release of thousands of victims of forced disappearances and indefinite detentions.

Pakistani Gov’t Tries To Stop Protest From Reaching Islamabad

The Pakistani government appears to be employing a range of tactics to prevent a major opposition protest aimed at toppling the administration of Prime Minister Imran Khan from reaching the capital, Islamabad.

Economic Woes Fuel Protest Aiming To Topple Pakistani Gov’t

The worsening economic conditions in Pakistan are helping an Islamist political party to threaten the survival of the country’s civilian government.

In Afghanistan, Displaced Waziristan Civilians Eager To Go Home

A large number of the more than 10,000 Waziristan families who fled into the adjacent southeastern Afghan provinces of Khost, Paktia, and Paktika in 2014 are waiting to be allowed back into their homeland.

Jogis: Afghanistan’s Tiny Stateless Minority Strives To Survive Without Rights, Services

Their stateless status prevents Afghanistan's tiny Jogi minority from owning property, building business, accessing jobs, education, healthcare, other services, and fundamental rights.

Pakistani Gov’t Scrambles To Prevent Large-Scale Protest

Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan’s civilian government is facing an unprecedented protest aimed at toppling his administration.

Number Of Afghan Amputees On The Rise

Major Pakistani Opposition Parties Hesitate To Join Protest Aimed At Toppling Gov't

Two leading Pakistani opposition political parties seem noncommittal about joining an Islamist political party in an all-out protest aimed at toppling Prime Minister Imran Khan’s government this month.

Reading Afghan Challenger’s Motives Amid Political Acrimony

One of the frontrunners for Afghanistan’s presidency is carefully playing his cards as he presses for victory in another election apparently snowballing into a dispute between the leading candidates.

Pakistani Cartoonist Fired Over PM Caricature

A cartoonist in Pakistan says one of the country’s leading English-language dailies has told him to stop drawing for them following a controversy over his caricature of the country’s prime minister this week.

Pakistan Reels From PM’s Comments About Military’s Al-Qaeda Ties

Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan has gained a reputation for speaking his mind, which sometimes includes offhand remarks that turn into gaffes, memes and video clips that subsequently go viral online.

Afghan Taliban Successfully Mediate Tribal Feud In Southwest Pakistan

Pakistan Sees Spike In Polio Cases

Insecurity Prompts Thousands To Flee Homes In Eastern Afghan Province

Rising insecurity has prompted hundreds of families to flee their homes in remote parts of a mountainous province in eastern Afghanistan this week.

In Pakistan, Former Sikh Lawmaker Denounced For Seeking Asylum In India

Lawmakers and officials have joined relatives in denouncing a controversial former Sikh lawmaker in Pakistan for seeking asylum in neighboring India after he accused the Muslim-majority country of mistreating its non-Muslim minorities.

Pakistan’s Leading Opposition Party Torn Over Role In Anti-Gov’t Protest

Pakistan’s top opposition political party is apparently torn over whether to pursue an agreement with the government and the country’s powerful military or participate in a planned protest aimed at toppling Prime Minister Imran Khan next month.

Is A Peace Deal With The Afghan Taliban Possible?

Days after the two sides indicated reaching an agreement “in principle,” the cancellation of talks between Afghanistan’s Taliban movement and the United States encapsulates the complexity of peace-making in Afghanistan.