Deobandi seminaries had faced competition from other Islamic schools, primarily Barelvi Islam. Barelvi Islam, for example, remains the most popular Islamic school in what is now Pakistan’s Punjab province
Afghanistan was the world’s deadliest conflict for children last year, the fifth consecutive year the country has held that status, a United Nations report said on Monday.
The government has freed 3,000 Taliban prisoners and President Ashraf Ghani announced this week the remaining prisoners will also be released “within a very short period.”
Both Abdullah and Ghani held oath taking ceremonies in capital Kabul on 9th of March, further fueling political tensions amid ongoing efforts to find a negotiated political settlement to ongoing violence
Prior to the latest rift, the rejuvenated yet fragile Afghan peace process faced deadlocks as differences persisted between Kabul and the Taliban over a proposed exchange of prisoners
The Afghan government announced last week that it has formed a negotiating team led by former intelligence chief Masoom Stanikzai to hold talks with the Taliban group
According to the U.N. report, 3,493 civilians were killed last year and 6,989 were injured. While fewer civilians were hurt or killed by ISIS fighters, more civilians became casualties at the hands of the Taliban and Afghan security forces and their American allies
The votes for Ghani represent 9.6% of the registered electorate, said Thomas Ruttig of the Afghanistan Analysts Network, while those for Abdullah 7.5%. While enjoying so little consensus, each of the two candidates claims a legitimate victory, further polarizing the political landscape
As Afghanistan grapples with the possibility of a peace deal, the future of millions of Afghan refugees also looks a little more hopeful. United Nations and other officials at a refugee conference in Pakistan warn that peace alone will not be enough to send them home
After the Afghan Taliban announced a seven to 10-day cease-fire with US troops and a reduction in violence against Afghan forces, the Afghan government called the Taliban offer ‘ambiguous,’ and asked for a complete cease-fire as a way forward for peace talks