Nation

AT-KABUL: Forty-eight Taliban fighters were killed and 25 others wounded in different operations launched by the security forces in the past 24 hours, security officials said Saturday. “The National Army launched in a series of joint operations with the national police and National Directorate of Security (NDS) have in different …

AT-KABUL: The Afghan army’s Special Forces in an operation released 35 civilians taken hostage by the Taliban in southern Helmand province, defense ministry said Saturday. The operation was launched Friday night in the Nad Ali district, it said in a statement. “The hostages were five women, five men and 25 …

AT-KABUL: A former minister and critical politician accused the government of “violating the constitution and deceiving people”, demanding for a prematurely presidential election. “We demand for the early presidential election to remove the distance between government and the nation,” said the two-time minister Anwarul Haq Ahadi, who leads a newly …

By Farhad Naibkhel-KABUL: Afghan Civil Society Network for Elections criticized delay in the electoral bodies’ reforms, saying that further postponement would mar political stability. “Government has no strong political intention to bring reforms in electoral bodies, thus,” said the civil society executive chief Habiburrahman Nang. He emphasized that reforms must …

Former Afghan governor Sayed Fazlullah Wahidi has been recovered two weeks after he was abducted in Islamabad. Wahidi’s son, Nemat Wahidi informed that his father was found and handed over to THE Afghanistan consulate in Peshawar, reports The Express Tribune. On February 12, unidentified men kidnapped Afghanistan’s former governor of …

Afghanistan has invited India to join a new regional consultative mechanism to weigh in on the critical challenges facing the war-torn country. The new body, a 6+1 group, will include India, Pakistan, Iran, Russia, the US and China in addition to Afghanistan. Afghan national security adviser Hanif Atmar announced the …

AT-KABUL: Women have only symbolic presence in the ongoing peace process as well as in the High Peace Council and they have not been given any effective role, a women’s activist said Wednesday. Samira Hamidi, director of the Afghan Women Network, said in a press conference: “Women’s role for the future of …

By Farhad Naibkhel-KABUL: The 10,000 AK-47 rifles and 2.1 million munitions donated by the Russian federation to Afghan security forces were handed over on Wednesday to Afghan authorities in Kabul. National Security Advisor Hanif Atmar welcomed Russia’s assistance, calling that “very important” and timely. Addressing a joint press conference withRussian …

By Farhad Naibkhel-KABUL: National Security Adviser Mohammad Hanif Atmar on Wednesday warned Taliban to be ready for military action if they denied being part of the government-initiated peace process. “Doors of the peace process will not be open forever. The time has limitation,” Atmar said in a joint news conference …

By Akhtar M. Nikzad-KABUL: The Independent Election Commission (IEC) on Wednesday said the government’s decrees in the electoral reforms are “illegal”, asking the president to stop issuing such orders. President Ashraf Ghani and Chief Executive Abdullah Abdullah had agreed to bring some reforms and amendments in the electoral commissions after …