Afghanistan International: Pakistani business newspaper Business Recorder reported that the closure of border crossings with Afghanistan in recent months has dealt a heavy blow to Pakistan’s trade, costing the country nearly $850 million in exports and transit revenues. The continued closure of Pakistan’s border crossings with Afghanistan, combined with rising regional tensions and the Middle
Afghanistan International: After Akhtar Mohammad Mansour came to power, the Taliban intensified their attacks across Afghanistan under his leadership. At the same time, however, he also supported peace negotiations, which were then being hosted by China and Pakistan. His close involvement in those peace talks drew criticism from some Taliban leaders and analysts, who viewed
Khaama: Taliban leader Hibatullah Akhundzada has reportedly warned the Pakistani Taliban (TTP) to stop carrying out attacks inside Pakistan or risk losing the Afghan Taliban’s support, according to a report by Pakistan’s Express Tribune. The Taliban administration in Kabul has not publicly commented on the report, and officials have yet to respond to the claims
Amu: Mahmood Khan Achakzai, a prominent Pakistani opposition leader, has called on Pashtuns in Pakistan to obtain Afghan identity cards, a proposal that has drawn criticism from Afghan politicians and former officials. Achakzai, leader of the Pashtunkhwa Milli Awami Party and a senior opposition figure in Pakistan, argued that because millions of Pakistanis hold dual
Afghanistan International: After returning from Moscow, Taliban Defence Minister Mullah Yaqoob said Pakistan would soon no longer dare attack Afghan territory, adding that implementation of a military cooperation agreement between the Taliban and Russia would begin shortly. At the same time, he stressed that the agreement was not a defence-security pact and should not cause
Khaama: Russia has offered to help ease growing tensions between Kabul and Islamabad, saying it is ready to support political and diplomatic dialogue between Pakistan and the Taliban administration in Afghanistan. Alexander Venediktov, deputy secretary of Russia’s Security Council, made the remarks during a meeting with Azad Sajad Khan, deputy national security adviser to Pakistan’s
Khaama: Seyed Qasim Hashemi, an Afghan journalist, has been detained by Pakistani police, according to sources familiar with the incident. Sources said Hashemi was arrested around 12:19 p.m. on Thursday on the Abbottabad-Islamabad highway by Pakistani authorities. No official statement has yet been issued regarding the reason for his detention or his current condition. Click
By Daud Khattak Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty May 27, 2026 Asadullah lives with his wife and six children in a tent on the edge of Asadabad, the capital of Afghanistan’s eastern province of Kunar. The 42-year-old is among the tens of thousands of Afghans who have been displaced by deadly border clashes between Afghanistan and
Afghanistan International: After border crossings with Pakistan were closed, Afghanistan shifted much of its trade through Bandar Abbas Port of Iran, but disruption in the Strait of Hormuz has now severely affected trade and aid deliveries. According to Associated Press, Afghans had increasingly turned to Iranian routes as an alternative to Pakistan’s Karachi Port. Click
Ariana: Former US special envoy for Afghanistan Zalmay Khalilzad has accused Pakistan of continuing what he described as a long-standing “double game” in its relations with the United States, amid rising regional tensions involving Iran and Washington. In a statement posted on social media, Khalilzad alleged that Pakistan’s military leadership may have quietly permitted Iranian