Favoring Pashtuns in Afghanistan Is Not in Pakistan’s Interest
By dissociating itself from sophisticated inter-ethnic and inter-tribal affairs, which it can’t solve or manage, Pakistan will gain respectable leverage in the eyes of all Afghans, which in turn will help Pakistan bring all Afghan factions to the negotiating table to reach a durable settlement.
Pakistan’s moral and material support to Afghan Pashtuns, oftentimes at the expense of other Afghan ethnic groups, hasn’t served Pakistan well. Since Pakistan is directly involved in the Afghan peace process, it’s an opportune time for Pakistani policymakers to re-evaluate and correct this aspect of Pakistan’s Afghan policy.
NDS Facility Attacked in Kandahar, Attackers Killed: Official
An establishment belonged to the National Directorate of Security (NDS) was attacked by a group of armed men on Saturday morning, an attack that ended shortly after it started, security officials said.
The attack happened on an NDS facility in Daman district in the southern province of Kandahar, said Farid Mashal, the security officer of Kandahar Police Headquarters.
He said the attack started with a car bomb explosion, followed by gunfight by three attackers who were killed half an hour after fighting with security forces.
Mashal said the attack left no casualties to the security forces. However, a source said that two people were wounded in the attack.
Taliban Attacks Pushed Back in Kandahar: Official
The Taliban attacks on various parts of Kandahar over the last few weeks that were aimed at overrunning the center of its districts have been pushed back and the group has suffered heavy casualties, a senior security official in the province said.
The Taliban attacks were focused on Arghandab, Zherai, Panjwai, Dand as well as the center of the district, according to Farid Mashal, the security officer of Kandahar Police Headquarters.
Mashal said that “698 Taliban fighters were killed in air and ground operations over the last month in the province.”
“Our operations are underway. We have had progress. We have established outposts in Zherai (district). We have good progress in Arghandab and Panjwai. We are busy in establishing bases.,” Mashal said.
Residents Claim Civilian Casualties in Kandahar Airstrike
Local residents in Arghandab district in the southern province of Kandahar claimed on Sunday that at least 11 civilians were killed in airstrikes in the district.
The airstrikes, the residents said, hit civilian houses and women and children were among those killed in the incident.
Kandahar Police Chief Tadeen Khan said the Taliban members were planting mines in an area in the district and that civilians were killed after the Taliban bombs were detonated.
The Defense Ministry said that it is aware of the reports of civilian casualties and that it will investigate the matter. He blamed the Taliban for using civilian houses as shields.