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  • Pakistan defence minister says country in ‘open war’ with Afghanistan after strikes

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    Pakistan’s defence minister has said the country is in “open war” with Afghanistan, after Islamabad launched airstrikes on Kabul as part of a wave of attacks across the country.

    “Our patience has now run out,” said Khawaja Muhammad Asif following the attacks.

    The strikes came after the Afghan Taliban announced a major offensive against Pakistani military posts near the border on Thursday night.

    The latest attacks follow months of clashes between the two neighbouring nations, despite agreeing to a fragile ceasefire in October.

    Last year’s negotiations failed to reach a broader agreement for a complete end to hostilities, with both side blaming each other for not engaging seriously with talks.

    The Taliban said a “retaliatory operation” had been launched at around 20:00 local time (15:30 GMT) on Thursday.

    It said it had captured 19 Pakistani military posts and two bases, adding that 55 Pakistani soldiers had been killed. The BBC has not been able to verify these claims.

    Pakistan quickly retaliated, saying the Taliban had “miscalculated and opened unprovoked fire on multiple locations” across the border in its north-western province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, which had been met with an “immediate and effective response” by Islamabad’s security forces.

    It then launched a series of bombing raids on Afghanistan in the early hours of Friday morning, striking targets in Kabul, Kandahar and Paktika in response to what they called “unprovoked Afghan attacks”.

    All three cities are close to the shared Pakistani-Afghan mountainous border that spans 2,600 km (1,615 miles).

    Pakistan’s military spokesman Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry said it had hit 22 Afghan military targets and killed more that 200 Taliban fighters. At least 12 Pakistani soldiers had died, he added.

    But the Taliban’s spokesman Mujahid said just 13 Taliban fighters had been killed and 22 others injured, while 13 civilians had been injured and an indeterminate number killed.

    The BBC has not been able to verify these numbers. During these hostilities, both sides have claimed to have inflicted heavy losses on the other while suffering little damage to their own.

    In response to the strikes, Zabihullah Mujahid, the Afghan Taliban spokesman, published – then subsequently deleted – a post on X that the group had launched strikes early on Friday on Pakistani military positions in Kandahar and Helmand, two provinces in Afghanistan.

    The Afghan Taliban has said it carried out air strikes on several targets within Pakistan, on Friday morning. Sources in the Taliban government told the BBC these were with drones launched from Afghanistan.

    Pakistan’s Information Minister Atta Tarar said its military thwarted Afghan drones targeting Swabi, Nowshera and Abbottabad, which is a military garrison city housing the army’s military academy.

    Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said his country’s forces had “the full capability to crush any aggressive ambitions”, vowing that there would be “no compromise” in defending their “beloved homeland”.

    In Afghanistan, Taliban officials on Friday claimed Pakistani rockets hit a refugee camp in Nangarhar – housing Afghan citizens recently arrived from Pakistan – and injured at least nine people. The BBC has not been able to verify this.

    Residents and local officials in the Afghan cities hit told BBC Afghan the situation appeared to have calmed down since the attacks, although people on both sides of the border remained on high alert.

    Pakistan’s Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar has spoken to his Turkish counterpart Hakan Fidan, the ministry said, and “agreed to stay closely engaged on evolving developments” as they both stressed the “importance of peace and stability”.

    Dar, who is in Saudi Arabia for an official visit, also held a similar conversation with the country’s Foreign Minister Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud.

    Meanwhile, Iran has offered to “facilitate dialogue” between Pakistan and Afghanistan as it urged them to “resolve their differences through good neighbourliness and dialogue”.

    UK Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper also urged the two sides to re-engage in talks, take “immediate steps toward de‑escalation [and] avoid further harm to civilians”.

    While a fragile ceasefire between the two countries was agreed in October, negotiations failed to reach a broader agreement for a complete end to hostilities, with both side blaming the other for not engaging seriously with talks.

    Pakistan has long accused Afghanistan’s Taliban government of supporting “anti-Pakistan terrorists”, who it blames for carrying out suicide attacks in the country, including at a mosque in the capital recently.

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  • Pakistan’s defense minister says that there is now ‘open war’ with Afghanistan

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    Pakistan’s defense minister early Friday said that his country had run out of “patience” and now considers itself in an “open war” with neighboring Afghanistan after both sides launched strikes following what Islamabad described as an Afghan cross-border attack.In a post on X, Defense Minister Khawaja Mohammad Asif said Pakistan had hoped for peace in Afghanistan after the withdrawal of NATO forces and expected the Taliban to focus on the welfare of the Afghan people and regional stability. Instead, he alleged, the Taliban had turned Afghanistan “into a colony of India,” gathered militants from around the world and begun “exporting terrorism.”Video above: Shiite Muslims take part in a rally to condemn Israeli strikes on Iran “Our patience has now run out. Now it is open war between us,” he said. There has been no reaction from Afghan government officials to Asif’s comments.Pakistan has frequently accused neighboring India of backing the outlawed Baloch Liberation Army and the Pakistani Taliban, allegations New Delhi denies.His remarks came hours after Pakistan carried out airstrikes in Afghanistan’s capital, Kabul, as well as in Kandahar in the south and Paktia province in the southeast, according to Pakistani officials and Afghanistan government spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid. Pakistan says the strikes were in retaliation for Afghan cross-border attacks.The escalation comes months after Qatar and Turkey mediated a ceasefire between the two sides.Both governments have issued sharply differing casualty claims and said they inflicted heavy losses on the other. The claims could not be independently verified.Afghanistan’s Defense Ministry said overnight that 55 Pakistani soldiers had been killed, including some whose bodies were taken into Afghanistan, and that “several others were captured alive.” It said eight Afghan soldiers were killed and 11 wounded. The ministry said it destroyed 19 Pakistani army posts and two bases and that the fighting ended around midnight, about four hours after it began Thursday.Pakistan’s Information Minister Attaullah Tarar said two Pakistani soldiers were killed and three wounded.Mosharraf Ali Zaidi, a spokesperson for Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, denied that any Pakistani soldiers had been captured. In a post on X, he said at least 133 Afghan fighters were killed and more than 200 wounded. He also said 27 Afghan posts were destroyed and nine fighters captured. He did not specify where the casualties occurred but said additional losses were estimated in strikes on military targets in Kabul, Paktia and Kandahar.In Islamabad, two senior security officials said Afghan forces at some border posts had raised white flags, a gesture typically interpreted as a request to halt firing. The officials said Pakistani forces were continuing what they described as a strong retaliatory response to “unprovoked aggression” by the Afghan Taliban and had destroyed several key Taliban posts along the border.The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak publicly.Asif also accused the Taliban government of denying Afghans basic human rights, including rights for women that he said are guaranteed under Islam, without providing details or evidence.He said Pakistan had tried to maintain stability both directly and through friendly countries. “Today, when attempts were made to target Pakistan with aggression, by the grace of God, our armed forces are giving a decisive response,” he said.Authorities in Pakistan said dozens of Afghan refugees who were waiting to return home from the northwestern Torkham border have been taken back to safer places following the eruption of clashes.Pakistan launched a sweeping crackdown in Oct. 2023 to expel migrants without documents, urging those in the country to leave of their own accord to avoid arrest and forcible deportation and forcibly expelling others. Iran also began a crackdown on migrants at around the same time.Since then, millions have streamed across the border into Afghanistan, including people who were born in Pakistan decades ago and had built lives and created businesses there.Last year alone, 2.9 million people returned to Afghanistan, the U.N. refugee agency has said, with nearly 80,000 having returned so far this year.Afghan reported from Kabul, Afghanistan. Associated Press writers Riaz Khan and Rasool Dawar in Peshawar, Pakistan, Eduardo Castillo in Beijing and Elena Becatoros in Athens, Greece, also contributed to this story.

    ISLAMABAD, Islamabad Capital Territory —

    Pakistan’s defense minister early Friday said that his country had run out of “patience” and now considers itself in an “open war” with neighboring Afghanistan after both sides launched strikes following what Islamabad described as an Afghan cross-border attack.

    In a post on X, Defense Minister Khawaja Mohammad Asif said Pakistan had hoped for peace in Afghanistan after the withdrawal of NATO forces and expected the Taliban to focus on the welfare of the Afghan people and regional stability. Instead, he alleged, the Taliban had turned Afghanistan “into a colony of India,” gathered militants from around the world and begun “exporting terrorism.”

    Video above: Shiite Muslims take part in a rally to condemn Israeli strikes on Iran

    “Our patience has now run out. Now it is open war between us,” he said. There has been no reaction from Afghan government officials to Asif’s comments.

    Pakistan has frequently accused neighboring India of backing the outlawed Baloch Liberation Army and the Pakistani Taliban, allegations New Delhi denies.

    His remarks came hours after Pakistan carried out airstrikes in Afghanistan’s capital, Kabul, as well as in Kandahar in the south and Paktia province in the southeast, according to Pakistani officials and Afghanistan government spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid. Pakistan says the strikes were in retaliation for Afghan cross-border attacks.

    The escalation comes months after Qatar and Turkey mediated a ceasefire between the two sides.

    Both governments have issued sharply differing casualty claims and said they inflicted heavy losses on the other. The claims could not be independently verified.

    Afghanistan’s Defense Ministry said overnight that 55 Pakistani soldiers had been killed, including some whose bodies were taken into Afghanistan, and that “several others were captured alive.” It said eight Afghan soldiers were killed and 11 wounded. The ministry said it destroyed 19 Pakistani army posts and two bases and that the fighting ended around midnight, about four hours after it began Thursday.

    Pakistan’s Information Minister Attaullah Tarar said two Pakistani soldiers were killed and three wounded.

    Mosharraf Ali Zaidi, a spokesperson for Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, denied that any Pakistani soldiers had been captured. In a post on X, he said at least 133 Afghan fighters were killed and more than 200 wounded. He also said 27 Afghan posts were destroyed and nine fighters captured. He did not specify where the casualties occurred but said additional losses were estimated in strikes on military targets in Kabul, Paktia and Kandahar.

    In Islamabad, two senior security officials said Afghan forces at some border posts had raised white flags, a gesture typically interpreted as a request to halt firing. The officials said Pakistani forces were continuing what they described as a strong retaliatory response to “unprovoked aggression” by the Afghan Taliban and had destroyed several key Taliban posts along the border.

    The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak publicly.

    Asif also accused the Taliban government of denying Afghans basic human rights, including rights for women that he said are guaranteed under Islam, without providing details or evidence.

    He said Pakistan had tried to maintain stability both directly and through friendly countries. “Today, when attempts were made to target Pakistan with aggression, by the grace of God, our armed forces are giving a decisive response,” he said.

    Authorities in Pakistan said dozens of Afghan refugees who were waiting to return home from the northwestern Torkham border have been taken back to safer places following the eruption of clashes.

    Pakistan launched a sweeping crackdown in Oct. 2023 to expel migrants without documents, urging those in the country to leave of their own accord to avoid arrest and forcible deportation and forcibly expelling others. Iran also began a crackdown on migrants at around the same time.

    Since then, millions have streamed across the border into Afghanistan, including people who were born in Pakistan decades ago and had built lives and created businesses there.

    Last year alone, 2.9 million people returned to Afghanistan, the U.N. refugee agency has said, with nearly 80,000 having returned so far this year.

    Afghan reported from Kabul, Afghanistan. Associated Press writers Riaz Khan and Rasool Dawar in Peshawar, Pakistan, Eduardo Castillo in Beijing and Elena Becatoros in Athens, Greece, also contributed to this story.

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  • Thousands in Islamabad Mourn 31 Killed in Suicide Bombing of Shi’ite Mosque

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    ISLAMABAD, Feb 7 (Reuters) – Thousands of mourners ‌gathered ​in Islamabad on Saturday to ‌start burying the 31 killed in a suicide bombing at ​a Shi’ite Muslim mosque, as residents expressed concern that there could be further attacks.

    A man opened ‍fire at the Khadija Tul Kubra ​Imambargah compound on the outskirts of Pakistan’s capital, then detonated a bomb that ​killed 31, ⁠as well as himself, and injured more than 170 people. The Islamic State group claimed responsibility for the attack in a statement on the Telegram messaging app.

    Funeral prayers for some of the victims were held in an open area near the mosque on Saturday ‌morning under tight security, with police and a unit of elite commandos standing guard. ​Mourners ‌beat their chests before ‍stooping to lift ⁠the coffins and carry them toward the burial grounds.

    “Whoever did this terrorism, may God burn them in hell and turn them to ash,” the prayer leader told mourners.

    While bombings are rare in heavily guarded Islamabad, this is the second such attack in three months and, given the rise in militancy, there are fears of a return to violence in Pakistan’s major urban centres.

    The ​government is “tracing the facilitators and handlers” behind the attack, said Information Minister Attaullah Tarar, adding that some victims remain critically injured in hospital and are “being provided the best healthcare possible.”

    The bomber had a history of travelling to Afghanistan, Defence Minister Khawaja Asif posted on Friday on X, blaming neighbouring India for sponsoring the assault, without providing evidence.

    India’s foreign office condemned the mosque attack and rejected the assertion that it had any involvement.

    “It is unfortunate that, instead of seriously addressing the problems plaguing its social fabric, Pakistan should choose to delude itself ​by blaming others for its home-grown ills,” New Delhi said in a statement.

    Shi’ites, who are a minority in the predominantly Sunni Muslim nation of 241 million, have been targeted in sectarian violence in the past, including by Islamic State ​and the Sunni Islamist group Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan.

    (Reporting by Asif Shahzad; Writing by Lucy Craymer; Editing by William Mallard)

    Copyright 2026 Thomson Reuters.

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  • After Toppling Hasina, Young Bangladeshis Turn Back to Old Guard

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    DHAKA, Jan 28 (Reuters) – Dhaka University student Sadman Mujtaba Rafid defied his parents and police to join protests that toppled former ‌Bangladesh ​Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, convinced the rallies were essential to ensure democracy ‌prevailed over dynastic rule.

    But ahead of the February 12 parliamentary election –  the first since the upheaval – some of Rafid’s optimism has faded. 

    “We dreamt of a country where ​all people regardless of gender, race, religion would have equal opportunity,” the 25-year-old said. “We expected policy changes and reforms, but it is far away from what we dreamt of.”

    Tens of thousands of young Bangladeshis, frustrated by years of repression and a lack ‍of jobs and economic opportunity under Hasina’s rule, poured into the ​streets in 2024, eager for radical change and a “New Bangladesh”.

    But while the elections will deliver a government without Hasina for the first time since 2008, there has been no major reform and no new viable alternative party has emerged, according to ​many, leaving the battle for ⁠government mostly between former Prime Minister Khaleda Zia’s Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) and the Islamist Jamaat-e-Islami.

    Opinion polls put the established, but tarnished, parties as frontrunners.

    Reuters spoke to more than 80 students under 30, mostly in the capital Dhaka. Most expressed excitement about voting in a freer election but were disappointed with the choice of candidates. 

    ‘OLD GUARD VS STUDENT-ISLAMIST ALLIANCE’

    Under 30s, popularly known as Gen-Z, drove the uprising and make up more than a quarter of Bangladesh’s 128 million voters.

    “They are politically active and will in all likelihood go to vote and affect the electoral outcome,” said political analyst Asif Shahan, who teaches at Dhaka University.

    Most were expected to back the newly-formed National Citizens ‌Party (NCP), spearheaded by some of the uprising’s leaders, but it has struggled for their support.

    An alliance with the hardline Jamaat-e-Islami may have further undermined its appeal.

    “They have lost the moral high ground,” said Shudrul ​Amin, ‌a 23-year-old archaeology student at Jahangirnagar University. “Voters who ‍wanted a ‘New Bangladesh’ free from the baggage of the ⁠past now feel they are being forced to choose between the old guard and a student‑Islamist alliance.”

    Shama Debnath, a 24-year-old Hindu, said politics remained “trapped in an ‘either this or that’ framework” with no new vision or choices.

    ‘SPIRIT OF REVOLUTION LOST’

    The interim government of Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus has also disappointed many in Gen-Z after it failed to rein in mob violence targeting journalists and minorities.

    “After a year, I feel the spirit of the July revolution is completely lost,” said Hema Chakma, a 23-year-old Buddhist student. “I am not saying the previous situation was good, but I feel the violence has increased a lot and the interim government is not taking any steps.”

    Interviews with young Bangladeshis also betrayed unhappiness with the economy, the spark for the revolt that led to Hasina’s eventual exile in India.

    NCP’s spokesperson Asif Mahmud, 27, who rose to prominence during the protests and served in Yunus’ government, said the party was constrained by being new and having mostly younger members. It also lacked resources, grassroots organisation and financial ​muscle, he added.

    Mahmud stressed the alliance with Jamaat was strategic rather than ideological and there would be no move towards sharia law.

    “We will work to fulfill expectations of the youth in the present and also in the future as promised,” he said.

    Despite their misgivings, most Gen-Z Bangladeshis told Reuters they remained hopeful about the election itself, where 300 seats are being contested.

    There will be a simultaneous referendum on reforms to state institutions, including term limits for prime ministers, stronger presidential powers and greater independence for the judiciary and election authorities.

    Willingness to vote was as high as 97% among those aged 18 to 35,  with an almost even split between BNP and Jamaat, according to a recent poll by the Bangladesh Youth Leadership Center, a youth‑focused leadership platform.

    “People are going to vote and that is enough,” said 26-year-old student activist Umama Fatema, a key figure in the 2024 uprising, adding that only a democratically elected “stable government” could steer Bangladesh.

    For some, that means the BNP.

    “Given that the new students’ party has shattered our hopes, I have decided to vote for BNP,” said 25-year-old Maisha Maliha, saying she believed the country needed a strong, united political party with enough people on the ground.

    Others say the Islamists should have a chance. “We have seen BNP before, so Jamaat seems like a new option,” said 20-year-old Erisha Tabassum.

    ‘NOT READY TO GIVE UP’

    Tasnim Jara, a doctor who returned from Britain to join the ​NCP but quit because of the Islamist alliance, is now contesting as an independent, determined to help foster what she calls a “genuinely new political culture”.

    The 31-year-old spent two frantic days going door-to-door to collect the 5,000 signatures required to validate her nomination.

    “The July uprising created hope that people like us, who were never part of the old political guard, could finally enter politics and change how it is practised,” said Jara.

    “I do believe there is hope for a genuine political alternative in Bangladesh. But it will not emerge overnight,” she said.

    Such efforts still resonate with some young voters.

    H.M. Amirul Karim, a 25-year-old ​English literature student, said: “I continue to dream that even if not now, the desire for a new political structure will become a reality. I am not ready to give up.”

    (Reporting by Ruma Paul and Tora Agarwala; Additional reporting by Zia Chowdhury: Editing by YP Rajesh and Kate Mayberry)

    Copyright 2026 Thomson Reuters.

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  • Mark Tully, BBC correspondent known as the ‘voice of India,’ dies at 90

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    Mark Tully, a longtime BBC correspondent who was widely known as the “voice of India” for his reporting on the South Asian nation, has died, the broadcaster said. He was 90.Tully died Sunday at a New Delhi hospital after a brief illness.Video above: Remembering those we lost in 2026Born in India’s Kolkata city in 1935, Tully joined the BBC in 1965 and was appointed its New Delhi correspondent in 1971. He later served for more than two decades as the BBC’s bureau chief for South Asia.Tully reported on some of India’s most consequential events, including the 1971 India-Pakistan war that led to the creation of Bangladesh, the siege of the Golden Temple in 1984, the 1991 assassination of Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi and the 1992 demolition of the Babri mosque, which triggered nationwide riots.Tully also reported from Pakistan, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka.Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi described Tully as “a towering voice of journalism.”“His connect with India and the people of our nation was reflected in his works. His reporting and insights have left an enduring mark on public discourse,” Modi wrote on X.Britain knighted Tully in 2002 for services to broadcasting and journalism. He also received two of India’s highest civilian honors, the Padma Shri and the Padma Bhushan.

    NEW DELHI, DL —

    Mark Tully, a longtime BBC correspondent who was widely known as the “voice of India” for his reporting on the South Asian nation, has died, the broadcaster said. He was 90.

    Tully died Sunday at a New Delhi hospital after a brief illness.

    Video above: Remembering those we lost in 2026

    Born in India’s Kolkata city in 1935, Tully joined the BBC in 1965 and was appointed its New Delhi correspondent in 1971. He later served for more than two decades as the BBC’s bureau chief for South Asia.

    Tully reported on some of India’s most consequential events, including the 1971 India-Pakistan war that led to the creation of Bangladesh, the siege of the Golden Temple in 1984, the 1991 assassination of Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi and the 1992 demolition of the Babri mosque, which triggered nationwide riots.

    Tully also reported from Pakistan, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka.

    Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi described Tully as “a towering voice of journalism.”

    “His connect with India and the people of our nation was reflected in his works. His reporting and insights have left an enduring mark on public discourse,” Modi wrote on X.

    Britain knighted Tully in 2002 for services to broadcasting and journalism. He also received two of India’s highest civilian honors, the Padma Shri and the Padma Bhushan.

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  • Three Men in UK Court Accused of Targeting Opponents of Pakistan’s Government

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    LONDON, Jan 24 (Reuters) – Three men appeared in ‌a ​London court on Saturday accused ‌of being part of a conspiracy to target two opponents ​of the Pakistani government living in Britain and attack them on Christmas Eve last year.

    The men, ‍all British, were part of a “sophisticated ​and planned agreement” to go to the houses of the men, Shahzad ​Akbar and ⁠Adil Raja, at almost exactly the same time on December 24 and assault them, prosecutor Warren Stanier told Westminster Magistrates’ Court.

    Prosecutors say Akbar, a former adviser to jailed ex-Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan, was struck many times in the face after opening ‌the door to his house in Cambridge, central England, to a masked man ​who ‌had asked for him ‍by name.

    Meanwhile, ⁠two men called at the home of former army officer-turned YouTuber Adil Raja in Chesham, to the northwest of London, and tried to force entry. Raja, who was convicted in absentia in January of terrorism-related offences linked to online support for Khan, was not there at the time.

    A week later two men, one of whom was suspected to have a ​firearm, are believed to have broken a window at Akbar’s address and attempted to throw a burning rag inside. However, it did not cause any damage.

    Police said because of the “highly targeted nature of the incidents”, the investigation was being led by counter-terrorism offices.

    Karl Blackbird, 40, is accused of two counts of conspiracy to assault and cause actual bodily harm while Chris McAulay, 39, faces a single count of the same charge. Doneto Brammer, 21, is charged with possession of a firearm, and conspiracy to commit arson.

    The ​three men, who did not indicate a plea, were remanded in custody until their next appearance at London’s Old Bailey Court on February 13.

    Three other men have also been arrested in connection with the investigation but have ​either been released or not charged with any offence as yet.

    (Reporting by Michael Holden; Editing by Sharon Singleton)

    Copyright 2026 Thomson Reuters.

    Photos You Should See – January 2026

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  • ‘Content to Die’: Afghanistan’s Hunger Crisis Worsened by Winter, Aid Cuts

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    KABUL, Jan 20 (Reuters) – In the dull glow of a single bulb lighting their tent on the outskirts of ‌Kabul, Samiullah ​and his wife Bibi Rehana sit down to dry bread ‌and tea, their only meal of the day, accompanied by their five children and three-month-old grandchild.

    “We have reached a point where we are content with ​death,” said 55-year-old Samiullah, whose family, including two older sons aged 18 and 20 and their wives, is among the millions deported by neighbouring Iran and Pakistan in the past year.

    “Day by day, things are getting worse,” he added, after ‍their return to a war-torn nation where the United ​Nations’ World Food Programme estimates 17 million battle acute hunger after massive cuts in international aid.

    “Whatever happens to us has happened, but at least our children’s lives should be better.”

    He was one of the returned Afghans speaking before ​protests in Iran sparked a ⁠massive crackdown by the clerical establishment, killing more than 2,000 in ensuing violence.

    Samiullah said his family went virtually overnight from its modest home in Iran to their makeshift tent, partially propped up by rocks and rubble, after a raid by Iranian authorities led to their arrests and then deportation.

    They salvaged a few belongings but were not able to carry out all their savings, which would have carried them through the winter, Samiullah added.

    Reuters was unable to reach authorities in Iran for comment.

    “Migrants who are newly returning to the country receive assistance as much as possible,” said Afghan administration spokesman Zabiullah Mujahid, in areas ‌from transport to housing, healthcare and food.

    It was impossible to eradicate poverty quickly in a country that suffered 40 years of conflict and the loss of all its revenue and resources, he ​added ‌in a statement, despite an extensive rebuilding ‍effort.

    “Economic programmes take time and do not have ⁠an immediate impact on people’s lives.”

    The WFP says Iran and Pakistan have expelled more than 2.5 million Afghans in massive repatriation programs.

    Tehran ramped up deportations last year amid a flurry of accusations that they were spying for Israel. Authorities blamed the expulsions on concerns about security and resources.

    Islamabad accelerated deportations amid accusations that the Taliban was harbouring militants responsible for cross-border attacks on Pakistani soil, allegations Afghanistan has denied.

    As winter spreads across Afghanistan’s arid landscape, work opportunities have dried up, while the wave of returning Afghans has swelled the population by a tenth, said John Aylieff, the WFP’s country director.

    “Many of these Afghans were working in Iran and Pakistan and they were sending back remittances,” he told Reuters, adding that 3 million more people now face acute hunger. “Those remittances were a lifeline for Afghanistan.”

    Cuts to global programmes since U.S. President Donald Trump returned to the White House have sapped the resources of organisations ​such as the WFP, while other donor countries have also scaled back, putting millions at risk worldwide.

    “Last year was the biggest malnutrition surge ever recorded in Afghanistan and sadly the prediction is that it’s going to get worse,” added Aylieff, estimating that 200,000 more children would suffer acute malnourishment in 2026.

    At the WFP’s aid distribution site in Bamiyan, about 180 km (111 miles) from Kabul, the capital, are stacks of rice bags and jugs of palm oil, while wheelbarrows trundle in more food, but it is still too little for the long queues of people.

    “I am forced to manage the winter with these supplies; sometimes we eat, sometimes we don’t,” said Zahra Ahmadi, 50, a widowed mother of eight daughters, as she received aid for the first time.

    ‘LIFE NEVER REMAINS THE SAME’

    At the Qasaba Clinic in the capital, mothers soothed their children during the wait for medicine and supplements.

    “Compared to the time when there were no migrants, the number of our patients has now doubled,” said Dr. Rabia Rahimi Yadgari.

    The clinic treats about 30 cases of malnutrition each day but the supplements are not sufficient to sustain the families, who previously relied on WFP aid and hospital support, she said.

    Laila, 30, said her son, Abdul Rahman, showed signs of recovery after taking the supplements.

    “But after some time, he loses ​the weight again,” she said.

    After the Taliban takeover, she said, “My husband lost his (government) job, and gradually our economic situation collapsed. Life never remains the same.”

    The United States led a hasty withdrawal of international forces from Afghanistan in July 2021, after 20 years of war against the Taliban, opening the doors for the Islamists to take control of Kabul.

    As dusk gathers and the temperature falls, Samiullah brings in firewood and Bibi Rehama lights a stove for warmth.

    “At night, when it gets very cold, my children say, ‘Father, I’m cold, I’m freezing.’ I hold them in my arms ​and say, ‘It’s OK.’ What choice do we have?” Samiullah said.

    “(When) I worked in Iran, at least I could provide a full meal. Here, there is neither work nor livelihood.”

    (Reporting by Mohammad Ynunus Yawar and Sayed Hassib; Writing by Saad Sayeed; Editing by Clarence Fernandez)

    Copyright 2026 Thomson Reuters.

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  • Death Toll in Karachi Mall Fire Jumps to 11

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    KARACHI, Jan ‌19 (Reuters) – ​The ‌death toll from ​a fire ‍at a shopping ​mall ​in ⁠Karachi rosed to 11, a police official told ‌Reuters on Monday, a ​day ‌after flames ‍tore through ⁠the complex in the historic downtown district, reducing ​parts of the building to rubble.

    Karachi Mayor Murtaza Wahab said on Sunday that more than 60 people were missing.

    (Reporting ​by Ariba Shahid, Writing by Tanvi Mehta; ​Editing by Jacqueline Wong)

    Copyright 2026 Thomson Reuters.

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  • Back From Iran, Pakistani Students Say They Heard Gunshots While Confined to Campus

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    ISLAMABAD, Jan 15 (Reuters) – Pakistani students returning from ‌Iran ​on Thursday said they heard gunshots ‌and stories of rioting and violence while being confined to campus and ​not allowed out of their dormitories in the evening.

    Iran’s leadership is trying to quell the worst domestic unrest since ‍its 1979 revolution, with a rights ​group putting the death toll over 2,600.

    As the protests swell, Tehran is seeking to deter U.S. ​President Donald Trump’s ⁠repeated threats to intervene on behalf of anti-government protesters.

    “During nighttime, we would sit inside and we would hear gunshots,” Shahanshah Abbas, a fourth-year student at Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, said at the Islamabad airport.

    “The situation down there is that riots have been happening everywhere. People are dying. Force is ‌being used.”

    Abbas said students at the university were not allowed to leave campus and told to ​stay ‌in their dormitories after 4 ‍p.m.

    “There was nothing ⁠happening on campus,” Abbas said, but in his interactions with Iranians, he heard stories of violence and chaos.

    “The surrounding areas, like banks, mosques, they were damaged, set on fire … so things were really bad.”

    Trump has repeatedly threatened to intervene in support of protesters in Iran but adopted a wait-and-see posture on Thursday after protests appeared to have abated. Information flows have been hampered by an internet blackout for a week.

    “We were not allowed to ​go out of the university,” said Arslan Haider, a student in his final year. “The riots would mostly start later in the day.”

    Haider said he was unable to contact his family due to the blackout but “now that they opened international calls, the students are getting back because their parents were concerned”.

    A Pakistani diplomat in Tehran said the embassy was getting calls from many of the 3,500 students in Iran to send messages to their families back home.

    “Since they don’t have internet connections to make WhatsApp and other social network calls, what they do is they contact the embassy from local phone numbers and tell us to inform ​their families.”

    Rimsha Akbar, who was in the middle of her final year exams at Isfahan, said international students were kept safe.

    “Iranians would tell us if we are talking on Snapchat or if we were riding in a cab … that shelling had happened, tear gas had happened, ​and that a lot of people were killed.”

    (Reporting by Asif ShahzadAdditional reporting by Mubasher BukhariWriting by Saad SayeedEditing by Peter Graff)

    Copyright 2026 Thomson Reuters.

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  • Gas cylinder explosion kills bride, groom and 6 others at wedding in Pakistan

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    A gas cylinder explosion early Sunday after a wedding reception at a home in Pakistan’s capital killed at least eight people, including the bride and groom, police and officials said.

    The blast occurred as guests who had gathered to celebrate the couple were sleeping at the house, causing part of the house to collapse, according to the Islamabad police. Seven people were injured.

    In a statement, police said the explosion occurred in a residential area in the heart of the city. A government administrator, Sahibzada Yousaf, said authorities were alerted about the blast early Sunday and officers are still investigating. He said some nearby homes were also damaged.

    Injured people were trapped under the rubble and had to be carried out on stretchers by rescue workers, BBC News reported. Three neighboring houses were also damaged.

    Hanif Masih, the father of the groom, said his wife and sister-in-law were also killed in the explosion, BBC News reported.

    Mourners react after the death of their relatives following a powerful gas cylinder explosion at a wedding function in a neighborhood of Islamabad on January 11, 2026. 

    Muhammad Reza/Anadolu via Getty Images


    Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif expressed grief over the loss of lives and offered condolences to the victims’ families, according to a statement from his office. He directed health authorities to ensure the injured receive the best possible treatment and ordered a full investigation.

    Sharif “prays for the speedy recovery of the injured,” his office said.

    Many Pakistani households rely on liquefied petroleum gas cylinders because of low natural gas pressure, and such cylinders have been linked to deadly accidents caused by gas leaks. Police said investigations were ongoing.

    In his statement, Sharif directed his administration to “educate citizens about safety measures” in the use of gas cylinders.

    In 2005, gas cylinders exploded in the basement of an apartment building in Pakistan, causing the three-story structure to collapse. At least 25 people were killed in that incident.

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  • Pakistan Eyes Defence Pact With Bangladesh, Sale of JF-17 Jets

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    ISLAMABAD, Jan 7 (Reuters) – The air force ‌chiefs ​of Pakistan and Bangladesh held talks ‌on a potential pact covering the sale of JF-17 Thunder fighter ​jets to Dhaka, Pakistan’s military said, as Islamabad widens its arms supply ambitions and beefs up ties ‍with Bangladesh.

    The talks in Islamabad ​come as Pakistan looks to capitalise on the success of its air force in the ​conflict with ⁠arch-foe India in May last year, the worst fighting in nearly three decades between the nuclear-armed neighbours.

    Pakistan’s Air Chief Marshal Zaheer Ahmed Baber Sidhu and Bangladesh counterpart Hasan Mahmood Khan had detailed talks on procurement of the JF-17 Thunder, a multi-role combat aircraft jointly developed with ‌China, the military’s press wing said.

    Pakistan has also assured Bangladesh of the “fast-tracked delivery of Super ​Mushshak ‌trainer aircraft, along with a ‍complete training ⁠and long-term support ecosystem,” it added in Tuesday’s statement.

    The talks signal improving ties as the South Asian nations have grown closer since massive protests in August 2024 drove then-Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to flee to India, shattering Dhaka’s relationship with New Delhi.

    “The visit underscored the strong historical ties between Pakistan and Bangladesh and reflected a shared resolve to deepen defence cooperation and build a long-term strategic ​partnership,” the military said.

    In the wake of Hasina’s ouster, Islamabad and Dhaka have resumed direct trade for the first time since the 1971 war that brought independence for Bangladesh, while their military officials have held several meetings.

    Under an interim administration led by Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus, Bangladesh is set for general elections on February 12 that could lead to a significant government role for a once-banned Bangladeshi Islamist party with links to Pakistan.

    The JF-17s have become the cornerstone of the Pakistani military’s weapons development program, figuring in a deal with Azerbaijan and a $4-billion weapons pact ​with the Libyan National Army.

    On Tuesday, Pakistan’s defence minister said the success of its weapons industry could transform the country’s economic outlook.

    “Our aircraft have been tested, and we are receiving so many orders that Pakistan may not need the International Monetary ​Fund in six months,” Khawaja Asif told broadcaster Geo News.

    (Reporting by Saad Sayeed and Mubasher Bukhari; Editing by Clarence Fernandez)

    Copyright 2026 Thomson Reuters.

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  • Trial of Chinese Crime Gangs in Italian Fashion Stalls Amid Sabotage Fears

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    By Silvia Ognibene and Emilio Parodi

    PRATO, Italy, Dec 11 (Reuters) – A landmark trial in Italy of Chinese crime gangs has suffered so many mishaps – from the disappearance of documents to the resignation of ‌interpreters – that a ​senior prosecutor suspects it’s being sabotaged to protect the criminals’ grip on Europe’s fashion industry.

    The case, ‌launched after two Chinese men were hacked to death with machetes in 2010, is aimed at dismantling an illicit network accused of controlling the logistics of the continent’s multi-billion-euro garments sector from the city of Prato in Tuscany.

    Instead, it has ​become a cautionary tale about the obstacles Italy’s justice system faces when confronting international organised crime without the tools it has used effectively to fight home-grown mafia groups, prosecutors say.

    Reuters spoke to two of Italy’s most senior anti-mafia investigators, and more than half a dozen textile workers, union representatives and defence lawyers, to gain a rare glimpse into the challenges of tackling alleged Chinese ‍organised crime.

    “The suspicion is that there is interference from the Chinese community and Chinese authorities ​in this matter,” said Luca Tescaroli, a veteran of Italy’s war against the mafia who is now Prato’s chief prosecutor and leading the charge against Chinese crime gangs.

    The Chinese embassy in Rome did not reply to emails requesting comment on Tescaroli’s remarks. China’s foreign, public security and justice ministries did not immediately reply to Reuters’ requests for comment for this story.

    When the latest court ​interpreter failed to show up to a ⁠hearing at the end of September, a quick check revealed she had returned to China and her transcripts were “incomprehensible and unusable”, Tescaroli said.

    The translator was the second to walk off the job and no other Chinese interpreter in Tuscany has agreed to take over. Tescaroli has opened an investigation into the possibility that someone is looking to sink the trial.

    The violence prosecutors hoped to curb has only intensified as the trial flounders, with the battle for control of coat hanger production and fast-fashion freight spawning a string of bomb and arson attacks in Italy, France and Spain.

    There have been at least 16 attacks, including cases of the destruction of property, since April 2024, according to a Reuters tally of official reports.

    A FAST-FASHION FLASHPOINT OF CRIMINAL VIOLENCE

    The Prato prosecutor and his colleagues are pressing the judges in the so-called China Truck trial to define the Chinese gangs legally as mafia groups – a designation that would unlock sweeping powers, asset seizures and stiffer sentence. 

    However, in Italy that label ‌is difficult to secure, even more so if the organisations are rooted abroad, making them harder to penetrate than home-grown crime groups such as Sicily’s Cosa Nostra.

    Wedged in the hills northwest of Florence, Prato is billed as Europe’s largest textile manufacturing hub, hosting more than 7,000 textile and garment companies that ​register ‌some 2.3 billion euros ($2.68 billion) in official annual exports. Over 4,400 ‍of firms are Chinese owned, local authorities say. 

    Almost a quarter of its residents are ⁠foreigners, the largest ratio in Italy, but the percentage is likely much higher as many newcomers are illegal immigrants without work permits. 

    Prato’s streets are lined with Chinese-owned workshops, warehouses, and businesses that have transformed the city into a global fast-fashion production centre, and a flashpoint for violence linked to criminal networks.

    The China Truck investigation closed in 2018 with prosecutors alleging that the 58 suspects had formed “a criminal association equipped with very significant financial means … with support and resources abroad”. 

    Seven years on, not a single defendant or witness has been called to testify.

    Meanwhile, the alleged mastermind Zhang Naizhong, described by investigators as a “boss of bosses”, slipped back to China in 2018 after he was released from pre-trail custody and prosecutors doubt he will ever return to Italy. 

    His Italian lawyer Melissa Stefanacci declined to comment on any aspect of the case. Zhang and the other suspects have pleaded not guilty.

    MURDERS, STABBINGS, ARSON AND BOMB ATTACKS

    The case emerged from what Francesco Nannucci, then head of Prato’s police Flying Squad, described to Reuters as a war between two rival gangs, one made up of Chinese originally from Zhejiang and the other of Chinese originally from Fujian, for control of territory in Europe.

    Despite keen police interest and multiple investigations in Prato, the gang violence has escalated in the past two years.

    In July 2024, a Chinese businessman based in Prato was stabbed multiple times by a group of six men, including a former soldier, who had flown in from China “to protect, through violence, the business interests of the monopolistic group ​in the coat-hanger sector,” prosecutors said in a statement. 

    All six were arrested and sentenced to 7.5 years in jail for attempted murder.

    In April of this year, Zhang Dayong, Zhang’s alleged right-hand man who was also charged in the China Truck case, was shot dead in Rome alongside his girlfriend. No-one has been arrested for those killings.

    Tescaroli said emerging companies often with the prefix “Xin” – meaning “new” in Chinese – were trying to undercut established players, selling hangers at about 6 cents each compared to the previous market rate of about 27 cents.

    “Since the volumes are vast, a few cents of margin on each piece guarantee gigantic profits,” he said. 

    TEXTILE TRADE MARKED BY CORRUPTION, LABOUR ABUSE

    Chinese businesses in the textile district have long operated within what investigators call the “Prato system”, marked by corruption and irregular practices, including labour and safety abuses as well as tax and customs fraud.

    These companies can appear and disappear overnight, engaging in a cat-and-mouse game with authorities to dodge taxes and avoid having to give workers proper contracts, according to Arturo Gambassi, a representative from the Sudd Cobas union, which defends workers’ rights in the textile sector.

    “In all the firms where we have initiated labour disputes, we saw that their business name had changed in the previous two years,” he told Reuters. 

    Police say fabrics are often smuggled in from China to avoid customs duties, while profits are sent back through illicit money-transfer channels, with up to 4 million euros shipped out of Rome’s Fiumicino airport each week, according to prosecutors and police.

    To maintain their competitive edge, the industry depends on cheap, round-the-clock labour, largely from China and Pakistan, with workers facing a backlash if they seek legal contracts.

    On November 17, more than 15 Chinese citizens assaulted a union demonstration in Prato. Plain clothes police who were observing the protest were also attacked, with two officers needing hospital treatment, a police statement said. 

    Italian prosecutors succeeded in dismantling major Italian mob networks, notably Cosa Nostra, in part thanks to legislation introduced specifically to tackle the mafia.

    The official mafia designation carries stiffer sentences and lets courts infer membership from conduct, a key advantage when prosecutors must overcome silence and intimidation.

    Tescaroli is trying to ​get the courts to brand the Chinese gangs as mafia groups, but Barbara Sargenti, Italy’s national anti-mafia prosecutor, questioned whether this would happen.

    To establish that there is a Chinese mafia, Italy needs to map these organisations either from inside sources or with help from judicial and police authorities in China.

    Sargenti said cooperation with China was proving “very difficult” and, so far, only one Chinese citizen had turned state witness within Italy, in a drug-related case.

    Sargenti said China’s police and judicial authorities had been in touch with Italy’s justice ministry in recent months, saying it was willing to send officers collaborate with the Italians but there had been no follow up.

    “Investigations are, let’s say, very complicated,” she said. Without the mafia designation or Chinese cooperation, Tescaroli’s case in the China Truck trial relies on the fragile scaffolding of Italian procedure, and the willingness of translators to show up.

    After the Tuscan interpreters made themselves unavailable, two new ​translators were appointed on November 17 – Chinese citizens from the northern port city of Genoa, outside Tuscany.

    But court officials aren’t claiming victory, yet, with the new translators saying they could not guarantee they would understand the dialects captured in phone taps that form crucial evidence in the case. The next hearing is scheduled for May 15.

    (Writing by Crispian Balmer; Additional reporting by Laurie Chen in BeijingEditing by David Lewis)

    Copyright 2025 Thomson Reuters.

    Photos You Should See – December 2025

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  • First OCA Pakistan event focuses on policy and financing for organic cotton

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    The multi-stakeholder organisation held the meeting in Lahore and online on 20 November 2025, bringing together figures from government, finance, industry, and farming.

    The stakeholder event attempted to identify priorities that could support the sustainable scaling of organic cotton production across Pakistan.

    Participants considered how policies could facilitate the shift of farmers to organic methods and ways to jointly address sector challenges.

    They also reviewed options for investment and accountability to improve transparency in the supply chain and discussed how to build market connections that ensure ongoing demand for organic cotton.

    OCA executive director Bart Vollaard said: “We’re grateful to our local partners for welcoming us and for their commitment to organic cotton. Collaboration like this sits at the heart of OCA’s mission. By bringing farmers, industry, policymakers, researchers and civil society together, we can strengthen local markets, create more opportunities for rural communities, and ensure Pakistan’s organic cotton earns the recognition it deserves.”

    OCA, which started its work in Pakistan nearly three years ago, expects to support more than 10,000 organic cotton farmers in the 2025-2026 season.

    These farmers operate on nearly 60,000 hectares in Baluchistan, Punjab, and Sindh provinces and are forecasted to produce about 16,000 metric tonnes (mt) of lint cotton during the season.

    OCA partners with local groups to provide farmers with non-genetically modified seed, agronomic training, financial guidance, and reliable links to markets.

    In addition, OCA introduced digital tools aimed at improving data collection and transparency within the sector. This technology supports better decision-making among partners along the value chain, said the organisation.

    OCA has also worked on enhancing laboratory procedures for testing organic integrity, implemented a tailored version of its Organic Cotton Training Curriculum suited for local needs, and encouraged farmer participation through workshops and community engagement initiatives.

    OCA Pakistan country manager Rubab Zahra said: “In Pakistan, the transition to organic cotton is not just a shift in farming methods, it is a pathway to greater stability for farming communities. Our focus is on building a supply chain where farmers are supported, information is openly shared, and all partners work side by side. This collaborative approach is essential for delivering long-term resilience and ensuring Pakistan’s organic cotton sector continues to grow.”

    “First OCA Pakistan event focuses on policy and financing for organic cotton” was originally created and published by Just Style, a GlobalData owned brand.

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  • Suicide bombers strike security force headquarters in northwestern Pakistan

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    Two suicide bombers attacked the headquarters of a security force in northwestern Pakistan on Monday morning, killing at least three officers and wounding five others, police and rescue officials said.The attack took place in Peshawar, the capital of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province bordering Afghanistan, said city Police Chief Saeed Ahmad.Video above: Pakistani officials say the insurgent attack on a train has ended but some hostages are deadHe said one attacker detonated his explosives at the main gate of the provincial headquarters of the Federal Constabulary, while the second bomber was shot and killed by officers near the parking area.According to Ahmad, a large number of security personnel were on open ground inside the headquarters for morning parade drills when the attack took place. “The terrorists involved in today’s attack were on foot and failed to reach the parade area and a timely response by our forces prevented a much larger tragedy,” he told The Associated Press.No group immediately claimed responsibility for the attack.However, the Pakistani Taliban, also known as Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan, have been blamed for similar previous assaults in the country, which has witnessed a surge in militant attacks. The TPP is separate from but allied with the Afghan Taliban that leads Afghanistan.The latest attack came less than two weeks after a suicide bomber struck outside a court in Pakistan’s capital Islamabad, detonating his explosives next to a police car and killing 12 people.The attacks have strained ties between Islamabad and Afghanistan’s Taliban government, with Pakistan accusing the Pakistani Taliban of operating freely inside Afghanistan since the Taliban takeover in 2021.Pakistan’s government often accuses Afghanistan of turning a blind eye to cross-border attacks by militants.Kabul denies the allegation, but tensions between the two sides escalated after Afghanistan blamed Pakistan for Oct. 9 drone strikes in Kabul and vowed retaliation. The ensuing fighting killed dozens of people, including soldiers, civilians and militants, before Qatar brokered a ceasefire on Oct. 19, which remains in place.It was followed by two rounds of talks in Istanbul, during which the two sides failed to reach an agreement after Afghanistan refused to give guarantees in writing about preventing the TTP from using Afghan soil for attacks inside Pakistan.Pakistan in recent weeks has stepped up operations against the TTP, killing dozens of insurgents near regions bordering Afghanistan. Associated Press writer Rasool Dawar in Peshawar, Pakistan, contributed to this story.

    PESHAWAR, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa —

    Two suicide bombers attacked the headquarters of a security force in northwestern Pakistan on Monday morning, killing at least three officers and wounding five others, police and rescue officials said.

    The attack took place in Peshawar, the capital of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province bordering Afghanistan, said city Police Chief Saeed Ahmad.

    Video above: Pakistani officials say the insurgent attack on a train has ended but some hostages are dead

    He said one attacker detonated his explosives at the main gate of the provincial headquarters of the Federal Constabulary, while the second bomber was shot and killed by officers near the parking area.

    According to Ahmad, a large number of security personnel were on open ground inside the headquarters for morning parade drills when the attack took place. “The terrorists involved in today’s attack were on foot and failed to reach the parade area and a timely response by our forces prevented a much larger tragedy,” he told The Associated Press.

    No group immediately claimed responsibility for the attack.

    However, the Pakistani Taliban, also known as Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan, have been blamed for similar previous assaults in the country, which has witnessed a surge in militant attacks. The TPP is separate from but allied with the Afghan Taliban that leads Afghanistan.

    The latest attack came less than two weeks after a suicide bomber struck outside a court in Pakistan’s capital Islamabad, detonating his explosives next to a police car and killing 12 people.

    Muhammad Zubair

    Security officials and rescue workers gather at the site of a suicide bombing at the main gate of headquarters of the Federal Constabulary (FC) in Peshawar, Pakistan, Monday, Nov. 24, 2025.

    The attacks have strained ties between Islamabad and Afghanistan’s Taliban government, with Pakistan accusing the Pakistani Taliban of operating freely inside Afghanistan since the Taliban takeover in 2021.

    Pakistan’s government often accuses Afghanistan of turning a blind eye to cross-border attacks by militants.

    Kabul denies the allegation, but tensions between the two sides escalated after Afghanistan blamed Pakistan for Oct. 9 drone strikes in Kabul and vowed retaliation. The ensuing fighting killed dozens of people, including soldiers, civilians and militants, before Qatar brokered a ceasefire on Oct. 19, which remains in place.

    It was followed by two rounds of talks in Istanbul, during which the two sides failed to reach an agreement after Afghanistan refused to give guarantees in writing about preventing the TTP from using Afghan soil for attacks inside Pakistan.

    Pakistan in recent weeks has stepped up operations against the TTP, killing dozens of insurgents near regions bordering Afghanistan.

    Associated Press writer Rasool Dawar in Peshawar, Pakistan, contributed to this story.

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  • Suicide bombers in northwest Pakistan kill at least 3 at security force headquarters

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    Two suicide bombers attacked the headquarters of a security force in northwestern Pakistan on Monday morning, killing at least three officers, police and rescue officials said.

    The attack took place in Peshawar, the capital of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province bordering Afghanistan, said city Police Chief Saeed Ahmad.

    He said one attacker detonated his explosives at the main gate of the provincial headquarters of the Federal Constabulary, while the second bomber was shot and killed by officers near the parking area.

    He said a swift response by security forces prevented more casualties and the situation was quickly brought under control.

    No group immediately claimed responsibility for the attack.

    However, the Pakistani Taliban, also known as Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan, have been blamed for similar previous assaults in the country, which has witnessed a surge in militant attacks.

    The attacks have strained ties between Islamabad and Afghanistan’s Taliban government, with Pakistan accusing the Pakistani Taliban of operating freely inside Afghanistan since the Taliban takeover in 2021.

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  • Pakistan’s Top Court Meets After Two Judges Quit in Protest at ‘Grave Assault’ on Constitution

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    ISLAMABAD (Reuters) -Pakistan’s top court called a meeting of all judges on Friday, after parliament passed a constitutional amendment this week that curbed its remit, prompting two judges to quit, saying the reform “stands as a grave assault on the constitution”.

    Under the amendment, which the political opposition says has undermined democracy, the Supreme Court will no longer hear constitutional cases. The changes also expand the powers of the country’s army chief and extend his term. 

    In theory, the remaining Supreme Court judges can suspend the new law, but lawyers said that was unlikely. Before this week, the court had 24 judges.

    Pakistan’s government has waged a sweeping crackdown on dissent and its main opposition, which has included jailing former prime minister Imran Khan for over two years. Rights groups say the crackdown has been led by the powerful military and have routinely looked to the courts to safeguard democracy. 

    The military has repeatedly denied interfering in politics.  

    The administration of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said the changes would improve governance and reward the army chief for the military’s performance in the conflict with India in May.

    “Pakistan has today taken a constitutional path,” Defence Minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif told parliament on Friday. “The judges used to do politics. They used to undermine parliament.”

    ‘CRIPPLED JUDICIAL INDEPENDENCE’

    In his resignation letter on Thursday, the Supreme Court’s second-most senior judge, Syed Mansoor Ali Shah, said of the amendment: “By fracturing the unity of the nation’s apex court, it has crippled judicial independence and integrity, pushing the country back by decades.”

    “The constitution that I swore an oath to uphold and defend is no more,” wrote Athar Minallah, the other judge to resign. “What is left is a mere shadow, one that breathes neither its spirit, nor speaks the words of the people to whom it belongs.”

    On Friday, the chief justice of the controversial new Federal Constitutional Court, which will now hear all constitutional cases, was sworn into office. Under the reform, judges are appointed by the government.

    ARMY CHIEF’S TERM EXTENDED

    The amendment also elevates army chief Asim Munir to a new title, chief of defence forces, formally putting him in charge of the navy and air force as well. He will also hold his rank of field marshal and have immunity from prosecution for life.

    The government said that, as Munir was appointed to a new job, his five-year term starts again, meaning he will serve until 2030. His tenure can be extended for another five years after that. Munir was appointed as army chief in 2022.

    The military did not respond to a request for comment.

    (Reporting by Saeed Shah; additional reporting by Asif Shahzad; Editing by Saad Sayeed)

    Copyright 2025 Thomson Reuters.

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  • Pakistan Points Finger at India Over Suicide Blast

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    Pakistan blamed India-backed militants for a suicide bombing that killed 12 people in Islamabad on Tuesday, raising the prospect of renewed tensions between the nuclear-armed rivals, as India’s prime minister vowed to hunt down the perpetrators of a car explosion in New Delhi the day before.

    A blast on Monday near a metro station by New Delhi’s historic Red Fort set several nearby cars on fire, killed eight and injured at least 20 others, Indian police said. The car had three or four passengers, all of whom died in the explosion, said police, who haven’t determined the cause of the blast.

    Copyright ©2025 Dow Jones & Company, Inc. All Rights Reserved. 87990cbe856818d5eddac44c7b1cdeb8

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  • Afghanistan, Pakistan Peace Talks Collapse, Ceasefire Continues, Taliban Says

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    (Reuters) -Peace negotiations between Afghanistan and Pakistan broke down, although a ceasefire continues between the South Asian neighbours, a Taliban spokesperson said on Saturday.

    Zabihullah Mujahid said negotiations had failed due to Islamabad insisting that Afghanistan assume responsibility for Pakistan’s internal security, a demand he described as beyond Afghanistan’s “capacity”.

    But, he said, “The ceasefire that has been established has not been violated by us so far, and it will continue to be observed.”

    (Reporting by Ariba Shahid in Karachi and Dheeraj Kumar in Bengaluru; Editing by William Mallard)

    Copyright 2025 Thomson Reuters.

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  • Pakistan “will not be the first to resume nuclear tests,” official says in response to Trump’s 60 Minutes claim

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    A Pakistani official told CBS News that the country “will not be the first to resume nuclear tests” in response to President Trump’s assertion in an interview with 60 Minutes that the country has conducted nuclear weapons tests, along with Russia and China.

    “Pakistan was not the first to carry out nuclear tests and will not be the first to resume nuclear tests,” the senior Pakistani security official told CBS News.

    China was the first of the nations accused by Mr. Trump in his interview with CBS News correspondent Norah O’Donnell to deny any secret nuclear testing.

    “Russia’s testing, and China’s testing, but they don’t talk about it,” Mr. Trump said, explaining his recent announcement that the U.S. would carry out tests of its nuclear weapons. “We’re gonna test, because they test and others test. And certainly North Korea’s been testing. Pakistan’s been testing.”

    Trump made the assertion to O’Donnell during an interview that was broadcast just days after the president’s own nominee to lead STRATCOM — the U.S. military command in charge of nuclear weapons — told lawmakers on Capitol Hill that neither China nor Russia were conducting nuclear explosive tests.

    North Korea is the only nation known to have conducted a nuclear detonation since the 1990s. China’s last known nuclear explosive test was in 1996.

    Pakistan’s last known nuclear explosive test was in 1998, and it since then its government says it has observed a “unilateral moratorium on nuclear testing,” despite not being a signatory to the international Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty (CTBT).

    The U.S. is among almost 180 nations that have signed the CTBT, which bans all atomic test explosions.

    Along with China and several other nuclear powers, however, the U.S. has never ratified the treaty, a situation that President Vladimir Putin highlighted two years ago when he decided to revoke Moscow’s ratification.

    While Russia has stepped up its own tests of nuclear-capable weapons systems, it has not said it will resume nuclear detonations.

    On its website, the Pakistani Ministry of Foreign Affairs says that “despite being a non-signatory state, Pakistan been supporting the objectives and purposes of the Treaty,” and that in addition to its moratorium on nuclear tests, it “will not be the first to resume testing of nuclear weapons in South Asia.”

    Asked about Mr. Trump’s claims on Monday, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning told reporters during a press briefing that as a “responsible nuclear-weapons state, China has always … upheld a self-defense nuclear strategy and abided by its commitment to suspend nuclear testing.”

    She said China hoped the U.S. would “take concrete actions to safeguard the international nuclear disarmament and non-proliferation regime and maintain global strategic balance and stability.”

    There was no immediate reaction from Moscow to Mr. Trump’s claim that Russia has also conducted secret nuclear tests.

    What does Trump mean by U.S. resuming nuclear tests?

    President Trump has not been clear about whether his stated plan to have the U.S. military test its nuclear arsenal include conducting actual atomic explosions, which have not been carried out in the U.S. more than 30 years, or just expanded testing of the weapons systems used to deliver nuclear warheads.

    U.S. Energy Secretary Chris Wright, who was appointed by Mr. Trump, downplayed the notion on Sunday that the U.S. was about to start setting off nuclear explosions.

    “I think the tests we’re talking about right now are system tests. These are not nuclear explosions,” Wright told Fox News. “These are what we call ‘non-critical explosions,’ so you’re testing all the other parts of a nuclear weapon to make sure they deliver the appropriate geometry and they set up the nuclear explosion.”

    Imtiaz Tyab

    contributed to this report.

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  • Pakistan, Afghanistan Agree to Continue Ceasefire, Turkey Says

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    By Tuvan Gumrukcu and Sayed Hassib

    ISTANBUL (Reuters) -Pakistan and Afghanistan agreed on Thursday to extend a ceasefire during talks in Istanbul after the worst border clashes between the neighbours in years, according to Turkey which mediated the talks along with Qatar.

    The ceasefire began on October 19.

    The two countries faced their most serious military confrontations since the Taliban’s 2021 takeover of Kabul, with deadly clashes this month triggering Pakistani airstrikes, Afghan retaliatory fire and the closure of key crossings used for trade and transit.

    “All parties have agreed to put in place a monitoring and verification mechanism that will ensure maintenance of peace and impose penalties on the violating party,” Turkey’s Foreign Ministry said of the October 25–30 talks.

    It added that a follow-up meeting would be held in Istanbul on November 6 to decide how the mechanism will be implemented, and that Turkey and Qatar “stand ready to continue cooperation with both sides for lasting peace and stability.”

    Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid issued a separate statement shortly before midnight in Istanbul confirming the conclusion of the talks and saying both sides had agreed to continue discussions in future meetings.

    He said Afghanistan sought good relations with Pakistan “based on mutual respect and non-interference.”

    Pakistan did not immediately comment.

    BORDER CLASHES SPARKED AIRSTRIKES

    The clashes erupted after Pakistan launched airstrikes inside Afghanistan against Pakistani Taliban militants it says are based there and responsible for attacks on its forces. Kabul condemned the strikes as a violation of its sovereignty and denies sheltering the group.

    The border, which runs more than 2,600 km (1,600 miles), has long been a source of friction with frequent skirmishes and mutual accusations over militant sanctuaries.

    (Reporting by Tuvan Gumrukcu in Ankara; Sayed Hassib in Kabul; Additional reporting by Ariba Shahid in Karachi; Writing by Daren Butler; Editing by Franklin Paul and Cynthia Osterman)

    Copyright 2025 Thomson Reuters.

    Photos You Should See – Oct. 2025

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