South Asia Times

Themes

Afghan men search for victims after a Pakistani air strike hit a residential area in the Girdi Kas village, Nangarhar province on February 22, 2026. [Aimal Zahir/AFP/Getty Images]

Pakistan’s Cross-Border Strikes and the Evolving Counterterror Doctrine

SAT Commentary February 22, 2026

Prime Minister Narendra Modi with External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar at an official event. [Photo Courtesy: Praveen Jain via The Print].

The Facade of Indian Strategic Autonomy

Abdul Basit February 19, 2026

Washington’s new security lens is transactional. Partnerships must pay. For India, sentiment won’t suffice, deliverables will.

India and Trump’s National Security Strategy 2025

Syeda Tahreem Bukhari February 17, 2026

UN report warns of rising TTP attacks from Afghanistan and growing regional terror threats, rejecting Taliban claims of eliminating militants.

UN Report Warns Afghanistan Emerging as Hub of Cross-Border Terror Threats

SAT Commentary February 16, 2026

Zabihullah Mujahid speaks in an interview with TOLOnews.

Regional Stability at Stake: Examining the Taliban’s Counterclaims

Bulletin February 14, 2026

Analysis of Balochistan’s security landscape, where militancy exploits socio-economic grievances even as CPEC-driven investments seek stability through infrastructure, education, and connectivity.

Balochistan’s Challenge: Development, Dissent, and the Danger of Militant Exploitation

SAT Commentary February 14, 2026

The Taliban has created four new battalions in the Badghis and Farah provinces.

Afghanistan’s Northern Frontier: From Peripheral Instability to Eurasian Security Concern

SAT Commentary February 13, 2026

A critical analysis of Afghanistan’s transformation into a regional terrorism hub, driving cross-border infiltration, militant spillover and growing security threats to South Asia, Central Asia and beyond.

Afghanistan as a Regional Terrorism Hub: Cross-Border Infiltration, Spillover, and Rising Threats

SAT Commentary February 10, 2026

A critical review of UNAMA’s cross-border civilian casualty report, highlighting selective framing, missing context, and terrorism emanating from Afghan soil.

A Context-Deficient Assessment: Structural Gaps in UNAMA’s Civilian Casualty Reporting

SAT Commentary February 9, 2026