T Islamabad/Kabul: Tensions between Pakistan and Afghanistan have escalated sharply as the Taliban government prepares to suspend trade through Pakistani territory, a move that could deliver a severe blow to Pakistan’s struggling economy. Afghanistan’s Deputy Prime Minister for Economic Affairs, Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar, has directed traders and finance officials in Kabul to find alternative trade routes, claiming that Pakistan’s transit system has caused significant losses and market disruptions for Afghan businesses. Following this statement, panic has begun spreading across Pakistan’s commercial sectors. However, Pakistan’s Defence Minister Khawaja Asif downplayed the development, saying the decision would have “no impact” on Pakistan. He even went on to call it a “blessing in d...

P Islamabad: In a provocative statement following a deadly suicide bombing in Islamabad, Pakistan’s Defence Minister Khawaja Asif declared that the Pakistan Army is fully prepared to fight a two-front war—against India on the eastern border and the Afghan Taliban on the western front. Asif’s remarks, seen as a fresh round of sabre-rattling, come amid rising tensions and a string of terror attacks across Pakistan. Speaking at a public event, Asif said, “We are ready for war on both fronts. Allah has helped us in the past, and He will help us again. We will emerge victorious on both sides.” His statement followed Tuesday’s suicide blast in Islamabad, which killed 12 people and left 36 injured. A day earlier, another explosion was reported in Waziristan. The Pakistani government has ...