Muhammad Imad Abbas

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan will participate in upcoming talks between Iran and the United States aimed at easing escalating tensions, the Foreign Office confirmed on Thursday.&nbsp;In a statement to Pakistan TV Digital, a Foreign Office spokesperson said Pakistan has been invited to take part in the Iran-US engagement and will be &ldquo;taken on board during the talks.&rdquo;&nbsp;Relations between Tehran and Washington have sharply deteriorated in recent weeks, following anti-government protests in Iran and a subsequent security crackdown. US President Donald Trump has warned of possible military action if tensions continue to escalate.&nbsp;The United States has also reinforced its military presence in the Middle East, including the deployment of an aircraft carrier group, amid growing concerns over regional stability.&nbsp;Publicly addressing the situation, Trump said he remained open to diplomacy but issued a warning if talks fail. &ldquo;I hope we&rsquo;re going to work something out,&rdquo; he said, adding that &ldquo;bad things would happen&rdquo; if no agreement is reached.&nbsp;Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said Tehran supports negotiations under clear conditions. &ldquo;I have instructed my Minister of Foreign Affairs, provided that a suitable environment exists, one free from threats and unreasonable expectations, to pursue fair and equitable negotiations,&rdquo; he said in a post on X.&nbsp;He added that the diplomatic effort was initiated following requests &ldquo;from friendly governments,&rdquo; underscoring Iran&rsquo;s stated preference for dialogue while maintaining it would respond decisively to any aggression.&nbsp;Pakistan has traditionally positioned itself as a proponent of regional diplomacy and de-escalation, particularly in matters affecting Middle East stability.

Foreign Affairs

Pakistan will participate in upcoming talks between Iran and the United States aimed at easing escalating tensions, the Foreign Office confirmed on Thursday

Pakistan joins Iran-US talks as tensions rise: Foreign Office

ISLAMABAD: The United States committed more funds to rebuilding Afghanistan than it did to reconstructing 16 European nations under the post-World War II Marshall Plan, according to a report released Wednesday by the Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction (SIGAR).&nbsp;Created by Congress in 2008 to provide independent oversight of US reconstruction efforts, SIGAR compiled its findings from original research, including interviews with US and NATO military and civilian officials, contractors, nongovernmental organizations, and Afghan government personnel.&nbsp;The report found that between 2002 and mid-2021, Congress appropriated approximately $144.7 billion for Afghanistan&rsquo;s reconstruction, far exceeding inflation-adjusted Marshall Plan spending.&nbsp;&ldquo;The mission promised to bring stability and democracy to Afghanistan, yet ultimately delivered neither,&rdquo; the report said.&nbsp;Despite nearly $90 billion allocated for security-sector assistance, Afghan security forces collapsed rapidly after the US military withdrawal in 2021.&nbsp;&ldquo;Costs were immense. Tens of thousands of people, including more than 2,450 US servicemembers, were killed. Many more were injured, among them more than 20,700 US servicemembers,&rdquo; the report added.&nbsp;SIGAR cited numerous interviews with former US and NATO officials, contractors, NGOs, and Afghan government staff, concluding that &ldquo;the seeds of failure in Afghanistan had been sown long before the final withdrawal.&rdquo;&nbsp;&ldquo;Success, when measured against the ambitious goals set by the United States, may never have been achievable, regardless of the strategies adopted or the resources invested,&rdquo; the report said.&nbsp;&ldquo;The outcome in Afghanistan should serve as a cautionary tale for policymakers contemplating similar reconstruction efforts.&rdquo;&nbsp;Funding overviewThe report provided a detailed breakdown of how the funds were allocated. Of the total appropriations, 60% went to security, 24% to development projects, 5% to humanitarian assistance, and 11% to agency operations.&nbsp;Reconstruction funding peaked between 2009 and 2012, coinciding with surges in US troop deployments and civilian personnel in Afghanistan. During this period, SIGAR noted that almost 40% of total reconstruction funding was disbursed, with security-related projects consuming the majority of resources.&nbsp;Even after the US military withdrawal, assistance continued. Between October 2021 and June 2025, nearly $3.5 billion was appropriated for Afghanistan, with more than 72% earmarked for humanitarian aid to address urgent needs among Afghan civilians.&nbsp;Waste, fraud, and abandoned equipmentSIGAR&rsquo;s report highlighted significant instances of mismanagement, identifying 1,327 cases of waste, fraud, and abuse that resulted in at least $26 billion in lost funds and over $4.6 billion in potential savings.&nbsp;&ldquo;Criminal investigations resulting from SIGAR oversight led to 171 convictions, including some of the largest tax evasion and conspiracy cases in US history,&rdquo; the report stated.&nbsp;These investigations also recovered $1.7 billion through criminal fines, restitution, forfeitures, and civil settlements.&nbsp;The report further revealed that the United States left behind more than $38 billion in military equipment and civilian infrastructure during its withdrawal, much of it rendered unusable or vulnerable to insurgent takeover.&nbsp;Factors behind the mission&rsquo;s failureAccording to SIGAR, multiple strategic and operational shortcomings contributed to the collapse of the US reconstruction effort.&nbsp;The report criticized US alliances with corrupt Afghan powerbrokers, noting that such partnerships undermined efforts to promote democracy, good governance, and human rights. Flawed institution-building, unrealistic timelines, and rapid spending also increased opportunities for corruption and weakened program effectiveness.&nbsp;&ldquo;The gap between ambition and reality was vast,&rdquo; the report said.&nbsp;Other challenges included a persistent lack of understanding of Afghanistan&rsquo;s complex social, economic, and political dynamics, insufficient monitoring and evaluation of reconstruction programs, and the compounding effects of a prolonged conflict on development efforts.&nbsp;SIGAR noted that these issues created &ldquo;fundamental flaws&rdquo; in America&rsquo;s two-decade-long mission.&nbsp;&ldquo;If there is one overarching lesson to be learned from a tragedy that unfolded over 20 years, it is that any US mission similar in context, scale, and ambition must confront the real possibility of failure,&rdquo; the report said.&nbsp;Oversight challengesThe report also highlighted difficulties in overseeing US assistance programs.&nbsp;SIGAR was the only office of inspector general dedicated exclusively to Afghanistan reconstruction, facing hurdles such as limited agency cooperation, poor record-keeping, difficulty accessing program sites amid ongoing conflict, and high staff turnover at implementing agencies.&nbsp;&ldquo;A robust, in-country presence is critical to establishing a network of local sources to overcome the difficulty of conducting on-site investigations amid an ongoing war,&rdquo; the report added.&nbsp;Legacy and lessonsDespite the massive financial and human investment, SIGAR concluded that US reconstruction efforts in Afghanistan fell short of their stated objectives, leaving a complex legacy of fiscal cost, human suffering, and strategic lessons for future policymakers.&nbsp;&ldquo;The outcome in Afghanistan should serve as a cautionary tale for policymakers contemplating similar reconstruction efforts,&rdquo; the report said.&nbsp;The findings underscore that while US aid and military engagement were unprecedented in scale, structural challenges and misaligned strategies ultimately prevented the establishment of a stable, self-sufficient Afghan state.

Afghanistan

According to a SIGAR report, US Afghanistan reconstruction spending exceeded $144 billion, yet widespread corruption, strategic failures, and weak Afghan forces led to mission collapse and lasting instability.

US spent more on Afghanistan reconstruction than Marshall Plan: report

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan responded with counter-fire after Afghan border forces launched unprovoked artillery shelling into Kurram district on Saturday night, a local police official told Pakistan TV Digital.&nbsp;The official said the incident occurred at around 8:00 p.m., when Afghan forces &ldquo;fired 6&ndash;7 artillery rounds&rdquo; into Upper Kurram in northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.&nbsp;Pakistani forces &ldquo;responded with heavy weaponry,&rdquo; he said, adding that &ldquo;relative calm had returned&rdquo; by the time authorities assessed the area. &ldquo;It was initiated from the Afghan side,&rdquo; the official confirmed.&nbsp;The exchange comes amid heightened tensions along the Pakistan&ndash;Afghanistan frontier. Earlier this week, Pakistan&rsquo;s Foreign Office said the security understanding reached in Qatar last month, meant to halt cross-border attacks, was no longer <a href="https://www.pakistantv.com/article/pakistan-not-to-hold-any-dialogue-with-terrorist-groups-foreign-office" target="_blank" style="color:#0073e6;" rel="noopener noreferrer">functioning</a>.&nbsp;Foreign Office spokesperson Tahir Andrabi told reporters during his Friday press briefing that the arrangement &ldquo;was never a conventional ceasefire,&rdquo; but a commitment that Afghan soil would not be used for attacks inside Pakistan.&nbsp;&ldquo;Interpreting it in that sense, the ceasefire is not holding,&rdquo; he said, citing recent assaults involving Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), Fitna al-Khawarij (FAK), and Afghan nationals. He added that continued incidents, including an attack in Islamabad, had eroded Pakistan&rsquo;s confidence in the mechanism.&nbsp;Pakistan&rsquo;s military has also raised concerns over cross-border facilitation of militants. During a November 25 briefing, military spokesperson Lt Gen Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry said Afghan forces &ldquo;routinely open fire on Pakistani border posts&rdquo; to <a href="https://www.pakistantv.com/article/afghan-regime-now-a-threat-to-regional-security-says-pakistan-military" target="_blank" style="color:#0073e6;" rel="noopener noreferrer">divert</a> attention and enable militant infiltration.&nbsp;He noted that large stretches of the Afghan side lack functional governance, allowing hostile groups to exploit gaps between border posts.&nbsp;Chaudhry said the difficult terrain, divided tribal communities, and distance between Pakistani posts and the frontier further complicate border control. Despite fencing and surveillance, he added, the porous environment and limited law-enforcement presence on the Afghan side continue to create vulnerabilities exploited by militant elements.

Security

Afghan forces fired artillery into Upper Kurram Saturday night, prompting Pakistani retaliation, police said. Calm later returned amid ongoing concerns over cross-border attacks and militant infiltration.

Pakistan retaliates after Afghan forces fire unprovoked border shells: police

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan&rsquo;s top intelligence official, Lieutenant General Asim Malik, has arrived in Istanbul to resume negotiations with the Afghan Taliban leadership, security sources told Pakistan TV Digital on Wednesday.&nbsp;Malik, the Director-General of the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI), is expected to meet Afghanistan&rsquo;s interim intelligence chief Abdul Haq Wasiq as both sides enter the next phase of talks on the ongoing ceasefire and cross-border security arrangements.&nbsp;Pakistan&rsquo;s Defence Minister Khawaja Asif earlier confirmed the delegation&rsquo;s travel plans and reiterated that Islamabad expects decisive action against militant groups operating from Afghan territory, including the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA).&nbsp;The ceasefire was initially agreed in Doha on October 18&ndash;19 and reaffirmed during last week&rsquo;s discussions in Istanbul. A principal-level meeting is scheduled for November 6 to finalize implementation details, including the establishment of a joint monitoring and verification mechanism.&nbsp;Afghan spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid has said that both sides will continue talks to address remaining issues, stressing Kabul&rsquo;s desire for stable, respectful, and non-interfering bilateral relations.&nbsp;Officials describe the progress as a significant move toward regional stability, while underscoring that the ceasefire remains conditional on Afghan territory not being used for attacks in Pakistan.&nbsp;&ldquo;This outcome reflects patience, diplomacy, and firm commitment to national interest,&rdquo; one official said.

Pakistani and Afghan Taliban delegations meet again today in Istanbul to finalize ceasefire implementation and anti-terror measures.

Pakistan intelligence chief in Türkiye for crucial Afghan talks

ISLAMABAD: Fierce clashes among rival Taliban factions in Afghanistan&rsquo;s Badakhshan province over the control of lucrative gold mines are exposing widening internal divisions within the group, according to officials and local reports. The ongoing disputes underscore how competition for valuable mineral resources continues to drive instability, corruption, and armed conflict in the region. The mines, which once served as a significant source of revenue for the Taliban during their insurgency, have now become the center of violent power struggles among different Taliban-aligned groups. On Wednesday, Afghan interim security officer Abdul Halim Hamidi was killed in a confrontation with an armed group linked to a businessman in Badakhshan, according to local media. Spokesperson for the Taliban-run Badakhshan Police Headquarters, Ehsanullah Kamgar, said the group involved was made up of &ldquo;10 to 12 armed men associated with a businessman active in the mining sector.&rdquo; Kamgar said the men had been the subject of multiple complaints before security forces were deployed. This incident followed several recent confrontations in the Shahr-e-Buzurg district. Earlier this week, at least five Taliban members were killed and three were wounded when clashes broke out between local and non-local Taliban fighters over mining control. Local reports named Shafiqullah Hafizi, the current Taliban director of mines in Badakhshan, and Abdul Rahman Ammar, the former head of the department, as key rivals in the dispute. During the fighting, Abdul Hamid, operations chief of the Taliban&rsquo;s Border Brigade, was among those killed, according to local media. Earlier this month, at least 10 Taliban members were also killed in heavy clashes in Yalor village, Yaftal district, involving Taliban members from Helmand and local Taliban fighters from Badakhshan. Local Taliban members accused fighters from Helmand of &ldquo;seizing the gold mines&rdquo; and cutting them off from revenue. Reports in Badakhshan suggest that Taliban members from the southern provinces were supported by the provincial Taliban governor and police chief, further deepening internal resentments. Strategic and economic ImportanceBadakhshan has long served as a key corridor for armed groups operating in northeastern Afghanistan. The Shahr-e-Buzurg district borders Chah Ab in Takhar, providing access to Dasht-e-Archi in Kunduz. A route historically used by insurgents. The Global Initiative Against Transnational Organized Crime has noted that natural resources in Badakhshan are a major driver of conflict, stating that competition for the mines has &ldquo;created conditions of lawlessness and conflict and a hollowed-out state.&rdquo; Estimates suggest Afghanistan holds nearly $1 trillion in untapped mineral reserves. Tolo News, citing a security chief in Badakhshan, reported that the Taliban earn approximately $0.4 to $0.7 million per month from the Raghistan gold mine alone. Historical precedentThe struggle for control of Badakhshan&rsquo;s gold mines predates the Taliban takeover in 2021. In 2014, a local commander named Abdul Malek seized the mines, claiming that local MP Zulmai Mujadidi had personally profited from exploiting them for over a decade. By 2016, the Taliban were reportedly receiving around 50% of mine revenue, allowing them to expand influence in the region before their return to power. Regional spilloverThe conflict has also taken on a cross-border dimension. On Aug. 24, Taliban fighters and Tajik border forces exchanged fire near the Panj River in Badakhshan, after mining activities altered the river&rsquo;s flow and threatened farmland on the Tajik side, according to reports. This was the first direct armed encounter between Tajik forces and the Taliban since 2021. While the Taliban have largely suppressed rival insurgent groups, such as the Islamic State Khorasan Province (ISKP), internal conflicts driven by competition for natural resources are emerging as a significant and escalating challenge to their authority.

Deadly clashes among Taliban factions in Badakhshan over lucrative gold mines highlight growing internal fractures within the group, with local and non-local forces competing for revenue in a region critical to Afghanistan’s mineral wealth and strategic routes

Gold mine power struggle exposes widening rifts inside Taliban ranks

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan and Afghanistan are preparing for a second round of talks in Istanbul, a follow-up to discussions held in Doha earlier this month, aimed at establishing what Islamabad calls a &ldquo;verifiable monitoring mechanism&rdquo; to address cross-border militant activity.&nbsp;The Pakistan Foreign Office confirmed on Friday that the dialogue will continue under T&uuml;rkiye&rsquo;s facilitation.&nbsp;The Afghan government also confirmed the talks. In a statement posted on X, Afghan spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid said the Acting Deputy Interior Minister Haji Najib had departed for T&uuml;rkiye &ldquo;to follow up on the agreement reached in Doha several days ago.&rdquo;&nbsp;At the time this report was filed, Pakistan had not publicly announced its delegation.&nbsp;While the agenda is expected to focus on preventing cross-border attacks, analysts caution that the core issues driving tensions remain unresolved.&nbsp;&lsquo;Elephant in the room&rsquo;Abdul Basit, senior associate fellow and head of the South Asia desk at the International Centre for Political Violence and Terrorism Research (ICPVTR), told Pakistan TV Digital that progress will remain stalled unless Kabul acknowledges the presence of the Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) on Afghan soil.&nbsp;&ldquo;The Afghan side is not ready to accept the fact that the militant Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan continues to operate from its soil,&rdquo; Basit said. &ldquo;As long as Kabul continues to refute that, any breakthrough will remain but a distant dream.&rdquo;&nbsp;Basit said Pakistan wants the Taliban authorities to dismantle militant hideouts used to orchestrate attacks inside Pakistan. Kabul, meanwhile, has demanded assurances that Pakistan will respect Afghanistan&rsquo;s sovereignty following recent cross-border strikes. &ldquo;Both parties are entering the talks with different aims,&rdquo; Basit said.&nbsp;Strained public sentimentJournalist and Afghanistan-Pakistan affairs analyst Sami Yousafzai said mutual distrust is deepening, particularly after recent clashes along the border.&nbsp;&ldquo;Healing that relationship will likely require consistent diplomatic engagement, confidence-building measures, and perhaps third-party facilitation at some stage,&rdquo; Yousafzai told Pakistan TV Digital.&nbsp;Without trust, analysts argue, discussions will remain procedural rather than transformative.&nbsp;Possible scenarios aheadBasit warned that if Kabul continues to deny the presence of TTP militants, Pakistan may see &ldquo;only one option, to target the leadership of the TTP in Afghanistan,&rdquo; a move he said would be justified by Islamabad in the name of national security.&nbsp;Analyst Inam Ul Haq described the Taliban&rsquo;s current posture as &ldquo;maneuvering the roof&rdquo; under the Doha framework, maintaining diplomatic cooperation while preserving ideological space for groups aligned with their worldview.&nbsp;T&uuml;rkiye&rsquo;s roleThe Istanbul round reflects T&uuml;rkiye&rsquo;s growing role as a mediator between the two uneasy neighbors. Ankara facilitated the Doha discussions, where both sides agreed to continue dialogue and maintain a ceasefire announced on October 19.&nbsp;Despite the challenges, analysts say continued engagement is preferable to confrontation.&nbsp;The upcoming talks, Basit said, represent &ldquo;an opportunity to begin reshaping the relationship, provided both sides are ready to speak plainly about the realities on the ground.&rdquo;

Following last week’s Doha talks, Islamabad and Kabul meet today in Istanbul to discuss a verifiable monitoring mechanism, though analysts warn progress remains uncertain amid ongoing disputes over militancy and border security.

Pakistan, Afghanistan to resume talks in Istanbul amid persistent tensions

ISLAMABAD: Interim Afghan Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi has dismissed claims that Afghanistan poses a security threat to its neighbors, even as multiple reports highlight that militant organizations continue to operate from Afghan territory, fueling instability across the region. During a recent visit to India, Muttaqi addressed concerns about militancy and regional security. Responding to questions from the Indian press, he said, &ldquo;Pakistan is not our only neighbor. China, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, and Turkmenistan&mdash;why don&rsquo;t they have any complaints?&rdquo; However, a number of reports, including those by the United Nations Security Council (UNSC), suggest that several armed groups maintain a presence in Afghanistan. These groups are said to threaten not only Pakistan but also other countries in the wider region. According to the UNSC&rsquo;s findings, the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) remains the most prominent Pakistan-focused militant organization operating inside Afghanistan. The TTP, formed in 2007 and aligned with Al-Qaeda, is estimated to have around 6,000 fighters stationed across Afghanistan&rsquo;s Baghlan, Wardak, Nuristan, Kunar, Ghazni, Kabul, and Helmand provinces. The report further notes that the TTP &ldquo;continues to receive logistical and operational support&rdquo; from Afghanistan&rsquo;s de facto authorities and that its militants are &ldquo;trained in camps set up by Al-Qaeda.&rdquo; In April this year, Pakistan&rsquo;s military reported killing 54 TTP fighters attempting to infiltrate from Afghanistan. The Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) stated that the operation was part of ongoing counterterrorism efforts along the border. Militant groups based in Afghanistan are not limited to the TTP. The Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA), which has waged an insurgency in Pakistan&rsquo;s southwestern Balochistan province, is also believed to maintain safe havens inside Afghanistan. BLA commander Aslam Baloch, also known as Achu, was killed in Kandahar in December 2018, according to Al-Jazeera.&nbsp; The UNSC report adds that the BLA has a &ldquo;non-aggression pact&rdquo; with the TTP, under which both groups refrain from targeting each other, and that TTP provides training support to Baloch militants. The Islamic State Khorasan Province (ISKP), another major group, reportedly commands between 4,000 and 6,000 fighters in Afghanistan, including defectors from the Afghan Taliban, TTP, and Al-Qaeda. ISKP has expanded its reach across the region. Last year, Pakistan, in coordination with T&uuml;rkiye&rsquo;s National Intelligence Organization (MIT), arrested ISKP&rsquo;s media head, Abu Yasir al-Turki, during a joint intelligence operation near the Afghan border. Meanwhile, Al-Qaeda continues to maintain training facilities across Afghanistan, used by both its members and TTP operatives. The group&rsquo;s South Asian affiliate, Al-Qaeda in the Indian Subcontinent (AQIS), remains ideologically aligned with the Taliban. AQIS&rsquo;s second-in-command, Ayman al-Zawahiri, was killed in a US drone strike in Kabul in July 2022, according to the US Department of War. Other regional outfits, including the Turkistan Islamic Party (TIP), which targets China, and Tehrik-e-Taliban Tajikistan, reportedly operate from Afghan soil. The TIP, led by Abdul Haq Turkistani, maintains ties with both the Taliban and Al-Qaeda, with Abdul Haq serving on Al-Qaeda&rsquo;s executive council, according to the UNSC. Similarly, the Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan (IMU), with an estimated 500 to 800 fighters based in northern Afghanistan, continues to pose a threat to Central Asian states. Afghanistan-based outlet Amu TV has described the IMU as maintaining &ldquo;deep historical ties&rdquo; to Afghanistan&rsquo;s insurgency. Despite these documented presences, the Afghan Taliban government continues to deny harboring foreign militants. Muttaqi&rsquo;s remarks in India reflect Kabul&rsquo;s consistent position that Afghanistan is not a source of regional instability. Still, the contrast between official statements and international assessments underscores the region&rsquo;s lingering security dilemma, where assurances of peace coexist uneasily with the persistent activity of transnational militant networks.

Multiple UN and intelligence reports indicate that militant networks, including the TTP, BLA, ISKP, and Al-Qaeda affiliates, continue operating from Afghan soil despite Taliban denials, raising fresh concerns over regional stability and cross-border security threats

Militants expand footprint in Afghanistan as Taliban downplay regional threat

ISLAMABAD: Afghanistan&rsquo;s interim Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi is on an official seven-day visit to India, emphasizing the potential of Iran&rsquo;s Chabahar Port as a vital trade link between India and Afghanistan.&nbsp;The visit, delayed earlier due to visa clearance issues, marks the first official trip by an Afghan interim minister to India since the Taliban takeover. Previously, India&rsquo;s National Security Advisor Ajit Doval visited Kabul in January 2021 during former president Ashraf Ghani&rsquo;s tenure.&nbsp;Addressing a press conference at the Afghanistan Embassy in New Delhi, Muttaqi underlined the significance of Chabahar Port, calling it a &ldquo;good option for trade.&rdquo; He urged both India and Afghanistan to &ldquo;remove obstacles&rdquo; to its full utilization, noting that &ldquo;US sanctions have complicated operations.&rdquo;&nbsp;Chabahar is not a new trade idea for Afghanistan. Successive governments have explored it as an alternative route connecting Afghanistan to global markets through Iran, bypassing Pakistan. Yet, questions remain over whether it can become a reliable trade corridor that benefits Afghan traders and strengthens regional ties.&nbsp;Why Chabahar matters for India?Located along Iran&rsquo;s southeastern coast on the Gulf of Oman, Chabahar holds strategic importance for India. It lies just 550 nautical miles from Gujarat&rsquo;s Kandla port and offers New Delhi a direct trade corridor to Afghanistan, Central Asia, and Europe, circumventing Pakistan.&nbsp;Since 2016, India has invested heavily in the project, spending nearly half of its allocated 4 billion Indian rupees. A year ago, India signed a 10-year agreement with Iran&rsquo;s Ports and Maritime Organization to manage and develop the port through India Ports Global Limited (IPGL).&nbsp;The initiative is part of India&rsquo;s broader vision to integrate Chabahar into the International North-South Transport Corridor (INSTC), linking India to Russia via Iran. Originally proposed in 2003 as a counterbalance to Pakistan&rsquo;s Gwadar Port, developed under China&rsquo;s Belt and Road Initiative, the Chabahar project has faced repeated delays due to sanctions and bureaucratic hurdles.&nbsp;Challenges facing the projectDespite India&rsquo;s commitment, challenges persist. Afghan experts say Kabul remains skeptical of India&rsquo;s reliability as a partner.&nbsp;&ldquo;Afghanistan continues not to see India as a dependable ally because New Delhi has traditionally remained distant from Kabul,&rdquo; said Zia Ur Rehman, a Pakistan-based expert on Afghan affairs, speaking to Pakistan TV Digital.&nbsp;He added, &ldquo;India&rsquo;s renewed interest in Afghanistan is driven by geopolitical signaling aimed at maintaining influence along Pakistan&rsquo;s western border.&rdquo;&nbsp;India&rsquo;s caution stems from its fraught history with the Taliban. The hijacking of an Indian Airlines plane to Kandahar in 1999 and the 2008 Kabul embassy bombing, both linked by India to Taliban elements, continue to shape New Delhi&rsquo;s approach.&nbsp;Meanwhile, Afghan traders remain reluctant to abandon the shorter and cheaper trade routes through Pakistan. &ldquo;Chabahar increases transport costs, and those dealing in perishable goods cannot afford delays of several days,&rdquo; said Qudrat Ullah, a local trader speaking to Pakistan TV Digital.&nbsp;Sanctions and strategic setbacksComplicating matters further, the Trump administration&rsquo;s decision to revoke the US sanctions waiver on Chabahar has disrupted India&rsquo;s plans. The exemption, granted in 2018, allowed India to operate freely at Iran&rsquo;s Makran coast despite broader sanctions on Tehran.&nbsp;&ldquo;This move will disrupt New Delhi&rsquo;s strategic and economic ambitions in Iran and Central Asia,&rdquo; said Rehman, adding that the decision exposes Indian operators at Chabahar&rsquo;s Shahid Beheshti terminal to punitive action under the Iran Freedom and Counter-Proliferation Act (IFCA).&nbsp;As Afghanistan&rsquo;s acting foreign minister pushes for renewed cooperation, India faces a delicate balancing act, navigating strained regional dynamics, economic sanctions, and a skeptical Kabul, all while striving to keep its Chabahar ambitions afloat. NOTE: $1 was equal to ₹88.72 (Indian Rupees) at the time of publishing of this article.

India

Experts warn India’s Chabahar ambitions face major setbacks after the Trump administration revoked sanctions waivers, exposing Indian operators to punitive action and disrupting New Delhi’s strategic trade and connectivity plans in Iran and Central Asia.

New Delhi’s Chabahar ambitions face hurdles amid Afghan FM’s India visit

Mariam Ellahi

Muhammad Usman Amin

ISLAMABAD/RAWALPINDI/PESHAWAR: Afghanistan has requested Pakistan to halt its &ldquo;heavy counteraction&rdquo; after the Pakistan Army launched a strong and sustained response to unprovoked cross-border firing from Afghan forces, security sources told Pakistan TV Digital.&nbsp;According to the sources, Afghan troops carried out unprovoked firing late Saturday night across multiple points along the Pak-Afghan border, including Angoor Adda, Bajaur, Kurram, Dir, Chitral in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, and Baramcha in Balochistan, allegedly to facilitate the infiltration of Khawarij formations, a faction Islamabad identifies as Indian-sponsored proxies of the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP).&nbsp;Pakistan Army positions responded with full force using artillery, tanks, and aerial assets, effectively targeting Afghan military posts and militant hideouts.&nbsp;&ldquo;A strong and decisive response from the Pakistan Army against Afghan forces is ongoing. Afghan forces are in a state of panic due to the intense retaliation,&rdquo; security sources said. &ldquo;Several Afghan posts have been abandoned as a result of heavy losses.&rdquo;&nbsp;&ldquo;Afghan soldiers fled, leaving behind multiple bodies at their posts following Pakistan&rsquo;s effective and intense response.&rdquo;&nbsp;Security sources confirmed that Afghanistan has formally requested Pakistan to halt its counteraction, as Pakistani forces continue to target positions linked to Khawarij and Daesh elements operating from Afghan territory.&nbsp;The sources further revealed that Pakistani forces employed a combination of precision artillery and drone strikes to destroy multiple Afghan posts. &ldquo;The Army&rsquo;s timely and decisive action has neutralized key militant hideouts under the protection of Afghan authorities,&rdquo; one official added.&nbsp;District administration officials confirmed that several missiles were fired from the Afghan side targeting civilian areas across the border, prompting Pakistan&rsquo;s &ldquo;measured but powerful&rdquo; military response to protect its citizens.&nbsp;Federal Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi condemned Afghanistan&rsquo;s unprovoked firing, calling it a &ldquo;blatant violation of international law.&rdquo;&nbsp;&ldquo;Pakistan&rsquo;s brave forces have shown, with an immediate and effective response, that any provocation will not be tolerated,&rdquo; Naqvi said.&nbsp;&ldquo;Our forces are vigilant, and Afghanistan is being answered brick for brick. The fire and blood being played out from Afghanistan have links to our perennial enemy,&rdquo; he added, referring to India.&nbsp;&ldquo;Afghanistan will be given a strong, decisive response, just as India was, so it will not dare cast a covetous eye toward Pakistan,&rdquo; the minister warned.&nbsp;Defence analyst Hassan Khan told Pakistan TV that the current Afghan behavior reflected a deep betrayal of Pakistan&rsquo;s long-standing support.&nbsp;&ldquo;Pakistan hosted millions of Afghans for decades. Now, their behavior has completely changed,&rdquo; Khan said. &ldquo;Afghanistan is harbouring and providing hideouts to groups like the TTP, BLA, and Majeed Brigade. Their forces are now giving cover to Fitna al-Khawarij to harm Pakistan.&rdquo;&nbsp;Another analyst, Agha Iqrar, stressed that Pakistan must reassess its Afghan strategy.&nbsp;&ldquo;The Afghan Taliban are not only hosting, harbouring, and funding TTP and Fitna al-Khawarij, but more than 42 militant groups are operating from Afghan soil,&rdquo; he noted. &ldquo;Pakistan must take decisive action and redefine its Afghan policy.&rdquo;&nbsp;Taliban officials in Kunar, Nangarhar, Paktia, Khost, and Helmand confirmed to AFP that clashes were ongoing along several points of the border.&nbsp;The escalation follows two days after a deadly terrorist attack on the Police Training School in Dera Ismail Khan, in which six policemen, including trainees, embraced martyrdom. According to ISPR, members of &ldquo;Fitna al-Khawarij&rdquo; rammed an explosive-laden vehicle into the facility but were eliminated after an intense firefight.&nbsp;In the wake of the rising tensions, Saudi Arabia and Iran have both called for restraint and dialogue.&nbsp;The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, in a statement by its ministry of foreign affairs, said:&nbsp;&ldquo;The Kingdom is following with concern the tensions and clashes along the Pakistan-Afghanistan border. We urge both sides to exercise self-restraint, avoid escalation, and prioritize dialogue and wisdom to preserve regional stability.&rdquo;&nbsp;&ldquo;Saudi Arabia reaffirms its support for all regional and international efforts aimed at strengthening peace and prosperity for the two brotherly Pakistani and Afghan peoples.&rdquo;&nbsp;Meanwhile, Iran&rsquo;s ministry of foreign affairs expressed similar concern, urging both countries to resolve their differences peacefully.&nbsp;&ldquo;Iran is closely monitoring developments and calls on both sides to engage diplomatically to prevent further escalation,&rdquo; an Iranian spokesperson said in Tehran. &ldquo;Peace and cooperation must prevail over confrontation.&rdquo;&nbsp;Security officials in Islamabad reiterated that Pakistan remains resolute in defending its sovereignty.&nbsp;&ldquo;Any future aggression or attempt to aid terrorist infiltration will be met with a strong and immediate response,&rdquo; one senior source emphasized.

Islamabad’s security sources say Pakistan Army’s strong and coordinated retaliation destroyed multiple Afghan border posts, forcing Afghan troops to flee amid mounting casualties. The clashes follow recent militant attacks in Dera Ismail Khan linked to Afghanistan-based groups.

Afghanistan urges Pakistan to halt ‘heavy counteraction’: security sources

Pakistan military spokesperson says recent intelligence confirms foreign-backed militants are regrouping along the Afghan border, warning that Pakistan will respond firmly to any threat against its citizens, sovereignty, and regional stability.

Pakistan says India using Afghan soil to fuel terror attacks

Web Desk

ISLAMABAD: The Bangladesh government will pilot the distribution of 500,000 Krishak Smart Cards to farmers in 15 upazilas (sub-districts) within 180 days as part of a 2023-28 development program.&nbsp; If successful, the initiative will expand nationwide,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.pakistantv.com/article/bangladesh-signals-push-to-revitalize-saarc" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);" rel="noopener noreferrer">Bangladeshi</a>&nbsp;media reported on Thursday. The program aims to register 22.7 million&nbsp;<a href="https://www.pakistantv.com/article/govt-aims-to-launch-family-card-scheme-before-eid-bangladeshi-relief-minister" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);" rel="noopener noreferrer">farmers</a>&nbsp;nationwide by 2028.&nbsp;Digital card system&nbsp;A meeting chaired by&nbsp;<a href="https://www.pakistantv.com/article/bangladesh-vows-to-reform-policies-attract-foreign-investment-in-jute-sector" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);" rel="noopener noreferrer">Prime Minister Tarique Rahman</a>&nbsp;in Dhaka on Monday directed authorities to roll out the digital card system as part of a technology-driven support framework for farmers. Abul Kalam Azad, coordinator of the PARTNER programme, said the Food and Agriculture Organization is collecting data to prepare the beneficiary list.&nbsp; Once the FAO submits the data and the feasibility study is complete, the Department of Agricultural Extension will finalize the beneficiary list and select the upazilas.&nbsp;Financial, logistical incentives&nbsp;The card will initially register 500,000 farmers, including landless peasants, small and medium farmers, lessees, and landowners.&nbsp; Cardholders will be able to access financial and logistical incentives, agricultural advisories, weather information and other services. If the pilot proves successful, nationwide registration will follow.&nbsp; The PARTNER project, launched in 2023, has a total budget of $1.343 billion, funded by the World Bank, the International Fund for Agricultural Development, and the Bangladesh government.

Bangladesh

The program aims to register 22.7 million farmers across the country by 2028; a meeting chaired by PM Rahman in Dhaka directed authorities to roll out the digital card system for farmers. Cardholders will be able to access financial and logistical incentives, agricultural advisories, weather information and other services.

Bangladesh to distribute 0.5M farmer cards in 180 days

TEHRAN: Iran&#39;s president said the Islamic republic was not &quot;at all&quot; seeking a nuclear weapon as talks with the United States were due to begin in Switzerland on Thursday in a last-ditch bid to avert war. The talks mediated by Oman follow a massive US military build-up in the region not seen in decades, with President Donald Trump&nbsp;<a href="https://www.pakistantv.com/article/us-presses-missile-issue-as-new-iran-talks-to-open-in-geneva" target="_blank" style="color:#0073e6;" rel="noopener noreferrer">threatening</a>&nbsp;to strike Iran if a deal is not reached. &quot;Our Supreme Leader has already stated that we will not have nuclear weapons at all,&quot; President Masoud Pezeshkian said, in a reference to Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. While&nbsp;<a href="https://www.pakistantv.com/article/irans-top-diplomat-leaves-for-geneva-for-talks-with-us" target="_blank" style="color:#0073e6;" rel="noopener noreferrer">Iran</a>&nbsp;has insisted the talks focus solely on its nuclear program, the US wants&nbsp;<a href="https://www.pakistantv.com/article/iran-rejects-us-claims-on-missile-programme-as-big-lies" target="_blank" style="color:#0073e6;" rel="noopener noreferrer">Tehran&#39;s missile programme</a>&nbsp;and its &quot;support&quot; for groups in the region curtailed. &#39;Sinister nuclear ambitions&#39; The developments follow a massive protest movement in Iran. In his State of the Union address on Tuesday, Trump accused Iran of &quot;pursuing sinister nuclear ambitions&quot;, though Tehran has always insisted its program is for civilian purposes. Trump also claimed Tehran had &quot;already developed missiles that can threaten Europe and our bases overseas, and they&#39;re working to build missiles that will soon reach the United States of America&quot;. &#39;Big lies&#39; The Iranian foreign ministry called these claims &quot;big lies&quot;. The maximum range of Iran&#39;s missiles is 2,000 kilometers (1,200 miles) according to what Tehran has publicly disclosed. However the US Congressional Research Service estimates they top out at about 3,000 kilometers -- less than a third of the distance to the continental United States. Trump&#39;s State of the Union accusations in Congress were delivered in the same forum in which then-president George W Bush laid out the case for the invasion of Iraq in 2003. &#39;A big, big problem&#39; Ahead of Thursday&#39;s talks, Secretary of State Marco Rubio warned that Iran must also negotiate on its missile program, calling Tehran&#39;s refusal to discuss ballistic weapons &quot;a big, big problem&quot;. He followed up by saying &quot;the president wants diplomatic solutions&quot;. But US Vice President JD Vance told Iran to take Trump&#39;s threats &quot;seriously&quot;, saying the US president had a &quot;right&quot; to use military action. &quot;You can&#39;t let the craziest and worst regime in the world have nuclear weapons,&quot; Vance told &quot;America&#39;s Newsroom&quot; on Fox News. On Feb. 19, Trump said Iran had 15 days to make a deal. &#39;Expect a war&#39;Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, who is leading the Iranian delegation at the talks, has called them &quot;a historic opportunity&quot;, adding that a deal was &quot;within reach&quot;. In a foreign ministry statement that followed a meeting with his Oman counterpart, Araghchi said the success of the US negotiations depend &quot;on the seriousness of the other side and its avoidance of contradictory behaviour and positions&quot;. The US will be represented by envoy Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, who is married to Trump&#39;s daughter Ivanka. The two countries held talks earlier this month in Oman, which is mediating the negotiations, then gathered for a second round in Geneva last week. United Nations nuclear chief Rafael Grossi will likely attend the third round of talks on Thursday between Iran and the United States, Iran&#39;s foreign ministry spokesman said. &quot;It is also likely that the Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency will join these talks, as was the case in the previous round,&quot; foreign ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei told state TV. Iran&rsquo;s foreign ministry says that talks with the US will focus exclusively on the nuclear issue. Israeli strikes A previous attempt at negotiations collapsed when Israel launched surprise strikes on Iran last June, beginning a 12-day war that Washington briefly joined to bomb Iranian nuclear sites. In Jan., Tehran launched a mass crackdown on nationwide protests. Trump threatened several times to intervene to &quot;help&quot; the Iranian people. &#39;Expect a war&#39; Emile Hokayem, senior fellow for Middle East security at the International Institute for Strategic Studies, said that &quot;the region seems to expect a war&quot;. &quot;There&#39;s a lot of apprehension at this point, because the expectation is that this time&quot; a war would be &quot;bigger&quot; than the one in June.

Middle East

Iran’s President Masoud Pezeshkian reiterates on Thursday that Tehran is not seeking nuclear weapons in line with the policy set by the country’s Supreme Leader; on Feb. 19, Trump said Iran had 15 days to make a deal.

Iran insists not seeking nuclear weapon ahead of US talks

ISLAMABAD: The US has levied a preliminary countervailing duty (CVD) of 126% on specific Indian solar products, citing unfair subsidies, according to an Indian media report.&nbsp;This move is expected to disrupt the growing momentum of solar exports from&nbsp;<a href="https://www.pakistantv.com/article/global-ai-summit-in-india-still-without-final-statement" target="_blank" style="color:#0073e6;" rel="noopener noreferrer">India&nbsp;</a>to the US and raise concerns about increasing domestic competition and regulatory uncertainty. On Feb. 24, the US Department of Commerce announced its preliminary affirmative determination in investigations into imports of crystalline silicon photovoltaic cells from&nbsp;<a href="https://www.pakistantv.com/article/potholes-killed-over-9400-from-2020-to-2024-in-india" target="_blank" style="color:#0073e6;" rel="noopener noreferrer">India</a>.&nbsp; The investigation also includes parallel anti-dumping probes into solar cells from these countries.&nbsp;&nbsp;Final determination&nbsp;A final determination in the countervailing duty investigations is scheduled for July 6. The new duties come at a time when the US already imposed a 10% across-the-board tariff under the Trump administration, further complicating trade relations. Despite the steep tariff, many leading Indian solar manufacturers have downplayed the immediate impact.&nbsp;&nbsp;Impact on market dynamics&nbsp;However, analysts warn that the duties could disrupt trade flows, put downward pressure on domestic prices, and affect overall profitability.&nbsp; Rating agency Icra highlighted that increased regulatory uncertainty could dampen export volumes, which stood at 3 GW in 2025.&nbsp;&nbsp;Solar stocks&nbsp;Crisil Intelligence added that Indian modules could become at least 30% more expensive than US-made ones, potentially impacting market dynamics. Following the announcement, solar stocks in India dropped sharply, with Waaree Energies falling 10.47%, Premier Energies 6.27%, and Vikram Solar 5.45%, the Indian media report said.

On Feb. 24, the US Department of Commerce announced its preliminary affirmative determination in investigations into imports of crystalline silicon photovoltaic cells from India; final determination in countervailing duty investigations is scheduled for July 6.

US imposes 126% duty on Indian solar exports, raising trade concerns

HAVANA: Cuba said Wednesday it thwarted an attempted armed infiltration from the United States, after its coast guard opened fire on a Florida-registered speedboat near the island&rsquo;s northern coast, killing four people and wounding six. In a statement, Cuba&rsquo;s Interior Ministry said the vessel was intercepted about one nautical mile from Cayo Falcones island. As Cuban authorities approached, &ldquo;shots were fired from the illegal speedboat,&rdquo; injuring the commander of the Cuban patrol craft. &ldquo;As a result of the clash, at the time of this report, on the foreign side, four aggressors were killed and six others were wounded,&rdquo; the ministry said, adding that the injured were evacuated and provided medical assistance. The ministry said assault rifles, handguns, Molotov cocktails and other military-style equipment were recovered from the vessel, registered in Florida under the number FL7726SH. The 10 occupants were identified as Cubans living in the United States. Those arrested after the exchange of gunfire claimed they &ldquo;intended to carry out an infiltration for the purposes of terrorism,&rdquo; according to Cuban authorities. In a subsequent statement, the ministry released the names of seven of the individuals and said most had prior records in Cuba for &ldquo;criminal and violent activity.&rdquo; &nbsp;A man allegedly sent from the United States to participate in the operation was arrested on Cuban soil and confessed, it added. The incident marks a fresh source of tension between Havana and Washington. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the United States was seeking its own account of events and would &ldquo;respond accordingly.&rdquo; &ldquo;We&rsquo;re not going to base our conclusions on what they&rsquo;ve (Cuba) told us, and I&rsquo;m very, very confident that we will know the full story of what happened here,&rdquo; Rubio told reporters during a visit to St. Kitts and Nevis. &ldquo;As we gather more information, then we&rsquo;ll be prepared to respond accordingly.&rdquo; Florida&rsquo;s attorney general ordered an investigation into the killings. The state lies just 100 miles (160 kilometers) from Cuba across the Florida Straits and has long been a focal point for Cuban migration. Cuban authorities frequently report incursions by speedboats from the United States into their territorial waters. Such incidents are often linked to people-smuggling or drug trafficking and have at times involved chases and armed confrontations with border guards. The shootings come amid broader strains between the two countries. President Donald Trump in January imposed a sweeping oil blockade on Cuba following the US ouster of Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro, a key ally of Havana. Before Maduro&rsquo;s removal on Jan. 3, Cuba relied on Venezuela for roughly half of its fuel needs. Facing pressure from Caribbean leaders concerned that severe fuel shortages could destabilize the island&rsquo;s economy, Washington later said it would allow limited shipments of Venezuelan oil for &ldquo;commercial and humanitarian use,&rdquo; provided they went through private entities rather than the Cuban government or military-controlled businesses. Cuba&rsquo;s economy, already weakened by decades of US trade restrictions dating back to the 1959 revolution led by Fidel Castro, has been pushed to the brink in recent months. Chronic shortages of food and medicine and daily blackouts have fueled an exodus of Cubans, many heading to southern Florida. Mexico this week dispatched two military vessels carrying nearly 2,200 tons of aid to the island, its second shipment in under a month, while Canada announced Can$8 million ($5.8 million) in additional assistance on Wednesday.

Cuban coast guard ships docked at the port of Havana on February 25, 2026.(AFP)

Americas

Cuba says it killed four and wounded six people aboard a Florida-registered speedboat, describing it as armed and planning a terrorist infiltration after an exchange of gunfire near its northern coast, escalating tensions with the United States.

Cuba kills four on US-registered speedboat trying to 'infiltrate'

KYIV: US President Donald Trump spoke with his Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelensky ahead of a fresh round of talks Thursday aimed at ending Russia&#39;s invasion, both sides said on Wednesday. A White House official gave AFP no further details about the call, which came a day before Ukrainian and US envoys were to meet, and ahead of new trilateral talks with Russia expected in early March. But Zelensky wrote on social media that he had spoken with Trump, and that his envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner were on the call. &quot;Our teams work intensively and I thanked them for all their work and for their active involvement in the negotiations and the efforts to end the war,&quot; he added. According to Ukrainian presidential adviser Dmytro Lytvyn, the conversation &quot;lasted about 30 minutes.&quot; Ukraine&#39;s lead negotiator Rustem Umerov will meet Witkoff and Kushner in Geneva on Thursday, Kyiv announced. Russian state news agency Tass later said that the Kremlin&#39;s economic affairs envoy, Kirill Dmitriev, also plans to be in the city. &quot;Dmitriev plans to arrive in Geneva on Thursday to pursue negotiations with the Americans on economic issues,&quot; it cited an unnamed source as saying. The meetings are the latest round of negotiations spearheaded by Trump that so far have failed to make meaningful progress on ending Europe&#39;s deadliest conflict since World War II. Washington is pushing to bring an end to the war triggered by Russia&#39;s full-scale invasion of Ukraine four years ago, which has left hundreds of thousands of dead and destroyed swathes of territory, particularly in eastern and southern Ukraine. Preparatory talks&nbsp;Zelensky said his call with Trump &quot;discussed the issues that our representatives will address tomorrow in Geneva during the bilateral meeting, as well as preparations for the next meeting of the full negotiating teams in a trilateral format at the very beginning of March.&quot; &quot;We expect this meeting to create an opportunity to move talks to the leaders&#39; level. President Trump supports this sequence of steps. This is the only way to resolve all the complex and sensitive issues and finally end the war,&quot; he added. The Ukrainian leader has already said that a meeting with his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin, should take place to resolve the most difficult issues in the talks. The talks, based on an American plan unveiled at the end of last year, are deadlocked primarily on the fate of the Donbas, the industrial region in eastern Ukraine that has been the epicenter of the fighting. Russia is pushing for full control of Ukraine&#39;s eastern Donetsk region, and has threatened to take it by force if Kyiv does not cave at the negotiating table. But Ukraine has rejected the demand and signaled it would not sign a deal without security guarantees that deter Russia from invading again.

Europe

Ukraine's lead negotiator Rustem Umerov will meet Witkoff and Kushner in Geneva on Thursday; Russian state news agency says Kremlin's economic affairs envoy, Kirill Dmitriev, also plans to be in the city.

Trump, Zelensky speak before Ukraine-US talks in Geneva

GENEVA: The United States and Iran are set to hold indirect talks in Switzerland on Thursday, aiming to strike a deal to avert a fresh conflict and end weeks of threats. The new round of negotiations in Geneva comes after the US carried out a massive military build-up in the region and President Donald Trump repeatedly threatened to strike Iran if a deal is not reached. In his State of the Union address on Tuesday, Trump accused Iran of &quot;pursuing sinister nuclear ambitions.&quot; He also claimed Tehran had &quot;already developed missiles that can threaten Europe and our bases overseas, and they&#39;re working to build missiles that will soon reach the United States of America.&quot; The Iranian foreign ministry called these claims &quot;big lies.&quot; The maximum range of Iran&#39;s missiles is 2,000 kilometers (1,200 miles) according to what Tehran has publicly disclosed. However, the US Congressional Research Service estimates they top out at about 3,000 kilometers &mdash; less than a third of the distance to the continental United States. The dispute between the countries mostly revolves around Iran&#39;s nuclear program, which the West believes is aimed at building an atomic bomb but Tehran insists is peaceful. However, the US has also been pushing to discuss Iran&#39;s ballistic missile program, as well as Tehran&#39;s support for armed groups hostile towards Israel. Secretary of State Marco Rubio warned that Iran must also negotiate on its missile program, calling Tehran&#39;s refusal to discuss ballistic weapons &quot;a big, big problem&quot; on the eve of the talks. He followed up by saying, &quot;the president wants diplomatic solutions.&quot; Iran has taken anything beyond the nuclear issue off the negotiating table and has demanded that the US sanctions crippling its economy be part of any agreement. &#39;Neither war nor peace&#39;&nbsp;Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said on Wednesday he had a &quot;favorable outlook for the negotiations&quot; that could finally &quot;move beyond this &#39;neither war nor peace&#39; situation.&quot; Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, who is leading the Iranian delegation at the talks, has called them &quot;a historic opportunity,&quot; adding that a deal was &quot;within reach.&quot; The US will be represented by envoy Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, who is married to Trump&#39;s daughter Ivanka. The two countries held talks earlier this month in Oman, which is mediating the negotiations, then gathered for a second round in Geneva last week. A previous attempt at negotiations collapsed when Israel launched surprise strikes on Iran last June, beginning a 12-day war that Washington briefly joined to bomb Iranian nuclear sites. In January, fresh tensions between the US and Iran emerged after Tehran engaged in a crackdown on widespread protests that have posed one of the greatest challenges to the Islamic republic since its inception. Trump has threatened several times to intervene to &quot;help&quot; the Iranian people. Emile Hokayem, a senior fellow for Middle East security at the International Institute for Strategic Studies, said, &quot;The region seems to expect a war at this point.&quot; In January, there was &quot;a big push by a number of Middle Eastern states to convince the US not to&quot; strike Iran. &quot;But there&#39;s a lot of apprehension at this point, because the expectation is that this time, a war would be &quot;bigger&quot; than the one in June.

The new round of negotiations in Geneva comes after the US carried out a massive military build-up in the region; President Trump has threatened to strike Iran if a deal is not reached, accuses Iran of 'pursuing sinister nuclear ambitions.'

US presses missile issue as new Iran talks to open in Geneva

SEOUL: North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has suggested his country could &quot;get along&quot; with the United States but declared that South Korea &mdash; Washington&#39;s security ally &mdash; remained its &quot;most hostile&quot; enemy, state media reported Thursday. Kim made the remarks at the end of a landmark party congress, urging Washington to respect Pyongyang&#39;s status as a nuclear power. His words came as speculation grows that US President Donald Trump may seek some kind of meeting with Kim on the sidelines of a visit to China in April. If Washington &quot;respects our country&#39;s current status as stipulated in the Constitution ... and withdraws its hostile policy ... there is no reason why we cannot get along well with the United States,&quot; Kim said, according to the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA). But he appeared to close the door on any notion of building closer ties with South Korea, saying he would &quot;permanently exclude&quot; Seoul as one of his nation&#39;s &quot;compatriots.&quot; North Korea has &quot;absolutely no business dealing with South Korea, its most hostile entity,&quot; Kim said, calling Seoul&#39;s recent dovish efforts &quot;deceptive.&quot; Pyongyang amended its constitution in 2024 to define South Korea as a &quot;hostile state&quot; for the first time. A &quot;grand&quot; military parade marked the end of the Workers&#39; Party congress, a once-in-five-years event that directs state efforts on everything from foreign policy to war planning. North Korea has used such parades in the past to show off its newest weapons, offering a rare source of insight into the strength of its armed forces. Trump overtures&nbsp;US President Donald Trump stepped up his courtship of Kim during a tour of Asia last year, saying he was &quot;100%&quot; open to a meeting. Trump even bucked decades of US policy by conceding that North Korea was &quot;sort of a nuclear power.&quot; A Trump-Kim meeting in April would mark a major breakthrough after years of deadlocked diplomacy following the collapse of their 2019 summit in Hanoi over sanctions relief and what Pyongyang would be willing to give up from its nuclear arsenal in return. Kim appeared alongside China&#39;s Xi Jinping and Russia&#39;s Vladimir Putin at a grand military parade in Beijing last year &mdash; a striking display of his powerful friends and elevated status in global politics. Pyongyang has particularly drawn much closer to Moscow, sending thousands of troops to aid Russia&#39;s war against Ukraine. Analysts say Russia is giving North Korea military technology, food, and energy supplies in return, allowing it to sidestep tough international sanctions. &quot;With Moscow now providing a substantial economic lifeline &mdash; effectively neutralizing the bite of UN sanctions &mdash; Kim Jong Un no longer feels the same urgency to respond&quot; to Washington&#39;s dialogue gestures, Seong-Hyon Lee, a visiting scholar at the Harvard University Asia Center, told AFP.

Asia

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un says if Washington 'respects our country's current status as stipulated in the Constitution ... and withdraws its hostile policy ... there is no reason why we cannot get along well with the United States'.

North Korea says willing to 'get along' with US if acknowledged as nuclear power

Web Desk/AFP

JERUSALEM: Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday said that his country stood &quot;firmly&quot; with Israel following the war in Gaza, which resulted in the death of more than 70,000 Palestinians.&nbsp; Modi also met with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu during a <a href="https://www.pakistantv.com/article/indias-modi-heads-to-israel-to-strengthen-cooperation" style="color:#0073e6;">two-day visit</a> aimed at deepening trade and defense ties that have drawn criticism at home. &quot;India stands with Israel firmly with full conviction in this moment and beyond.&quot; In his speech, Modi did not explicitly mention the tens of thousands of Palestinians killed in Gaza during the more than two-year bombardment of Gaza. Speaking to the Knesset, Modi also told Israeli lawmakers that his country&#39;s economic growth and Israel&#39;s leadership in technological innovation formed a &quot;natural foundation for our forward-looking partnership.&quot; &quot;I see a lot of synergies in areas such as quantum technologies, semiconductors and artificial intelligence,&quot; he added. Netanyahu told Modi that &quot;India supports Israel because it understands that Israel serves as a defensive wall,&quot; adding that his visit will allow them to &quot;further reinforce our ties.&quot; It is Modi&#39;s second visit to Israel as prime minister since he took office in 2014. &#39;A real friendship&#39; Earlier on Wednesday, a red carpet was rolled out at Israel&#39;s Ben Gurion airport and Modi was greeted with a hug by Netanyahu as he disembarked the plane. &quot;The two leaders share a special and a personal relationship,&quot; Shosh Bedrosian, spokeswoman for Netanyahu&#39;s office, said in a video posted on X. &quot;The bond between Israel and India is a powerful alliance as we are partners in innovation, security and a shared strategic vision,&quot; she added. Netanyahu&#39;s office said the two right-wing leaders held a private meeting after the welcoming ceremony, with the Israeli premier hailing &quot;a real friendship.&quot; In a post on X, Modi described the meeting as &quot;excellent.&quot; &quot;We discussed a wide range of topics aimed at deepening and strengthening the bilateral relations between our two countries,&quot; he said. The pair &quot;held an in-depth conversation about major developments in the region,&quot; he added. Modi is also scheduled to meet Israeli President Isaac Herzog during the visit. New Delhi has steadily expanded cooperation with Israel across the defense, agriculture, technology, and cybersecurity sectors, while balancing diplomatic interests in the Middle East. Full diplomatic relations between the two countries were established in 1992. Ties deepened after Hindu-nationalist leader Modi took office in 2014. Criticism at home Modi first visited Israel as prime minister in 2017, before Netanyahu made a reciprocal visit to India the following year. In 2023, grand plans were unveiled in New Delhi for an India&ndash;Middle East&ndash;Europe Economic Corridor to link railways, ports, electricity, data networks, and pipelines, including through Saudi Arabia and Israel. Those plans were stalled by Israel&rsquo;s devastating war in the Gaza Strip. Months after his 2017 visit to Israel, Modi travelled to Ramallah, the seat of the Palestinian Authority. His current visit has sparked criticism at home. Senior Congress party figure Priyanka Gandhi &mdash; sister of opposition leader Rahul &mdash; posted on social media on Wednesday that she hoped Modi would mention the killing of &quot;thousands of innocent men, women and children in Gaza&quot; during his address to the Israeli parliament. India, the world&#39;s most populous nation with 1.4 billion people, is majority Hindu, but an estimated 220 million Indians are Muslim. One of India&#39;s largest conglomerates, Adani Group, operates the Israeli port of Haifa, while Israeli military drone technology was used during India&#39;s May 2025 attack on Pakistan.

Senior Congress party figure Priyanka Gandhi says she hoped Modi would mention the killing of "thousands of innocent men, women and children in Gaza" during his address to the Israeli parliament; the Indian prime minister is also scheduled to meet Israeli President Herzog during visit.





Modi says India stands 'firmly' with Israel post Gaza bombardment 

WASHINGTON: Bill Gates has admitted making a &quot;huge mistake&quot; in associating with Jeffrey Epstein, telling staff at his charity foundation that he had affairs with two Russian women but denying involvement in the disgraced financier&#39;s crimes. The Microsoft co-founder is among the prominent names appearing in documents released by the US Justice Department that revealed close friendships, illicit financial dealings and private photos with convicted sex offender Epstein. In a town hall on Tuesday with staff at the Gates Foundation, a recording of which was reviewed by The Wall Street Journal, Gates expressed regret that his relationship with Epstein had affected the work of his philanthropic organization. &quot;It was a huge mistake to spend time with Epstein,&quot; and to also bring Gates Foundation executives into meetings with Epstein, he said. &quot;I apologize to other people who are drawn into this because of the mistake that I made.&quot; In a draft email among the documents released by the Justice Department, Epstein alleged Gates engaged in extramarital affairs, writing that his relationship with Gates ranged from &quot;helping Bill to get drugs, in order to deal with consequences of sex with Russian girls, to facilitating his illicit trysts, with married women.&quot; &#39;I saw nothing illicit&#39; Gates, 70, admitted at the town hall to two affairs. &quot;I did have affairs, one with a Russian bridge player who met me at bridge events, and one with a Russian nuclear physicist who I met through business activities,&quot; he said. But he denied any involvement with victims of Epstein, who died in a New York jail cell in 2019 while awaiting trial for sex trafficking underage girls. &quot;I did nothing illicit. I saw nothing illicit,&quot; Gates told the town hall. The tech titan said his relationship with Epstein began in 2011, three years after the financier pleaded guilty to soliciting a minor for prostitution. Gates said he knew of an &quot;18-month thing&quot; restricting Epstein&#39;s travel but didn&#39;t check his background. He said his then-wife Melinda expressed concerns about Epstein in 2013, but that he continued the relationship for at least another year. &quot;Knowing what I know now makes it, you know, a hundred times worse in terms of not only his crimes in the past, but now it&#39;s clear there was ongoing bad behavior,&quot; Gates told staff. The Gates Foundation said Gates addressed the Epstein case and other issues at its scheduled twice-yearly town hall event. &quot;Bill spoke candidly, addressing several questions in detail, and took responsibility for his actions,&quot; it said in a statement to AFP.

In a draft email among the documents released by the Justice Department, Epstein alleges Gates engaged in extramarital affairs, writing that his relationship with Gates ranged from "helping Bill to get drugs […] to facilitating his illicit trysts, with married women."

Bill Gates admits affairs but denies involvement in Epstein crimes

NEW YORK:&nbsp;A record 129 journalists and media workers were killed worldwide in 2025, the Committee to Protect Journalists said Wednesday, blaming Israel for two-thirds of the deaths. It was the second consecutive annual record for press deaths and the deadliest year since the CPJ began collecting data more than three decades ago. &quot;Journalists are being killed in record numbers at a time when access to information is more important than ever,&quot; CEO Jodie Ginsberg said in a statement. &quot;We are all at risk when journalists are killed for reporting the news.&quot; Over three-quarters of all the fatalities in 2025 were in conflict settings, the CPJ said in its report. More than 60 percent of the 86 members of the press killed by Israeli fire in 2025 were Palestinians reporting from Gaza, it added. The Israeli military maintains that it never deliberately targets journalists, and said the CPJ report was &quot;based on general allegations, data of unknown origin, and predetermined conclusions.&quot; &quot;Throughout the war there have been numerous cases in which terrorists operated under a civilian guise, including posing as journalists to advance terror activities,&quot; an Israeli military spokesperson told AFP. &quot;In these cases, any action taken by the IDF (military) against them was due to their involvement in terror activity and for no other reason.&quot; &quot;Any claim of intentional harm to civilians, including family members of journalists due to their professional activity, is completely false,&quot; the spokesperson said. The CPJ said the number of journalists killed in Ukraine and Sudan also increased in 2025 compared to a year earlier. The CPJ highlighted a rise in drones being used, with 39 cases documented, including 28 killings by Israel in Gaza and five by the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces in Sudan. In Ukraine, four journalists were killed by Russian military drones, the highest annual number of journalist deaths in the war since 15 were killed in 2022. Journalists are increasingly vulnerable due to a persistent culture of impunity, the CPJ said, noting a lack of transparent investigations into killings. In Mexico, six journalists were killed in 2025 and all the cases remain unsolved. The Philippines saw three journalists shot dead. Others were killed following their reporting on corruption, such as a Bangladeshi reporter hacked to death by suspects linked to a fraud ring, according to the CPJ report. Similar organized crime-related deaths were recorded in India and Peru. In Saudi Arabia, prominent columnist Turki al-Jasser was executed by the state after being convicted on several charges that the CPJ likened to &quot;spurious national security and financial crime allegations&quot; used to punish reporters. It was the Gulf state&#39;s first documented killing of a journalist since the 2018 death of Jamal Khashoggi.

Over three-quarters of all the fatalities in 2025 were in conflict settings, the CPJ said

Articles by Muhammad Imad Abbas