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Pakistan

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Pakistan
Pakistan
The latest news, analysis and opinion on Pakistan. In-depth analysis, industry insights and expert opinion.
Capital
Islamabad
Head of State
President Asif Ali Zardari
Head of Government
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif
Chinese tourists from Beijing enjoying Cambugahay waterfalls in Siquijor, Central Visaya, Philippines. Photo: SCMP / James Wendlinger
SCMP Highlights

Philippines’ Chinese tourism woes, police officer goes viral: 7 Asia highlights

From India’s anxiety over US-Pakistan deals to South Korea’s visa policy debate, here are a few highlights from SCMP’s recent Asia reporting.

India

India’s partial visa suspension signals unease over Bangladesh’s recent unrest

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China’s military

J-16s vs Rafales: Chinese air force puts jets to the war-game test

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Australia

Bondi Beach attack sparks global misinformation crisis, and AI-driven hate

A leading counterterrorism expert warns that ‘agentic AI’ and political point-scoring are fuelling a toxic symbiosis between extremists.

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A memorial is seen on the footbridge used in the Bondi Beach attack in Sydney, Australia, on Saturday. Photo: EPA
Bangladesh

Bangladeshi politician’s threat targeting India’s northeast deepens row

His claim of Delhi’s election interference comes days after a leader of the 2024 uprising in Bangladesh was shot in Dhaka.

India

India wary as US backs Pakistan with F-16 upgrades and mineral projects

Analysts say New Delhi faces an ‘uncomfortable truth’ as Washington and Beijing find rare common ground on stability in Pakistan.

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Australia

‘Terrified’ Sydney man with same name misidentified as Bondi gunman

After an online photo was shared thousands of times with ‘terrible’ comments, the young man pleaded for ‘help to stop this propaganda’.

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This screen grab from video footage courtesy of Timothy Brant-Coles shows two gunmen firing from a bridge at Bondi Beach in Sydney on Sunday. Photo: Handout via AFP
India-Pakistan tensions

Opinion | How Pakistan’s rising confidence could shape a cooperative South Asia

If Gulf investment, Chinese strategic interest and Pakistani willingness align, the region could shift from confrontation to collaboration.

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Afghanistan

5 killed in latest clash at Afghanistan-Pakistan border crossing

Each side has accused the other of launching ‘unprovoked’ attacks at the crossing between Chaman and Spin Boldak, in southern Afghanistan.

SCMP Highlights

‘Schrodinger’s Pakistan’, Chinese travellers eye Singapore: 7 Asia highlights

From election loss for Malaysia’s Anwar to Pakistan’s young feeling sidelined, here are a few highlights from SCMP’s recent Asia reporting.

Tourists take photos with the Merlion statue in Singapore. Chinese visitors say the city state is an “easy and comfortable” travel destination. Photo: Reuters
India

India’s Modi to pitch arms deal to Russia, Putin despite US efforts

Modi has maintained India’s long-standing ties to Moscow, while reducing its reliance on Russian weapons by acquiring more arms from the US and Europe.

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Russian President Vladimir Putin meets with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi during the 16th BRICS Summit in Kazan, Russia, on October 22. Photo: dpa
United Nations

Pakistan rejects UN warning over legal immunity for military chief

A constitutional amendment approved by parliament earlier this month shields Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir and other top officials from prosecution for life.

India

In ‘Schrodinger’s Pakistan’, the young feel sidelined by the state

A constitutional overhaul that neuters the courts and empowers the generals is seen by many as a naked display of elite self-preservation.

War and conflict

Can mediators prevent war between Afghanistan, Pakistan as tensions spike?

Prolonged proxy warfare could create space for terrorist groups such as Isis-K to regenerate and plot overseas attacks, analysts warn.

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Residents clear debris from houses destroyed in air strikes in Khost, Afghanistan, on Tuesday. Photo: EPA
India

India, Afghanistan close ranks against Pakistan, marking South Asia power shift

Direct air cargo links reflect New Delhi’s efforts to reassert influence and could help Kabul reduce dependence on Islamabad, analysts say.

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Alhaj Nooruddin Azizi, Afghanistan’s minister of commerce and industry, during a week-long visit to New Delhi on Monday. Photo: AFP
China’s military

China’s private defence companies see opportunities amid growing conflicts

Ukraine war and Kashmir conflict highlight ‘broad stage’ for firms to meet demand for affordable and reliable equipment, insiders say.

Afghanistan

3 Pakistani security officers killed in suicide bombing near Afghan border

One attacker detonated his explosives at the main gate of the paramilitary headquarters while a second was shot and killed in its compound.

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India

India still behind as China-made submarines boost Pakistan’s naval power

The Indian Navy’s self-reliance drive is being undercut by chronic ‘sluggishness’ in procurement, analysts say.

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The INS Mahe is one of a new class of small corvettes specifically designed to operate in coastal and littoral zones. Photo: Handout
India

‘Dramatic failure’: Tejas crash deals blow to India’s jet export ambitions

The mishap came as rival Pakistan signed a deal for export of JF-17 Thunder fighter, which it co-developed with China.

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India

Will US approval for arms sales to India pave the way for a trade deal?

The US$93 million arms supply could help reduce India’s goods surplus with the US as both sides seek to reach a trade deal, analysts say.

India

Indian Air Force pilot dies in Tejas crash during Dubai Air Show demonstration

The pilot had flown across the site several times before the plane appeared to lose control and dive directly towards the ground.

Firefighters work at the site of a crash involving an Indian-made HAL Tejas fighter jet on Friday. Photo: Government of Dubai Media Office/Reuters

Boiler blast completely flattens Pakistan glue factory, killing 18

Witnesses said the explosion was so powerful that nearby homes collapsed and debris was hurled across the streets.

Rescuers search for survivors after an explosion at a glue-manufacturing factory in Faisalabad on Friday. Photo: AFP
China's military weapons

China leveraged India-Pakistan conflict to test military edge: US panel

Report says Beijing tested modern weapons in the May clash and promoted their performance to boost its defence sales worldwide.

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China's military weapons

China displays latest UAV and fighter jets at the Middle East’s largest air show

Full-scale model of Wing Loong-X UAV makes first defence exhibition appearance outside the mainland as Beijing promotes aviation products.

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India

Blast kills 9, rocks India’s Kashmir police station, days after Delhi explosion

Confiscated explosives blew up, creating a blast so intense that some body parts were recovered from houses more than 100 metres away.

Indian security forces arrive near the site of an explosion inside a police station in Srinagar on Saturday. Photo: Reuters
India

India-Pakistan conflict risks surge amid terror attacks, Afghan proxy war claims

With bombs tearing through capitals and leaders trading accusations, South Asia’s nuclear-armed neighbours are again approaching the brink.

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Pakistani counterterrorism commandos stand guard at the site of a suicide blast outside a court in Islamabad on Tuesday. Photo: Getty Images/TNS/AFP
India

Opinion | How India and the US can find their way back to better relations

This year has revealed the need for personality-driven diplomacy to be anchored by steadier institutional ballast.

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India

India’s Tejas fighter jet gets US engines to battle Pakistan’s Chinese air power

The deal cements defence ties amid tariff tensions, even as analysts say Pakistan’s Chinese-made fighters still hold a technological edge.

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