When the United States and other NATO nations left Afghanistan as the Taliban seized control in August 2021, hundreds of thousands of Afghans sought refuge in Pakistan. Almost three years later, many still remain, trapped in resettlement limbo – including roughly 20,000 Afghans awaiting promised visas to the United States. Now, these Afghans face the … Read more
Amid escalating climate concerns and pressing environmental challenges, South Asia stands at a critical juncture. Recent initiatives, such as commitments forged at COP28 and ongoing efforts to combat air pollution, underscore the region’s steadfast commitment to steering toward a sustainable future. Internationally, endeavors persist to ensure coherence between last year’s COP28, this year’s COP29 in … Read more
In recent years, states have strived to harness digital innovation’s potential, transforming the global information technology (IT) landscape. One notable example is the strengthening IT cooperation between Pakistan and Saudi Arabia. This has been spearheaded by the LEAP technology conferences held in Riyadh, which are dubbed the “Digital Davos” as they are attended by hundreds … Read more
SUBHASH NAGAR, PORBANDAR & KETI BANDAR, THATTA – Laxmi Chunilal Chawda, 55, sought respite on a humid afternoon, her head gently cradled against a faded, worn-out wall. Alone in her modest one-room dwelling, her surroundings told the story of her life’s challenges. The single room doubled as both bedroom and kitchen, with dusty shelves bearing … Read more
Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif visited Saudi Arabia earlier this week on his first foreign visit since being elected in February. In Mecca, the premier and his delegation met with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. In addition, Sharif held a private meeting with the Crown Prince. What was discussed at the one-on-one meeting has … Read more
On March 26, a suicide bomber rammed his explosive-laden car into a convoy of Chinese engineers near Besham in Pakistan’s Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province. The convoy was en route from Islamabad to the site of the Dasu hydropower project, a 4,320-megawatt power project on the Indus River. The attack left five Chinese engineers and their driver … Read more
Pakistan’s interim government gave the go-ahead last month for the building of the first 80 kilometers of the Iran-Pakistan gas pipeline project within Pakistani borders. Pakistani officials expect the work to commence in the coming weeks. This has come after Iran threatened to bring charges against Pakistan in international court over Islamabad’s failure to finish … Read more
A suicide bomber in northwest Pakistan rammed his explosive-laden car into a vehicle Tuesday, killing five Chinese nationals and their Pakistani driver, police and government officials said. The attack happened in Shangla, a district in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Province, local police chief Bakhat Zahir said. He added that the five killed were construction workers and engineers … Read more
The Afghan government’s decision to approach Iran for the prospective use of Chabahar port indicates the uncertainty it attributes to long-term relations with Pakistan. The Afghan government is trying to anticipate Pakistan’s potential moves and limit whatever leverage the latter holds over Afghanistan. A successful arrangement between Afghanistan and Iran can provide the ruling Taliban … Read more
On March 11, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi tweeted that India had successfully tested an Agni-V missile equipped with Multiple Independently Targetable Re-entry Vehicle (MIRV) technology. MIRV technology can enhance Indian counterforce capabilities vis-à-vis Pakistan. Moreover, the development of MIRV technology alongside other nuclear advancement programs underway in India, like hypersonic missiles and the ballistic … Read more