Afghanistan

Pakistan and Afghanistan on Monday agreed to establish a 13-member joint committee of business leaders to hold formal negotiations for the opening of the border for trade. The border has been shut since October last year after the two sides clashed over the issue of militancy emanating from Afghanistan. The Express Tribune newspaper reported that the joint committee comprises six members from Pakistan and seven from Afghanistan. The Pakistani delegation will be led by Syed Jawad Hussain Kazmi, Adviser to the President of the Federation of Pakistan Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FPCCI), while the Afghan side will be headed by Mohammad Wali Amini. Speaking to the media, Kazmi said the primary objective of the talks is the immediate reopening of Pak-Afghan trade routes, the removal of obstacles in border management, and ensuring the continuity of bilateral trade. He added that a comprehensive and practical roadmap would be formulated to provide a lasting solution to the issues fa

Since closing down its border with Afghanistan, Pakistan has recorded a significant drop in cross-border terrorist attacks and deaths related to violence. Pakistan shut its border on October 11 last year after clashes with Afghanistan, which were prompted by the allegations that Kabul was not doing enough to stop the use of its soil by terrorists. Dawn reported from the data collected by the Centre for Research and Security Studies (CRSS), a local think-tank, that terrorist attacks went down by almost 17 per cent in December, preceded by 9 per cent decline in November, while terrorism-linked fatalities among civilians and security officials also fell in the last quarter of 2025, by nearly 4 per cent and 19 per cent each in November and December. However, the data of CRSS showed that with an almost 34 per cent surge in overall violence, the year 2025 went by as the most violent year for Pakistan in a decade. The comparative data for 2024 and 2025 reveals a sharp escalation in terror

More than two million Afghan refugees are still living in Pakistan despite over a million returning to their country in 2025. In November alone, 171,055 Afghans returned to Afghanistan, with 37,899 deported through the Chaman, Torkham and Barabcha borders, Dawn reported from the statistics of a UN refugee agency. Also in November, over 31,500 Afghan Proof of Registration Cards (PoRs) card holders were sent to Afghanistan through UNHCR's repatriation centres. Heightened Pakistan-Afghanistan border tensions in November disrupted humanitarian operations, restricted cross-border movements, and prompted temporary relocation of UN agencies from the Chaman border area. Despite intensified implementation of the third phase of the Illegal Foreigners' Repatriation Plan (IFRP) in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP), the UNHCR and partners ensured that essential and life-saving services were provided, including resumption of women and girls safe spaces and child friendly spaces, continued legal and mental

Medical visas, supply of drugs and CT scan machines figure in discussions between both countries

Amid the deepest erosion of relations between Afghanistan and Pakistan in decades, the Pakistani government has cut off cross-border trade

On a recent afternoon, Giselle Garcia, a volunteer who has been helping an Afghan family resettle, drove the father to a check-in with US Immigration and Customs Enforcement. She warned him and his family to prepare for the worst. The moment the father stepped into the ICE office in California's capital city, he was arrested. Coming just days after the shooting of two National Guard troops by an Afghan national suspect, federal authorities have carried out increased arrests of Afghans in the US, immigration lawyers say as Afghans both in and outside the country have come under intense scrutiny by immigration officials. Garcia said the family she helped had reported to all their appointments and were following all legal requirements. He was trying to be strong for his wife and kids in the car, but the anxiety and fear were palpable, she said. His wife was trying to hold back tears, but I could see her in the rearview mirror silently crying. They had fled Afghanistan under threat by

Jaiswal, while replying to a query on diminishing democratic institutions in Pakistan, noted that India was following events but would not go into details

A heavy exchange of fire between Pakistani and Afghan forces was reported from the key Chaman border, according to a media report on Saturday. Injuries were reported from the district hospital, but no fatalities occurred, the Dawn newspaper reported. Officials from both sides accused each other of instigating the flare-up late on Friday night across the border in the Balochistan province. While Pakistani officials said that Afghan forces had fired mortar shells on the Badani area, Afghan Taliban spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid claimed it was Pakistan that launched an attack on Spin Boldak, alleging that their forces were responding. Pakistan's official sources told Dawn that Pakistani forces retaliated against the Afghan aggression and returned fire. There were also reports of fighting on the Chaman-Kandahar highway, but these could not be immediately verified. A senior official in Quetta confirmed on condition of anonymity that the exchange of fire started around 10 pm and conti

Afghanistan sits on numerous fault lines between the Indian and the Eurasian tectonic plates, with a fault line also running directly through Herat

In August, US president Donald Trump had asserted that his government would seek capital punishment in every murder case that occurred in Washington, DC

Donald Trump has announced plans to pause migration from what he calls 'Third World countries', after two National Guard service members were shot near the White House by an Afghan national

US President Donald Trump ordered a full review of green cards from 19 countries after an Afghan national shot two National Guard members in Washington, prompting stricter vetting checks

An Afghan national who worked with the CIA in his native country and immigrated to the US in 2021 drove from Washington state to shoot two West Virginia National Guard members deployed in Washington, DC, just blocks from the White House, US officials said Thursday. The suspect had worked in a special CIA-backed Afghan Army unit before emigrating from Afghanistan, according to a cousin who spoke to the Associated Press on condition of anonymity for fear of reprisals. Jeanine Pirro, the US attorney for the District of Columbia, declined to provide a motive for Wednesday afternoon's brazen act of violence, which comes as the presence of troops in the nation's capital and other cities around the country has become a political flashpoint. Pirro identified the guard members at a news conference as Specialist Sarah Beckstrom, 20, and Staff Sgt Andrew Wolfe, 24. Both remained hospitalised in critical condition. Pirro said that the suspect, Rahmanullah Lakanwal, launched an ambush-style att

Two West Virginia Guard members were shot near the White House, and the suspect, an Afghan national, had entered the US in 2021 through Operation Allies Welcome

The move comes after two National Guard members were critically injured after a gunman, suspected to be an Afghan national, opened fire on them near the White House

On November 4, a powerful earthquake rattled northern Afghanistan, killing at least 27 people and injuring 956 more, according to Sharafat Zaman Amar, the spokesperson for Taliban

India and Afghanistan have agreed to set up a joint chamber of commerce and industry, revive trade mechanisms, and expand cooperation across sectors during Afghan Minister Azizi's visit

The air freight corridors mark a return of direct trade links between the two nations that had slowed in recent years

Air strikes also occurred in Kunar and Paktika, where four civilians were injured

Seeking investments in a range of sectors, Afghanistan Industry and Commerce Minister Alhaj Nooruddin Azizi on Monday said his government is ready to offer five years of tax breaks to firms investing in new sectors, including gold mining. Speaking at an interactive session organised by business chamber Assocham, Azizi said tensions with Pakistan creating hurdles in trade. "There is a huge potential available in Afghanistan. Even you will not find a lot of competitors. You will also receive tariff support, and we will be able to give you land. The five-year tax exemption will be given to companies who may be interested to invest in new sectors," the minister said. Afghanistan will charge only 1 per cent tariff if Indian firms import machinery for investment, he said. "Gold mining will definitely require the technical and professional team or professional companies. So initially, we are requesting that you send your team, they can do the research, they can do the exploration initiall