The moment has been long in coming, but India is turning into a strategic actor in Southeast Asia. Amid a flurry of regional diplomacy, India has sealed an arms deal with Vietnam, sided with the Philippines over China on sovereignty disputes in the South China Sea, and enhanced defense cooperation with Indonesia. It is balance-of-power politics worthy of an international […]

Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General for Afghanistan and Head of the United Nations Assistance Mission Roza Otunbayeva met with Collective Security Treaty Organization Secretary General Imangali Tasmagambetov in CSTO Secretariat on Monday. The UN Secretary-General’s Special Representative informed the CSTO Secretary General about main areas of international assistance under UN aegis in the interests of ensuring peace and stability […]

The United Nations said on Monday that discussions over the appointment of a special envoy for Afghanistan were ongoing. “The process is ongoing. As soon as there is a public update, I hope to be able to share with you,” Stephane Dujarric, spokesperson of UN Secretary-General, said in a press conference. The Security Council adopted the resolution requesting the Secretary-General […]

Acting Minister of Rural Rehabilitation and Development Mohammad Yunus Akhundzada has said during a meeting with the Chinese ambassador in Kabul that the construction of Wakhan road – connecting Afghanistan with China – is in full swing. He said the construction of the road was important for strengthening the economy of both countries and said that the road will benefit […]

Pakistan armed forces reported security personnel and militants killed in terror incidents in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan. PM Shehbaz Sharif condemned attacks. ISPR provided details on operations and recoveries. NEW DELHI: The media wing of the Pakistan armed forces on Sunday said that six security personnel, including a senior police officer and 12 militants were killed in separate terror incidents […]

It started well before the fall of Kabul in mid-2021. According to an expert with a global counter-narcotics agency, the Taliban had by then long been including what he called “starter packs” with shipments of heroin. The packs were a way to introduce clients to a drug that would soon define the Taliban’s trade: methamphetamine. The fundamentalist group had decided […]

The path to resolving the conflict in Baluchistan, while fraught with complexities, can be navigated through a comprehensive strategy that not only addresses immediate concerns but also lays the foundation for long-term stability and prosperity. Expanding on the pillars of peace, political dialogue, economic development, regional cooperation, and cultural integration, additional layers of engagement and strategic planning are essential. A […]

After a short pause, Pakistan is going through another judicial crisis when a letter from six judges of Islamabad High Court surfaced in the country’s media about interference in judicial processes threats, and intimidation by the country’s intelligence agencies in political cases pending in the court followed by suspicious letters sent to the judges of superior judiciary in the country. […]

China is unpopular in Myanmar where it is the strongest backer of a oppressive military junta that seized power in the Feb 2021 coup and has now been embroiled in battles with multiple ethnic armed groups and the People’s Defence Forces aligned to the National Unity Government. Interestingly enough, China backs some of these armed groups to keep the country […]

The occasional burst of candour from US diplomats provides a striking, air clearing difference to their Australian and British counterparts. Official statements about the AUKUS security pact between Washington, London and Canberra, rarely mention the target in so many words, except on the gossiping fringes. Commentators and think tankers are essentially given free rein to speculate, masticating over such streaky […]