Topic · Region
Pakistan and Afghanistan
A 2,600-kilometre border, the Taliban in Kabul, and the terrorists Pakistan says they shelter.
Stories on Pakistan and Afghanistan, page 3
December 2025
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21 Dec
NEWSROOM
Field Marshal Asim Munir tells Afghanistan to choose: Pakistan or “Fitna al-Khawarij”
Pakistan’s top military commander Field Marshal Asim Munir says declarations of jihad belong to the state, alleges attacks are enabled from across the border, and urges Afghanistan to choose between Pakistan and “Fitna al-Khawarij”.
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11 Dec
NEWSROOM
Afghan scholars declare foreign fighting illegitimate without state approval
Afghanistan’s top scholars have issued a joint decree reinforcing the Islamic Emirate’s Sharia authority, declaring national defence a personal duty and banning foreign military involvement without explicit state permission.
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8 Dec
NEWSROOM
Asim Munir calls on Afghanistan to pick between Islamabad or Pakistani Taliban
Pakistan’s new Chief of Defence Forces, Field Marshal Asim Munir, has tied the future of relations with Kabul to the fate of the TTP, warning Afghanistan’s Taliban rulers that they must choose between partnership with Islamabad or continued tolerance of Pakistani Taliban networks on Afghan soil, as a powerful new tri service command comes online in Rawalpindi.
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4 Dec
NEWSROOM
Afghan ISIS-K suspect arrested near Washington after entering US through Operation Allies Welcome
Homeland Security has detained an Afghan man with alleged ISIS-K links who entered under Operation Allies Welcome, escalating political scrutiny after two similar arrests last week.
November 2025
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30 Nov
NEWSROOM
Afghan TikTok bomb suspect in Fort Worth fuels backlash over Biden evacuee vetting
An Afghan man who entered the US under Operation Allies Welcome has been charged in Texas over an alleged TikTok bomb threat, as Republicans seize on a second high-profile case to question how Afghan evacuees were screened and whether Biden’s flagship resettlement programme is a security risk.
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28 Nov
NEWSROOM
Trump orders sweeping green card crackdown after Washington Guard shooting
After a National Guard patrol was gunned down in Washington, President Donald Trump turned swiftly from outrage to action, ordering a sweeping review of green cards issued to people from 19 “countries of concern” and freezing all Afghan immigration cases. The move has alarmed Afghan communities and rights groups, who say one man’s alleged crime is being used to reopen settled statuses and to push a much wider “reverse migration” agenda.
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28 Nov
INTERNATIONAL
Trump confirms death of National Guard soldier Sarah Beckstrom near White House shooting
President Donald Trump has confirmed that National Guard soldier Sarah Beckstrom has died from her injuries after an ambush-style shooting near the White House. With the suspect identified as an Afghan asylum seeker who once served in a CIA-backed unit, her killing has rapidly become a test case for America’s Afghan resettlement promises, its security vetting system and the contested deployment of Guard troops in the nation’s capital.
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27 Nov
NEWSROOM
Afghan terrorist shoots National Guard members near White House
An Afghan national described as a terror suspect is accused of shooting National Guard members near the White House, critically wounding two soldiers and prompting Donald Trump to brand the attack an act of terror and vow a sweeping crackdown on Afghan immigration.
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26 Nov
NEWSROOM
Pakistan has “no hopes left” from Afghan Taliban, says defence minister Khawaja Asif
Defence Minister Khawaja Asif said Pakistan has “no hopes left” from the Afghan Taliban after a surge in terror attacks and rising border tensions, calling the group a “ragtag force” as Islamabad demands action against militants using Afghan soil.
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12 Nov
ANALYSIS
Blackmail written in blood
Kabul’s protection of TTP commanders is not a glitch in the system; it is the system, a living covenant that weighs more than any clause signed in Doha. The Taliban in Afghanistan are no longer guests or leverage to be casually traded away; they have hardened into a parallel sovereignty that Kabul cannot fully control.
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8 Nov
EDITORIAL
A house of ashes
A state which refuses to distinguish between the vulnerable and the weaponised is not compassionate: it is careless with its own survival. Imran Khan, the former prime minister of Pakistan, wagered the nation's security on charisma and sentiment, where leverage, verification, and distance were required. In pursuit of his own love affair with the Taliban, he was blind to all three.
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3 Nov
NEWSROOM
Afghanistan hosting fugitive terrorists, Not Pakistani refugees, says DG ISPR
Pakistan’s military spokesperson, DG ISPR Lt Gen Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry, said that individuals currently in Afghanistan are not Pakistani refugees but fugitive terrorists who fled during counterterrorism operations. He warned that the nexus between political elements, terrorists, and criminal networks remains the biggest obstacle to Pakistan’s war on terror, calling for unified national efforts to dismantle these connections and restore lasting peace.
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2 Nov
NEWSROOM
Pakistan’s Defence Minister accuses Afghan Taliban of backing India sponsored terrorism
Pakistan’s Defence Minister Khawaja Asif has accused Afghanistan’s Taliban-led government of supporting terrorism under Indian patronage and spreading false narratives to conceal its internal divisions and governance failures. Speaking through an official statement on X, Asif said there is complete consensus among Pakistan’s political and military leadership on security and foreign policy toward Afghanistan, emphasising that Islamabad’s approach remains rooted in peace, stability, and the national interest.
October 2025
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29 Oct
NEWSROOM
Pakistan Warns Taliban: We Can Push You Back Into the Caves, Says Defence Minister Khawaja Asif
Pakistan’s Defence Minister Khawaja Asif warned that Islamabad possesses the capability to push the Taliban “back into the caves” if provoked, asserting that even a fraction of Pakistan’s military strength could dismantle the regime. He said Pakistan chose dialogue for peace at the request of allied Islamic nations but cautioned that any act of terrorism or aggression from Afghan soil would meet a decisive response.
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29 Oct
NEWSROOM
Pakistan vows decisive action after failed talks with Afghan Taliban
After failed negotiations with the Afghan Taliban in Doha and Istanbul, Pakistan warned it would take all necessary steps to protect its citizens and eliminate militant groups it blames for cross-border attacks, signalling a potential escalation in regional tensions.
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19 Oct
EDITORIAL
Steel in silk gloves
Pakistan came with one demand and departed with verification, guarantors and a timetable; Kabul kept its face, Islamabad kept the substance. A new regional normal now bears Pakistan’s imprint.
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19 Oct
NEWSROOM
Pakistan and Afghanistan agree to immediate ceasefire as Qatar and Türkiye broker talks in Doha
Pakistan and Afghanistan agreed to an immediate ceasefire during Qatar and Türkiye-mediated talks in Doha, pledging to end cross-border violence and respect each other’s sovereignty, with follow-up meetings in Istanbul aimed at building a framework for lasting regional peace.
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12 Oct
NEWSROOM
Pakistan says 200 militants killed as army repels cross-border attack by Afghan Taliban and India-backed militants
Pakistan’s Armed Forces repelled an unprovoked Taliban and India-backed militant attack, destroying several camps and positions. ISPR said the assault, timed with the Taliban foreign minister’s India visit, left over 200 militants dead and 23 Pakistani soldiers martyred.
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10 Oct
NEWSROOM
Afghan based militants, safe havens and political patronage driving unrest in KPK, warns DG ISPR
Pakistan Army spokesman Lieutenant General Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry warned that militants operating from Afghanistan, political disarray over national policy, and sluggish judicial processes have reignited the terror threat in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, calling for unity and decisive action to restore stability and national confidence.
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5 Oct
EDITORIAL
Hospitality is not a carte blanche
For fifty years Pakistan sheltered millions of Afghans while richer capitals sermonised from afar. If promises are paused in the West, do not scold the neighbour for enforcing its borders; honour your pledges and share the burden.
