The local government (LG) elections that took place in parts of Punjab and Sindh province on October 31, 2015, put both the ruling PML N in Punjab and PPPP in Sindh in the commanding position. While the poll exercise yielded expected results for opinion polls had already heralded victory of both these ruling parties, nevertheless only a few expected that Imran Khan led PTI would sail badly in these elections. Analysts were forecasting neck-and-neck bout between the two rival parties in Punjab but PTI’s lackluster performance has not only annoyed the party leadership, it seems to have lowered morale of the workers also. As regards performance of PPP in Punjab, after dismal show in the last general elections, it was quite evident that the PPP may not be able to put up any worthwhile performance in the biggest province of the country. There are a number of reasons and factors that led to average performance of these parties — the internal differences and especially in PTI’s case fragile or for that matter nonexistent grass-root level structure in Punjab and elsewhere were perhaps the key factors.

, NOV 03 (DNA) -On 27 October 2015, upon initial agreement the OSCE Minsk Group co-chairs passed from the occupied territories of Azerbaijan through the line of contact between the armed forces of Armenia and Azerbaijan to the territories controlled by Azerbaijan army. At the very moment a ceasefire monitoring exercise was conducted by the Personal Representative of the OSCE Chairman-in-Office and his field officers on the road between Tartar and Aghdara (Tartar district of Azerbaijan). Despite prior agreement to undertake measures to ensure safety of the OSCE personnel, repeated gunfire was shot from the occupied territories controlled by Armenia’s armed forces in the direction of the positions of the armed forces of the Republic of Azerbajjan. This incident forced the OSCE monitoring team to seek protection of the Azerbaijani armed forces.

FATA is unique; being part of an independent country, it’s still semi-autonomous region with century’s old social and legal system. It is the least developed and disenfranchised part of Pakistan. Historically, the region has always been considered as buffer state due to difficult terrain and strong tribes who never compromised their self-respect and allowed any foreign interventions. Moreover, the prolonged state neglect, socio-economic disparity, underdevelopment, fragile law and order situation, coupled with poor governance all resulted in spread of militancy in the region.

The Chief of the Army Staff (COAS), General Raheel Sharif, on Sept 29, 2015 while speaking at Asia Security Conference in the German city of Munich said the perpetual instability in Afghanistan had telling effects on the region adding despite hurdles, peace and reconciliation were of vital importance for a larger settlement in Afghanistan.The COAS also highlighted that instability within and without had deeply affected the socio-economic climate in Pakistan. He said the current approaches to restore stability within Pakistan had opened up economic opportunities for the country and the region. He certainly had a point when he categorically stated that some practical steps were required to manage the Pak-Afghan borders for gainful conclusion of the military operation Zarb-e-Azb.