https://www.scmp.com/rss/523998/feed Khawaja Asif is a Pakistani politician. He currently serves as Pakistan’s Defence Minister, a role he has held since 2022, and previously from 2013 to 2017. He also holds the portfolio of Minister for Aviation. en https://assets.i-scmp.com/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www.scmp.com Bloomberg Bloomberg At least 10 pro-Iranian protesters were killed in clashes with police as they tried to storm the gates of the US consulate in Pakistan’s main port city of Karachi on Sunday. Security forces opened fire at the consulate, resulting in the deaths of 10 protesters, with 34 injured, said Sukhdew Assardas Hamnani, a spokesman for the Sindh government. “The police reached the site and took the situation into control,” he said. Faisal Edhi, who runs Edhi Foundation, a rescue service, said several of... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/south-asia/article/3345061/10-killed-karachi-pro-iran-protests-erupt-across-pakistan-india?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/south-asia/article/3345061/10-killed-karachi-pro-iran-protests-erupt-across-pakistan-india?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 02 Mar 2026 01:12:41 +0000 Reuters Reuters Afghanistan’s Taliban rulers said on Friday they were willing to negotiate after Pakistan ⁠bombed their forces in major cities and said the allies-turned-foes were in “open war”. Pakistan struck the Afghan capital Kabul, the city of Kandahar, where Taliban leaders were based, and other towns, a Taliban spokesman said. The attacks were its first directly targeting Afghanistan’s government over allegations it harbours militants seeking to overthrow the Islamabad government. Taliban spokesman... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/south-asia/article/3344949/afghanistans-taliban-open-talks-pakistan-open-war-continues?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/south-asia/article/3344949/afghanistans-taliban-open-talks-pakistan-open-war-continues?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 28 Feb 2026 02:09:21 +0000 Victoria Bela Victoria Bela China has stepped in to mediate between Pakistan and Afghanistan following an escalation of their conflict, urging both sides to end the fighting and settle their disputes through dialogue. This comes after Pakistan bombed major cities in Afghanistan on Friday, including the capital Kabul, and declared “open war” with its neighbour after months of deadly clashes. Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokeswoman Mao Ning said on Friday that as a neighbour and a friend to both countries, China was... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3344907/china-seeks-mediate-after-pakistan-declares-open-war-afghanistan?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3344907/china-seeks-mediate-after-pakistan-declares-open-war-afghanistan?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 27 Feb 2026 11:14:43 +0000 Tom Hussain Tom Hussain Fears are mounting of worsening violence across Pakistan’s mineral-rich Balochistan province following a string of armed attacks in recent days that have left hundreds dead, as Islamabad’s security forces struggle to deal with insurgents who continue to exploit local grievances. Pakistan has ruled out talks with the insurgents who seized control of security installations and administrative centres in more than a dozen urban areas during a lightning coordinated operation on Saturday. A total of... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3342424/violence-balochistan-rages-pakistan-rules-out-talks-insurgents?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3342424/violence-balochistan-rages-pakistan-rules-out-talks-insurgents?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 05 Feb 2026 04:01:41 +0000 Tom Hussain Tom Hussain A ceasefire between Afghanistan’s Taliban regime and Pakistan, agreed after intense clashes last month, is hanging by a diplomatic thread, following a wave of suicide bombings in Pakistan and disputed claims that it retaliated with cross-border drone strikes on Tuesday. With both countries vowing vengeance, analysts say regional states acting as mediators – Qatar and Turkey, and Iran and Russia – have only a narrow window of opportunity to prevent another round of hostilities. Otherwise,... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3334306/can-mediators-stop-afghan-pakistani-war-cat-and-mouse-game-enters-retaliatory-phase?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3334306/can-mediators-stop-afghan-pakistani-war-cat-and-mouse-game-enters-retaliatory-phase?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 27 Nov 2025 05:30:09 +0000 Tom Hussain,Sarmad Iqbal Tom Hussain,Sarmad Iqbal Tensions are again mounting in South Asia after suspected terrorist attacks in Pakistan and India triggered a furious exchange of accusations, including claims of proxy warfare conducted through Afghanistan. Analysts are cautiously optimistic that renewed conflict can be averted, following deadly clashes between Pakistan and India in May and skirmishes between Pakistani forces and the Afghan Taliban in October. The hope is that restraint and international diplomatic pressure may yet stave off... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3332728/india-pakistan-conflict-risks-surge-amid-terror-attacks-afghan-proxy-war-claims?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3332728/india-pakistan-conflict-risks-surge-amid-terror-attacks-afghan-proxy-war-claims?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 14 Nov 2025 08:00:13 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press Afghanistan and Pakistan, embroiled in fighting that has killed dozens of people and injured hundreds, pledged on Sunday to respect a ceasefire. The truce, mediated by Qatar and Turkey, came into effect immediately and is intended to pause hostilities. Violence has escalated between the neighbours since earlier this month, with each country saying they were responding to aggression from the other. Afghanistan denies harbouring militants who carry out attacks in border areas. Pakistan is... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/south-asia/article/3329583/afghanistan-and-pakistan-agree-ceasefire-after-deadly-fighting?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/south-asia/article/3329583/afghanistan-and-pakistan-agree-ceasefire-after-deadly-fighting?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 19 Oct 2025 11:51:28 +0000 Reuters Reuters India shot down five Pakistani fighter jets and one other military aircraft during clashes in May, India’s air force chief said on Saturday, in the first such public claim by the country after its worst military conflict in decades with its neighbour. Pakistan’s Defence Minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif rejected the statement, saying India had not hit or destroyed a single Pakistani aircraft. At an event in the southern Indian city of Bengaluru, Indian Air Chief Marshal A.P. Singh said most of the... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/south-asia/article/3321326/india-downed-six-pakistani-aircraft-may-clash-air-force-chief-says?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/south-asia/article/3321326/india-downed-six-pakistani-aircraft-may-clash-air-force-chief-says?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 09 Aug 2025 12:10:21 +0000