Afghanistan International: New figures in Pakistan show bilateral trade with Afghanistan fell by more than 74 percent in the latest financial year, dropping from $1.3 billion to around $358 million. According to data from the Trade Development Authority of Pakistan, the diplomatic deadlock and the continued closure of major border crossings, including Torkham, Chaman, Kharlachi,
8am: Local sources say clashes have erupted between the Taliban and Pakistani forces in the Dand Patan district of Paktia province, with Pakistan firing artillery shells toward the area. Sources told the Hasht-e Subh Daily on Saturday evening, October 17, that several civilians had been trapped inside their homes following the clashes, while some families
Afghanistan International: Mahmood Khan Achakzai, leader of the Pashtunkhwa Milli Awami Party, has blamed Pakistan’s policies for regional insecurity, accusing the state of recruiting, training and supporting militants during the Soviet-Afghan war. He said Pakistan authorities, rather than the Pashtun population, were responsible for spreading terrorism in the country. Achakzai alleged that during the Soviet
Afghanistan International: In an article published on Friday, 9 October, Nikkei Asia said recent clashes between the Afghanistan Freedom Front and Taliban forces showed that groups opposing the Taliban administration were stepping up their military activities. The publication also pointed to growing tensions between the Taliban and Pakistan, saying China’s efforts to ease the dispute
By Daud Khattak Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty October 4, 2026 Forty-year-old Hazrat Salam had never spent more than three days apart from his family. Now, after nearly two months away from home, his only wish is for the Pakistan-Afghanistan border to reopen so he can return to work at the crossing and be reunited with
Khaama: The Russian Embassy in Kabul said Saturday that it was concerned about the continuation of the military confrontation between the two neighboring countries. The statement came after Pakistani airstrikes on Afghanistan’s Kunar and Helmand provinces earlier this week. The United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) confirmed that at least 10 civilians were killed
By Daud Khattak and RFE/RL’s Radio Azadi October 1, 2026 Pakistan carried out a round of air strikes on October 1 on two Afghan provinces near the border based on “credible evidence” of militant activity in the area. Following the strikes on the Kunar and Helmand provinces, Pakistan authorities claimed that 22 militants had been
Afghanistan International: Pakistan’s Information Ministry rejected Taliban claims that Islamabad was involved in the recent clashes in Nuristan, calling them self-invented lies. It said the accusations reflected the Taliban’s desperation and frustration over internal problems. The response came after Noorullah Noori, the Taliban’s Borders Minister, warned Pakistan about the consequences of interfering in Afghanistan and
By RFE/RL’s Radio Azadi September 30, 2026 Fatima keeps attending her classes at Bolan Medical College in Pakistan’s Balochistan Province, but the third-year student from Afghanistan does not know how much longer she’ll be able to continue her studies. “Today I don’t have any problem, but I am always afraid that the government could expel
Afghanistan International: The Afghanistan Freedom Front has released images of the bodies of 10 Taliban fighters it says were killed in recent clashes in Kamdesh district of Nuristan. The images show the men in military clothing and equipment. Fighting between Afghanistan Freedom Front forces and the Taliban resumed on Tuesday morning, 29 September, in Kamdesh