Month: July 2021

President Joe Biden on Thursday acknowledged that the Taliban are militarily stronger than at any point since the war in Afghanistan began in 2001, adding that he considered it “highly unlikely” that a “unified government” would be able to control the entire country. In a speech delivered at the White House, Biden however defended his plans to withdraw US troops from Afghanistan and announced that the process will be completed by Aug. 31, a new and earlier deadline than the Sept. 11 withdrawal date announced originally.

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The Taliban on Thursday seized another key Afghan border crossing, this time with Iran, according to an Afghan official and Iranian media. The seizure is part of a Taliban surge as American troops complete their pullout from Afghanistan. It was the third border crossing the insurgents have taken in the past week, after previously seizing crossings with Tajikistan and Uzbekistan. The development came as President Joe Biden said the U.S. military mission in Afghanistan will conclude on Aug. 31. The Taliban wins have caused some countries to close their consulates…

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The United States has said that Pakistan has been a “helpful and constructive partner” when it comes to Afghanistan, stating that the interests of both countries “go well beyond that”. “Pakistan is an important partner in various fronts and both the countries have shared interests in peace and stability in Afghanistan,” US State Department Spokesperson Ned Price was quoted by Radio Pakistan as saying on Thursday. He said that Pakistan has been a helpful and constructive partner when it comes to Afghanistan and our collective efforts to bring about some…

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Prime Minister Imran Khan on Thursday launched Pakistan’s first ever locally manufactured electric motorcycle. Speaking at a ceremony in Islamabad, the prime minister said the launch of the electric motorcycle was a “futuristic step”, adding that his government’s new electric vehicle (EV) policy laid down a plan and defined a direction for the future. The launch of the electric motorcycle is part of the present government’s five-year Pakistan Electric Vehicles Policy 2020-2025, approved last year. The policy envisages targeting a robust electric vehicle market having a 30 per cent and…

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The Ministry of Climate Change (MoCC) on Wednesday urged the Interior Ministry to take action against the nominated senior official of the Capital Development Authority (CDA) on his alleged misconduct with the Islamabad Wildlife Management Board (IWMB) staff. The MoCC in its second letter written to the Interior Ministry has nominated a senior official of the CDA Rana Tahir Hassan Khan accusing him of misconduct with the IWMB staff. The letter written to the secretary interior also said that the said CDA official had been ‘rude’ and ‘threatening’ to the…

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