South Asia Times

Down The Line

Afghanistan’s post-2021 economy has shifted toward informality, coercive revenue, and regional trade, shaped by isolation, sanctions, and political risk.

Afghanistan’s Post-2021 Economic Model

SAT Editorial Desk January 20, 2026

As instability spreads from Afghanistan’s north, Tajikistan faces renewed militant pressure, exposing the limits of regional security guarantees and Taliban governance.

The Return of Insurgency in Central Asia

SAT Editorial Desk January 19, 2026

Is an Islamic NATO emerging? Pakistan, Turkey, and Saudi Arabia explore a trilateral defense pact reshaping Middle East and South Asian security.

Toward an Islamic NATO?

SAT Editorial Desk January 18, 2026

Examining how superpower dominance has eroded international law, turning the rules-based order into a tool of hegemony.

The Hegemon’s Gavel

SAT Editorial Desk January 15, 2026

Durand Line shifts from frontier to hard border, reshaping jihadist networks, militancy, and Pakistan-Afghanistan’s security landscape.

Militancy, Borderization, and the Politics of a Frontier

SAT Editorial Desk January 15, 2026

How Sanctions, Militarized Economics, and Institutional Decay Broke Iran’s Currency

How Sanctions, Militarized Economics, and Institutional Decay Broke Iran’s Currency

SAT Editorial Desk January 13, 2026

Is Social Media Neutral?

Is Social Media Neutral?

SAT Editorial Desk January 12, 2026

Pakistan’s shift from arms importer to defense exporter reveals how indigenous military industry has become central to sovereignty in a fragmented global order.

Pakistan’s Defense Industrial Breakout

SAT Editorial Desk January 11, 2026

Analysis of Iran’s 2025–26 crisis, examining economic stress, political legitimacy, security pressures, and potential domestic and regional trajectories.

Iran’s Current Crisis: Structural Pressures and Political Trajectories

SAT Editorial Desk January 10, 2026