Kashmir Archives | Page 2 of 5

Why three decades later Kashmir is cool to Taliban

August 19, 2021August 19, 2021 Editor

By Ahmed Ali Fayyaz Kashmir’s politicians, both separatists as well as mainstream, have maintained near-total silence over the Taliban’s capture of Afghanistan after prolonged strife of 20 long years. However, the visibility of a wave of jubilation among the separatists, militants and their shrinking supporters is not completely concealed. As news of the fall of Kabul flashed in the media on Sunday, 15 August, Dr Sheikh Showkat Hussain, formerly a professor of Law at the University of Kashmir and the Central University of Kashmir gave vent to his euphoria. “And…

What the Taliban victory in Afghanistan means for India and the world

August 17, 2021 Editor

How did Kabul fall in the blink of an eye, what are the potential ramifications of the rebirth of an Islamic Emirate for India, what does this mean for the world order, and other vital questions answered By- Praveen Swami Almost in the blink of an eye, Afghanistan changed this week. The worst price is going to be paid by young Afghans who grew up in the wake of 9/11: for all the corruption and inefficiency of the government, the decades since have seen historically unprecedented gains in education, employment,…

Soviet Afghanistan, and Kashmir

August 17, 2021 Editor

By -Bruce Riedel Tampa, Florida, is a long way from South Asia, but in mid-2011 I was there to attend a conference on Pakistan at the headquarters of the US Central Command as a guest of Gen David Petraeus, the US commander in Afghanistan. I was to review Pakistan’s role in supporting the Taliban movement in Afghanistan. Only twenty-five years ago the United States had fought a war against the Soviets in Afghanistan with Pakistan’s help. President Ronald Reagan enjoyed Pakistan’s support and won the war. Now, in the twenty-first…

Afghanistan’s neighbors watch warily as Taliban completes its dramatic takeover

August 17, 2021 Editor

The Taliban’s stunning takeover of Kabul sent shock waves around the world — with immediate implications for the complicated knot of three regional powers in Afghanistan’s neighborhood: Pakistan, India, and China. In recent months, all three governments have escalated their diplomatic outreach to the Taliban in anticipation of the possibility that it would grow into a political force in Afghanistan. That possibility became reality as the group swept into the capital Sunday, ushering in a new geopolitical landscape in Asia. For Pakistan, the Afghan Taliban’s return delivers a strategic defeat…

India’s security nightmare reignited as return of Taliban is likely to embolden militant outfits

August 17, 2021 Editor

The bad news is that India did not build equity with the Taliban By Namrata Biji Ahuja For India, the return of the Taliban is not so much about the fear of the Taliban, but the growth and proliferation of radical and terrorist outfits operating in the ungoverned spaces, particularly North Waziristan and areas along the Durand Line, where more than half a dozen terror groups have established base and are waiting to take advantage of the changing security dynamics to unleash terror activities. While a section of the Indian…

Veiling reference to Pakistan & China, India facing two challenges: Narendra Modi

August 16, 2021 Editor

PM Modi said India was fighting terrorism and expansionism with courage, and the government would take all steps to strengthen the capabilities of the Indian armed forces. In his 88-minute Independence Day speech from the Red Fort on Sunday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi spoke about the dual challenges of terrorism and expansionism–a veiled reference to Pakistan-sponsored terrorism and China‘s expansionist policy in Ladakh—and India’s resolve to strengthen the armed forces, its growing prowess in defence manufacturing and the government’s full commitment to boost self-reliance in the defence sector. He said…

The rise of Taliban in Afghanistan and how it might impact Jammu & Kashmir

August 16, 2021August 16, 2021 Editor

The rise of Taliban in Afghanistan and how it might impact J&K

Many in the government believe that an unstable Afghanistan might have a direct impact on Jammu and Kashmir like that in the 1990s when militants trained in Taliban and Al-Qaeda camps entered the Valley and carried out multiple attacks. By- Aalok Sensharma It was on August 5, 2019, when the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government, led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, rewrote history by abrogating Article 370 from Jammu and Kashmir and bifurcating the erstwhile state into two union territories (UTs) — Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh. By ending the…

Pakistan seeks ‘Guarantees’ on J&K for better ties

April 2, 2021April 2, 2021 Editor

The thaw comes after a considerable deterioration in ties that followed New Delhi’s decision to do away with the special status granted to J&K under Article 370. Constitutional guarantees on not changing the demography of Jammu & Kashmir would go a long way in creating an “enabling environment”, Pakistan has conveyed to India, highly placed government officials told. The thaw in the India-Pakistan relationship that started with the restoration of the 2003 ceasefire along the Line of Control (LoC) in February, through a statement by the Director Generals of Military…

Army Human Rights record in J&K have raised barrier before German Arms Exports

February 21, 2021February 21, 2021 Editor

The country is India’s sixth-largest trading partner and its largest trading partner from the European Union. Concerns over the security forces’ human rights record in Jammu and Kashmir have raised a barrier before Germany’s small arms exports to India. German regulations and covenants restrict, and often prohibit, arms sales to nations or regions where their use might cause direct or collateral damage to civilian populations and institutions. Two Indian security officials familiar with the bar on German small arms producers said these companies had failed to obtain export licences from…

After Year’s slump, recent snowfall unlocks Kashmir Tourism

November 17, 2020November 17, 2020 Editor

After witnessing a slump for more than seven months due to outbreak of Covid-19, there is a ray of hope for Kashmir’s ailing tourism sector as the fresh snowfall in higher reaches is attracting tourists once again. Gulmarg in Baramulla district, which recorded almost 2 feet of snowfall since Saturday, has come to life as tourists have started thronging this popular ski-resort. On Sunday, as many as 574 tourists arrived at the Srinagar International Airport from different cities, mostly Bengaluru, Kolkata, Chennai and Mumbai to spend their ongoing Diwali vacations…