Jan Achakzai

As Pakistan has been accused of playing a double game, acting as America's ally in public while secretly training and arming its enemy in Afghanistan according to US intelligence, Jan Assakzai explains reasons behind the duplicity .

US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has called on Pakistan to take "strong steps" to deny Afghan insurgents sanctuary on its soil.The Masha Radio (VOA Pashto) invited me to a debate with another guest Brigadier (rd) Saad from Pakistan to discuss visit of Mrs Clinton. The programme was broadcast October 21, 2011.

Following Pakistan's army chief Ashfaq Kayani's warning that the US will have to think "10 times" before taking any unilateral action in North Waziristan, the BBC World Service (Pashto) invited me to a debate with another guest Brigadier (rd) Saad from Pakistan. The programme was broadcast on October 19, 2011.

You can listen to a report by Deewa Radio's London Correspondent Adil Shahzeb containing my comments on the implication of British Defence Minister Dr W. Fox's resignation on Afghanistan. It was recorded on October 15, 2011.

A London based Bureau of Investigative Journalism (BIJ) in a new report has mentioned varying figures about the casualties in the attacks as it says that at least 2,318 people and a maximum of 2,912 people, the majority of them alleged militants, have been killed in these attacks. But Analyst Jan Assakzai says that report has mainly taken civilian causalities' figures from flawed media reports from the region.

Jan Assakzai says that like defeating terrorism, only Afghans can not combat illicit drug production (VOA). According to a United Nations report, opium production in Afghanistan has risen by 61% this year compared with 2010.One driver for this increase is rising opium prices in world markets. Afghanistan produces 90% of the world's opium, the main ingredient of heroin.

Jan Assakzai addressing London  Afghan Jirga Afghan Jirga was held in London on October 9, 2011 to review  progress  and challenges  of  today's Afghanistan. Regional Analyst, Jan Assakzai   highlighted  achievements of the past over 10 years and pointed out future challenges. He said that Afghanistan has come a long way from the pariah status it had during the Taliban regime. 

Afghanistan 10 years on? Deewa Radio asks Jan Assakzai - YouTube : A little under 10 years ago, as the fighting ended and the people of Kabul emerged from their houses to realise that the nightmare of Taliban rule was over. Analyst, Jan Assakzai shares his insights with Deewa Radio

Taliban's proxy-patron ties exposed: Jan Assakzai : Interestingly, Islamabad's Afghan policy-makers are so naive that they club proxy Taliban's operations with "Pashtun resistance", but they fail to understand that all Pashtuns in Afghanistan are not up in arms against the Hamid Karzai government and the Pashtuns do not consider the Taliban as their representatives : there are over 93 Members of Parliament representing the Pashtun South. There are thousands of Pashtun political activists and representatives including women who are part of various regional and local bodies, not to mention hundreds of Pashtun human rights activists, NGOS workers, and other professionals, besides thousands of Masharan (elders) of traditional Loya Jirga from the Pashtun South. Not to mention Pashtun leader President Hamid Karzai who got millions of votes from the Pashtuns in the last three consecutive presidential elections. 'via Blog this'

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?v=1976484460900 EU financial crisis enters into 19th month, yet there is no easy solution to the economic challenges of the region raising speculations as to whether the European Union will remain in its existing form. The VOA (Urdu Service) asks Jan Assakzai  which direction the  EU is heading.