Afghan, Pakistan Army chiefs discuss cross-border attacks

Event Notice: Please join the New America Foundation’s National Security Studies Program TODAY at 12:15 PM for our event: "Men at Work: Rebuilding Afghanistan’s Highway One" (NAF).

Border wars

The heads of the Afghan and Pakistani armies met Wednesday in Rawalpindi to discuss cross-border attacks on civilians, which have plagued the bilateral relationship between the two countries (The News, ET, AFP). The Afghan government has blamed Pakistani soldiers for firing at civilians across the border – which Pakistan denies – while Pakistan blames Afghan officials for failing to remove safe havens on their side of the border for militants who launch attacks on Pakistan.

The Russian and Pakistani foreign ministers were quick to assure the public on Thursday that relations between the two countries are strengthening, despite media commentary on the last-minute withdrawal of President Vladimir Putin from a summit that was supposed to include Pakistan, Russia, Tajikistan, and Afghanistan (AP, Dawn).

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) on Wednesday advised Pakistan not to move forward with plans to offer amnesty for tax evaders, saying that while it may generate a lump sum of revenue, it is not a long-term solution to the country’s budget deficit (FT). The IMF announced that Pakistan has not yet applied for a new loan from the organization, bringing its debt levels close to exceeding a targeted 4.7 percent of GDP (Bloomberg).

Think positive

Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said Thursday at the opening of the U.S.-Afghan Bilateral Commission in Washington that "the transition is on track" despite "potential setbacks" over the past few months, and the "difficult days" that are likely to lie ahead (Bloomberg, Khaama). Afghan Foreign Minister Zalmay Rasool added that Afghanistan remains committed to finding a peace deal with the Taliban.

Drama queen

Ever-controversial Pakistani actress Veena Malik began her venture into the music world with the release on Monday of her debut single, "Drama Queen" (ET). Malik denies that the song is only about her, though, saying, "the lyrics of the song represent every girl out there."

— Jennifer Rowland