What changed in the Feb 26 Pak-Afghan clashes? From restraint to calibrated force, Pakistan signaled a tougher, proactive border doctrine.
![Truck traveling along the Makran Coastal Highway in Balochistan, with rugged cliffs and the Arabian Sea coastline in the background [Image via Getty Images].](https://southasiatimes.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/Balochistan-2.webp "Deconstructing the Deprivation Myth; How Balochistan’s Underdevelopment Became a Political Instrument")
For decades, Balochistan’s underdevelopment has been framed as a story of federal neglect. But does the data support that claim?
UN and Russian assessments highlight persistent militant networks in Afghanistan, raising regional security concerns despite Taliban control.
Al Jazeera’s portrayal of TTP militants as “fighters” raises concerns over journalistic bias and counterterrorism framing.
![Prime Minister Narendra Modi with External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar at an official event. [Photo Courtesy: Praveen Jain via The Print].](https://southasiatimes.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/20-scaled-e1755601883425-1024x576-1.webp "The Facade of Indian Strategic Autonomy")
India’s strategic autonomy faces pressure as US trade leverage, energy dependence, and defence ties test New Delhi’s balancing doctrine.
Washington’s new security lens is transactional. Partnerships must pay. For India, sentiment won’t suffice, deliverables will.
UN report warns of rising TTP attacks from Afghanistan and growing regional terror threats, rejecting Taliban claims of eliminating militants.
Indian national Nikhil Gupta pleads guilty to plotting murder of US Sikh separatist leader; highlights transnational repression risks.
UN Security Council renews Taliban sanctions monitoring as Afghanistan remains a hub for international terrorist networks.
Analysis of Taliban claims versus UN findings, examining sanctions, militant presence, and Afghanistan’s regional security impact.