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Friday, March 6, 2026
TopicAfghanistan

Topic: Afghanistan

Ex Afghanistan spy chief’s ‘five-pillar’ analysis of Pakistan’s changed tactics to deal with Taliban

Taliban have missed the opportunity to advance a genuinely Afghan-led solution due to its arrogance & shortsightedness, Amrullah Saleh asserts.

Pakistan is fighting a two-front war. I saw it coming 15 yrs ago

The Pakistani political leadership is weak and devoid of any intellect. Its diplomacy is entirely India-China-US focused and suffers from a presumptive view of Afghanistan as a vassal.

‘Our cup of patience has overflowed’: Pakistan declares ‘open war’ on Taliban-led Afghanistan

Escalation follows series of tit-for-tat strikes. Pakistan bombed Kabul, Paktia & Kandahar after Afghan forces attacked Pakistani border troops along the disputed Durand Line.

Dozens of Afghan civilians killed in border areas in Pakistani air strikes: Afghan authorities

Dozens killed in Pakistani airstrikes in Afghanistan’s Nangarhar & Paktika, Kabul officials said, while Islamabad maintained operation targeted 7 terror camps linked to suicide attacks in Pakistan.

Taliban’s war on music in Afghanistan: Hundreds of tombaks, guitars & national instrument rubab burnt

Since taking control of the country in 2021, the Taliban has dismantled thousands of musical instruments and actively enforced ban on music.

Operating without women: Taliban’s mixed-gender ban for surgical teams worsens Afghanistan health crisis

Women comprise less than a fifth of specialised physicians in the country, new decree risks shutting Afghan women out of professions & access to healthcare.

India halves aid to Bangladesh, boosts support for Afghanistan and Sri Lanka in Union Budget 2026

In the immediate neighbourhood, Bhutan sees the highest allocation of roughly Rs 2,288 crore, up from Rs 2,150 crore in 2025.

Crime & punishment, Taliban adaptation: 15 days’ jail for beating wife, only if there are ‘bruises’

New ‘criminal code’ in Afghanistan also legalises ‘Caste-like slavery’, prescribes flog-at-sight for ‘sinners’ & proposes 3 months’ jail for wife visiting kin without ‘permission’.

Taliban pulls down veil on free speech. Public criticism of regime now punishable

Public flogging & executions have become increasingly common under the Taliban regime. In 2025 alone, 1,000 people, including over 150 women, were punished likewise, Afghanistan's top court has stated. 

On Camera

Oil crisis to trade disruption—why India must try to reshape regional balance in West Asia

India has to play a seminal role in this process of reshaping the regional balance, or else lose the strategic, economic and geopolitical gains made in the past decades.

India has options beyond choked Strait of Hormuz. But conditions apply

Nearly 50% of India’s crude imports are exposed to the chokepoint. So far this year, India has imported an average of 2.6 million barrels per day (mbpd) from Gulf countries.

Indian Navy says it deployed P-8I, diverted ships to boost efforts to rescue sunk Iran warship’s crew

Two Indian naval ships involved in the search and rescue operations in connection with IRIS Dena, which was operating 20 NM West of Galle in SAR region under Sri Lankan responsibility.

Pakistan is fighting a two-front war. I saw it coming 15 yrs ago

The Pakistani political leadership is weak and devoid of any intellect. Its diplomacy is entirely India-China-US focused and suffers from a presumptive view of Afghanistan as a vassal.