Afghanis headed to the polls on Thursday amidst fears of violent attacks from Islamist Taliban forces, writes Crikey intern Emily Finlay.
Taliban attacks
Taliban affects Afghan elections
Voter turnout for the Afghanistan election may have been as low as 10% in regional areas and 26 people were killed in Taliban attacks, but officials were satisfied with the turnout and have deemed the election a success.
Taliban’s top man: dead or alive?
Conflicting reports abound on whether Taliban leader Baitullah Mehsud and his second in charge have been killed in Pakistan, as the struggle for power continues between Taliban factions.
Pakistan’s government must conquer the north-west
For all the fallout — including fresh bombings in the north-west — Pakistan’s government was right to take military action to drive the Taliban from Swat. It must push on.
Imran Khan’s Pakistan diary: Taliban ups the ante
“The Taliban’s tactic now, according to many analysts here, will be to attack as many of Pakistan’s cities as possible”, writes Khan. It’s all about pressuring the government into a ceasefire deal.
Taliban blasts kill at least 8 in north-west Pakistan
The Taliban has fought back in Peshawar, the capital of North West Frontier Province, an area where the government has launched a massive operation against the militants. This comes after it claimed responsibility for an attack in Lahore that killed at least 27 people.
