Kabul, Oct 10: Tensions between Pakistan and Afghanistan surged dramatically following multiple explosions in Kabul that residents and observers fear were the result of unprovoked cross-border airstrikes.

The Afghan capital was shaken as powerful blasts echoed through several neighbourhoods, with witnesses reporting the distinct sounds of aircraft overhead.

The explosions, reportedly originating from District 8 in eastern Kabul, a zone home to key government facilities and residential areas, triggered widespread panic. While the exact source and intent behind the blasts are still unconfirmed, early reports point to the possibility of airstrikes, raising concerns over the escalation of regional conflict.

The incident occurred just hours after Pakistan’s Defence Minister Khawaja Asif delivered a fiery statement in the National Assembly, suggesting a breakdown in diplomatic restraint.

“Enough is enough, our patience has run out. Terrorism from Afghan soil is intolerable,” Asif said, recalling a past visit to Kabul by Pakistani officials, during which Afghan authorities allegedly refused to offer assurances against militant activity targeting Pakistan.

Although Pakistan has not officially confirmed launching any strikes, the timing of Asif’s comments and the subsequent explosions in Kabul have led to heightened suspicions of deliberate military action.

In the wake of rising tensions, mobile internet services were abruptly suspended in the Pakistani cities of Islamabad and Rawalpindi, though authorities have not offered an explanation for the disruption.

The alleged strikes were swiftly condemned by Baloch representative Mir Yar Baloch, who took to X, issuing a strong rebuke of Pakistan’s actions.

“We strongly condemn the terror attack on Kabul today by the rogue state of Pakistan. The terrorism carried out by the rogue state of Pakistan and its diseased/rogue military, which is involved in the attack on Kabul, could be ended within weeks if Afghanistan recognises Balochistan as a free (independent) state.”

He went further to argue that Pakistan’s military garrisons and airbases, which are located in Balochistan and occupied Pashtunistan, do not represent the nation as a whole but rather function as instruments of coercion against neighbouring regions.

“Pakistan has no direct border with Afghanistan; the military garrisons and airbases of what is, in effect, Punjab-based Pakistan are located in Balochistan and occupied Pashtunistan, and they are a symbol of terrorism for Balochistan and Pashtunistan as well as a threat to Afghanistan’s security,” he added.

Mir Yar Baloch proposed a bold geopolitical shift as a solution: “If today Kabul recognises Balochistan as an independent state and incorporates Pashtunistan into Afghanistan, accepting it as part of its territory, then the Baloch and Afghan peoples together could secure their border and airspace and would not allow Pakistan’s military aircraft and drone strikes to enter their air space and target innocent civilians, and Pakistan would not be able to challenge our national security.”

As tensions simmer, fears are growing over the possibility of further military escalation.

Mumbai, Oct 9: Prime Minister Narendra Modi welcomed UK Prime Minister Keri Starmer at Raj Bhavan and held a meeting as part of the process to strengthen the strategic partnership between the two countries.

The Ministry of External Affairs shared photos of Prime Minister Narendra Modi meeting UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer.

“Together for stronger India-UK ties…,” posted Randhir Jaiswal, the MEA spokesperson, on X.

Earlier, Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal said his meeting with UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer here further deepened trade and economic partnership for mutual prosperity between the two nations.

Starmer arrived in India for a two-day visit on Wednesday, accompanied by the biggest-ever trade delegation from the country to India.

“Delighted to call on UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer. Discussed avenues to further deepen India-UK trade and economic partnership for mutual prosperity,” Goyal posted on X social media platform.

Goyal earlier met Peter Kyle, the UK’s Secretary of State for Business and Trade, with a view to moving forward with the operationalisation of the India-UK Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA) and doubling the bilateral trade by 2030.

“The meeting marked a significant step towards operationalising the India-UK CETA, with both Ministers agreeing to reposition the Joint Economic and Trade Committee (JETCO) to oversee its implementation and delivery,” according to the Commerce Ministry statement.

Both sides underlined their commitment to ensuring swift, coordinated, and results-oriented implementation of the Agreement, aimed at realising its full potential for businesses and consumers in both countries. The ministers reaffirmed their shared ambition to double bilateral trade by 2030, leveraging the complementarities between the two economies in areas such as advanced manufacturing, digital trade, clean energy, and services.

Emphasising the transformative scope of CETA, they discussed ways to maximise its benefits through regulatory cooperation, addressing non-tariff barriers, and promoting supply chain integration. The highly productive Commerce Secretary and Director General-level meeting set the tone for the Ministerial meeting, which laid a strong foundation for a full day of engaging and forward-looking discussions.

New Delhi, Oct 8: The World Bank has expressed serious concern over Pakistan’s economy as the country has failed to reduce poverty despite massive loans injected by the IMF.

The current model of growth has failed to ameliorate the conditions of the poor, and the headcount ratio (HCR) has surged to its highest level of 25.3 per cent in the last eight years, which is a 7 per cent increase in HCR since 2023, the World Bank report states.

Instead of concentrating on rural development to reduce poverty, the Pakistan government has been focused more on increasing defence expenditure.

The World Bank report titled “Reclaiming Momentum Towards Prosperity: Pakistan’s Poverty, Equity and Resilience Assessment” released on September 23, mentions that even the country’s aspiring middle class (constituting 42.7 per cent of its population) is “struggling to achieve full economic security”.

Pakistan’s once-promising poverty reduction trajectory has come to a troubling halt, reversing years of hard-fought gains.

After dramatically reducing poverty from 64.3 per cent in 2001 to 21.9 per cent in 2018 — declining by 3 percentage points annually until 2015 before slowing to less than 1 percentage point per year — recent compounding shocks have pushed poverty rates back up to a projected 25.3 per cent by 2023-24, the report states.

The economic model that delivered early wins has reached its limits, with 14 per cent of the population in 2018 remaining vulnerable to falling back into poverty when faced with shocks.

Compounding crises — Covid-19, economic instability, devastating floods, and record-high inflation—have further exposed systemic weaknesses, leaving many in low-productivity activities and unable to cope with these challenges, the report points out.

Bold policy reforms are now essential to address structural imbalances, prevent sliding back into poverty during shocks, and tackle the persistent challenges in remote areas. In this context, this Poverty, Equity, and Resilience Assessment , the first since the early 2000s, looks at how poverty has evolved in Pakistan by combining traditional and non-traditional data, offering detailed analysis and strategic direction on the country’s efforts and challenges to reduce poverty and promote equity.

This comprehensive assessment aims to provide a roadmap for policymakers and stakeholders to address poverty and equity challenges in Pakistan effectively, the report added.