Pakistan: News & Insights

China has been sending aid to Afghanistan, which is on the brink of a humanitarian crisis, since the withdrawal of U.S. troops last August.

The Big Story

Too big to fail: China eyes Afghanistan investment amid fears of state collapse

Allies China and Pakistan keen to maintain regional stability after U.S. withdrawal

12 January 2022

Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan needs to make a difficult decision over a fiscal bill submitted in the National Assembly.

Economy

Pakistan considers higher taxes to meet IMF demands

Parliament to decide on indirect duties, as central bank role also under scrutiny

30 December 2021

A healthcare worker and Sinovac vaccine recipient in Jakarta, Indonesia, on Dec. 14. Sinovac says that 94% of those who receive three doses of its vaccine generate enough neutralizing antibodies to protect against the omicron variant.

COVID vaccines

Sinovac booster insufficient against omicron, study shows

China COVID vaccine fails to produce enough antibodies: Hong Kong universities

23 December 2021

A policeman stands guard at a mosque in Peshawar, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Province, in August at the height of terrorist attacks in Pakistan.

Politics

Attacks rise in Pakistan as Taliban-backed truce fails

Islamabad sees TTP as copying Afghan regime with tough demands and new attacks

21 December 2021

Belt and Road

Belt and Road sit-in at Pakistan port shows no sign of ending

Monthlong protest engulfs Gwadar, casting doubt on long-term investments

16 December 2021

A model of the Beidou satellite network, pictured in Beijing in September 2020: China's navigation system, an alternative to GPS, provides both civilian and military capabilities to Pakistan.

Opinion

Pakistan's cautionary tale of digital dependence on China

Beijing is successfully exploiting the need for connectivity in developing countries

3 December 2021

Millions of Afghans are facing food insecurity or worse as winter approaches. (Photo by Kanika Gupta)

Afghanistan turmoil

Afghanistan food crisis prods India, Pakistan to cooperate on aid

Archrivals close to arranging emergency transport of 50,000 tons of Indian wheat

2 December 2021

Asia Insight

China-Pakistan Belt and Road Initiative hits buffers

Disagreements, terrorism and COVID-19 stymie CPEC projects

30 November 2021

Pakistan's first-ever World Cup cricket thumping of India on Oct. 24 inflamed animosities in the already tense Kashmir region.

Politics

Kashmiris face sedition charges for cheering Pakistan cricketers

Indian police say online celebration 'might spoil' the nation's 'atmosphere'

5 November 2021

Abdul Qadeer Khan, pictured in Islamabad in February 2009: the nuclear scientist played a pivotal role in helping Pakistan develop nuclear weapons.

Opinion

Why the U.S. let Pakistan nuclear scientist A.Q. Khan off the hook

Decision could still come back to haunt Washington

18 October 2021

A member of Taliban forces rides on a pick-up truck mounted with a weapon in Kabul, Oct. 3. The new Afghan ruler started crackdown on a part of Pakistani militants hiding in the country.

Belt and Road

Taliban crack down on Pakistani militants targeting Belt and Road

New Kabul rulers move as pledged to U.S., but largely for Beijing's interests

15 October 2021

Heavily loaded trucks waiting last month to cross into Afghanistan from Pakistan at Friendship Gate near the Pakistani town of Chaman.

Afghanistan turmoil

Afghan food prices soar as imports from Pakistan squeezed

Traders unable to settle payments after U.S. cuts off Taliban dollar access

8 October 2021

Prime Minister Imran Khan called China's planned $3.5 billion development of Karachi port a "game-changer." (Source photos by Getty Images and Reuters)

Belt and Road

Pakistan and China unveil ambitious plan to develop Karachi coast

Problematic Gwadar possibly out of favor, but experts say new project hard to implement

5 October 2021

Indian security forces patrol in Srinagar on Sept. 18: More foreign militants have infiltrated into the Kashmir region since the Taliban seized power in Afghanistan in August.

Afghanistan turmoil

Foreign militant numbers rise in Kashmir for first time in 2 years

Fears over possible attacks grow following Taliban takeover in Afghanistan

30 September 2021

China systematically underreports its debt to the World Bank's Debtor Reporting System by lending money through special purpose vehicles, a study reveals. (Source photos by AP and Reuters)

Belt and Road

$385bn of China's Belt and Road lending kept undisclosed: report

Beijing's loans to Pakistan cost 3.76% interest, while Western peers offer 1.1%

29 September 2021

Pakistan's Prime Minister Imran Khan is "extremely concerned" by an upturn in terrorist attacks on multiple targets by the Pakistan Taliban operating from bases in Afghanistan, where jihadi fanaticism has been rekindled by the fall of Kabul. (Source photos by Reuters and Getty Images)

Afghanistan turmoil

Islamabad deeply alarmed by rise in Pakistan Taliban terrorism

Fall of Kabul and US humiliation has rekindled jihadi spirit in the region

28 September 2021

Afghan family stand outside their tent at a refugee camp in Herat in October 2018; interminable fighting and drought have created millions of refugees.

Opinion

The 'nice' Taliban delusion

Wishful thinking dominates idea that religious movement has softened

15 September 2021

The departure gates at Kabul airport were damaged by throngs of people trying to flee as the Taliban entered the capital on Aug. 15. (Photo by Kanika Gupta)

Afghanistan turmoil

Afghan evacuation seekers enter Pakistan to head for Japan

Former staff at Japanese agencies left behind when SDF was ordered to withdraw

11 September 2021

Siblings who arrived from Afghanistan with their families are seen in Pakistan on Sept. 1. Thousands, if not millions, of people are expected to attempt to escape Afghanistan, leaving nations in the region anxious about a flood of refugees coming in.

Asia Insight

Turkey, Iran and Pakistan raise entry bars for Afghan refugees

Nations across region worry influx could exacerbate political and social problems

7 September 2021

Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan and his government have launched an ambitious diplomatic campaign aimed at stabilizing the region around Afghanistan. (Source photo by Reuters)

Afghanistan turmoil

Pakistan lobbies neighbors to push for inclusive Afghan government

Islamabad ready to offer recognition if Taliban forms multiethnic regime

26 August 2021

India ramped up security in Kashmir after the February 2019 air strikes.

Afghanistan turmoil

India fears Kashmir terrorism after Taliban resurgence

Militant group's victory seen as chance for Pakistan to expand influence

26 August 2021

The Taliban takeover in Afghanistan may give Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan, foreground, a boost, at least in terms of domestic security. (Nikkei montage/AP)

Afghanistan turmoil

Taliban likely to put squeeze on Pakistani militants: experts

Regime change in Afghanistan could mean less terrorism for Islamabad

19 August 2021

People on vehicles, holding Taliban flags, gather near the Friendship Gate crossing point in the Pakistan-Afghanistan border town of Chaman, Pakistan July 14.

International relations

Al-Qaida allied rebels back Taliban advance in Afghanistan

Uyghur, Pakistani, Tajik and Uzbek militants join hands in fight against Kabul

11 August 2021

Pakistan's government, led by Prime Minister Imran Khan, left, has replaced its head of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor, in a move seen as being orchestrated by China, led by President Xi Jinping. (Source photos by Reuters)

Belt and Road

Pakistan replaces its Belt and Road chief with Beijing favorite

Removal of retired army general from top position stirs debate among businesses

8 August 2021

The crossings of Torkham, pictured here, and Chaman remain open for trade but the rest of the border with Afghanistan has been sealed by the Pakistan Army.

Afghanistan turmoil

Pakistan shuts door to further Afghan refugees

Islamabad tries to block growth of world's second largest refugee population

7 August 2021