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In Focus
Tensions return on the Pakistan-Afghanistan border
Heavy exchange of fire reported along the Chaman border; bilateral medicine trade comes to a standstill
On 6 December, Dawn reported that a heavy exchange of fire between Pakistani and Afghan forces took place along the Chaman border late on 5 December. Both sides accused the other of initiating the incident. Pakistan officials stated that Afghan forces fired mortar shells into the Badani area, while Afghan Taliban spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid alleged that Pakistan launched an attack on Spin Boldak, prompting a response.
According to official sources, Pakistani forces retaliated after what they described as Afghan aggression. There were also reports of clashes along the Chaman–Kandahar highway, though these accounts remained unverified. A senior official in Quetta confirmed that firing began around 10 pm and continued until late at night. The medical superintendent of Chaman district hospital reported that three injured individuals, including a woman, were brought to the medical facility. As of publication, Dawn noted that there had been no official statement from the Inter-Services Public Relations or the Foreign Office.
Impact of repeated Border closures: Bilateral medicine trade comes to a standstill; impacts over USD 200 million worth of pharmaceutical exports
On 6 December, Dawn reported that repeated closures of the Pakistan–Afghanistan border have severely affected bilateral medicine trade, leaving hundreds of trucks stranded and “jeopardising” nearly USD 200 million in pharmaceutical exports, according to industry sources. The continued blockade at Torkham and Chaman is reportedly disrupting essential supplies to Afghanistan, damaging temperature-sensitive drugs, and creating significant financial losses for Pakistani exporters at a time of broader economic strain.
Industry officials pointed out that Afghanistan is Pakistan’s largest overland trading partner and a key transit route to Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Kazakhstan. They noted that each border shutdown impacts regional connectivity and investments linked to the Pakistan–Uzbekistan–Afghanistan railway and related initiatives. A representative of the Pakistan Pharmaceutical Manufacturers Association stated, “The closures are now so frequent that they have become a structural threat, forcing countries investing in this route to consider more predictable alternatives. For Pakistan’s pharmaceutical sector, the impact is already severe.”
“Almost all exports to Afghanistan have stopped,” with containers of antibiotics, insulin, vaccines, cardiovascular drugs and other essential medicines stuck at border points, dry ports and warehouses. These delays have led to substantial and potentially irreversible losses, with one firm alone reporting PKR 850 million worth of products stranded at Torkham and Chaman; likewise, fifty-plus companies reportedly face similar challenges. (Saleem Shahid, “Fighting breaks out at Pak-Afghan border,” Dawn, 06 December 2025; “Border disruptions put $200m medicine trade at risk,” Dawn, 06 December 2025)
Pakistan links the delay in the Turkish mediation visit to Kabul’s lack of cooperation
On 06 December, Dawn reported that the Foreign Office stated that the Turkish delegation's planned visit faced delays because Kabul failed to show sufficient cooperation. The FO said that the fragile ceasefire between Pakistan and the Taliban regime failed because Taliban terrorist activities violated the terms of the truce. The FO spokesperson, Tahir Andrabi, confirmed Pakistan's readiness to welcome the Turkish delegation but explained that scheduling problems and Kabul's non-cooperation stood as the main barriers to the visit. The spokesperson confirmed Pakistan supports President Erdogan's mediation efforts while dismissing claims that Pakistan failed to participate in the process.
The spokesperson denied knowledge about the unannounced Riyadh talks, which failed to achieve any progress. The spokesperson declared that Pakistan would receive support from any fair mediation process because the country bases its terrorism stance against Afghanistan on established legal and moral principles. The spokesperson confirmed Saudi Arabia maintains its independent peace negotiations, which could result in new diplomatic relations.
The spokesperson, Andrabi, confirmed that Pakistan authorised the controlled passage of UN humanitarian aid through specific transit routes, which the organisation requested after commercial trade stopped in October. The first items for clearance will be food products, followed by medical supplies and essential equipment. The border stays shut for business operations, yet humanitarian groups can enter the area because Pakistan continues to support Afghan citizens. (“Kabul’s non-cooperation ‘put off’ Turkish team’s visit: Foreign Office,” Dawn, 06 December 2025)
On Imran Khan
DG ISPR calls Imran national security threat, Gohar urges dialogue
On 05 December, the Director General of the Inter-Services Public Relations, Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry, called former Prime Minister Imran Khan a “threat to national security” and warned against inciting the public against the armed forces. Addressing a conference in Rawalpindi, the DG ISPR stated that Khan’s “anti-army” rhetoric posed a national security threat that the army had to address. “Who are you? What message do you want to give? Who do you think you are?" he said. He described Khan as a “sick-minded person”, saying that his ambitions are greater than the state itself and that he should focus on his own politics and keep the military out of it. Chaudhry called out Khan was spreading fake news and lies, clarifying that the military is not the state and the government is supreme. He also spoke about the army’s role in protecting the country from external and internal forces. “It is the armed forces that are standing between the Hindutva mindset in India and their hegemonic design, and the people of Pakistan,” he said.
He also accused foreign social media platforms and media outlets based in Afghanistan and India of promoting anti-army narratives. Along the same lines, he alleged that individuals within the country were also “heavily funding” anti-army campaigns. Chaudhry emphasised that it is the government’s responsibility to decide whether to restrict meetings with Khan, not the military’s. “Under which law, rules, or constitutional provision can this be allowed? Which politics in Pakistan permits meeting a convict while using it to build a continuous narrative against the country’s armed forces?” he asked. He further went on to stress that the army does not represent any particular group and that even though Article 19 of the Constitution provides freedom of expression, it should be used responsibly. “It clearly says that freedom of expression and political activity are permitted, subject to reasonable restrictions. Under reasonable restrictions, nothing can be allowed that goes against the security and integrity of the state,” he said.
In response to the DG ISPR’s remarks in a post on X, PTI Chairman Barrister Gohar Ali Khan expressed his disappointment over the press conference and appealed to pro-democracy forces to help reduce tensions. He further went on to say that he always hoped for relations to improve between state institutions and that the defence of the country was paramount. He also stressed that PTI’s narrative “had never been, and would never be, against the state”. He said that it was deeply unfortunate that political leaders were labelling one another as “mentally unstable” or as threats. “Pakistan is ours, and the army is also ours. We have demonstrated this in practice and will continue to do so,” he said. Gohar also warned against the conduct of “certain non-stakeholders” in worsening relations between the PTI and state institutions. “The country cannot afford any more tension and chaos,” he cautioned, urging all political actors to act responsibly, keeping national stability in mind. (“DG ISPR lashes out at Imran's 'anti-army' narrative, dubs it 'national threat',” The Express Tribune, 05 December 2025; “Gohar voices disappointment over DG ISPR’s presser, urges for dialogue,” The Express Tribune, 06 December 2025)
Editorials/Opinions
NFC Award
Sakib Sherani, “Demonising the NFC Award,” Dawn, 06 December 2025
“The newfound eagerness to recast Pakistan into a ‘hard state’, with its attendant power-centralising and anti-participatory tendency, has given an impetus to rolling back the federal structure enshrined in the 1973 Constitution. Reworking the NFC Award by fiat rather than political consensus is a part of this misplaced effort. Ever since the seventh NFC Award came into effect in 2010, it has been characterised in conventional wisdom, either mistakenly or disingenuously, as the real reason for the country’s slide towards fiscal ‘insolvency’. Pakistan’s public finances are under water due to four proximate factors. One, perennial low revenue mobilisation. Two, lack of fiscal discipline on the expenditure side. Third, Covid-19. Fourth, the shock introduced by the rapid slide in the rupee since 2018, especially the large devaluations in 2019 and 2023, combined with the steep hike in the policy rate since. Having said this, it is also important to recognise that instruments of redistribution of resources, such as NFC Awards, should necessarily be the result of political processes. They should inherently be democratic in nature. In federations such as Pakistan, the NFC Award anchors the project of federalism itself. The real issue is not how the resources are distributed, but how they are raised and where they are spent. Redistributing the federal divisible pool from mis-spending provinces to a mis-spending centre will not address Pakistan’s fiscal woes.”
https://www.dawn.com/news/1959513/demonising-the-nfc-award
Editorial, “Fiscal concerns,” Dawn, 06 December 2025
“Three key takeaways have emerged from the inaugural NFC discussions on the 11th Award. First, the federal government has pitched an ambitious revenue mobilisation plan, proposing to raise consolidated revenues by over 5pc of GDP over the next three years. Secondly, the provinces declined to share their expenditure details on legal and technical grounds. Third, the meeting took up KP’s demand for an additional share from the federal divisible pool in view of increased fiscal needs after the Fata merger. Though there was no talk of reducing provincial shares from the divisible pool, the government took the opportunity to highlight the fiscal squeeze it has been facing since the finalisation of the seventh NFC Award that significantly reduced its own share some 15 years ago. That said, the talks on the 11th Award have opened at a politically charged moment amid attempts by the centre to undo the constitutional protection given to the existing provincial share under the NFC Award, and reclaim federal control over population and education through the 27th Amendment. Although the maiden NFC meeting took place in a cordial atmosphere, there is no guarantee that the centre will refrain from attempting to slash the provincial share or, alternatively, impose new expenditures on the provinces as talks move forward.”
https://www.dawn.com/news/1959517/fiscal-concerns
Politics & Governance
Mujeeb Ali, “Unchecked power and corruption,” The Express Tribune, 06 December 2025
“Transparency International ranks Pakistan 135th out of 180 countries on its Corruption Perceptions Index for last year. The 2024 World Justice Project's Rule of Law Index places it 129th out of 142, while the World Bank's Governance Indicators show the country trailing much of the world in rule of law, accountability, and control of corruption. Taken together, these numbers lay bare Pakistan's fragile position on the global stage. Power in Pakistan has rarely been accompanied by responsibility. From political corridors to bureaucratic offices, corruption has become an unchecked practice. It seems driven by bribery, nepotism, misuse of public funds, and manipulation of justice. This unchecked misuse of power has drained public trust. Citizens no longer believe promises of reform because they have seen too many broken ones. A soft approach towards elite corruption and its hard stance on political dissent further exposes this imbalance. Those who question the system are silenced, while those who exploit it walk free. Leadership is not about ruling; it is about serving. Pakistan needs leaders who understand that power is a test of character. It should be used to build, not to exploit. Unchecked power has already cost Pakistan dearly in credibility, development, and dignity. It is time for those in authority to realise that a nation's strength lies not in the power of its rulers, but in the service of its people.”
https://tribune.com.pk/story/2580729/unchecked-power-and-corruption
Editorial, “The first CDF,” The Express Tribune, 06 December 2025
“Pakistan's armed forces' administrative structure stands synergised, with its tri-services coordination now synchronised. The new catbird position in our higher defence organisation — the Chief of Defence Forces — is a leap forward, and has been clubbed with the powerful office of Chief of Army Staff. Field Marshal Munir, the 17th army chief, will hold the command of both offices in uniform till 2030, subject to a plausible extension, if need be. This restructuring was primarily necessitated in view of the changing dynamics of warfare, and with the apt realisation that technology has summarised decision-making in a unitary format. Many of the leading armies in the world have already similarly reorganised themselves. [...] the outcome was the office of CDF, as the decades-old JCSC authority was scrapped with the passage of the 27th amendment. So far, so good. The political hiccup, nonetheless, acted as a spanner in the works as the government exhibited its inefficiency in notifying the desired constitutional change in the military organogram. This fuelled uncertainty and threw open a rumour mill of speculations, putting the security mosaic under stress and strain. The point is, if an amendment to Article 243 can be carried out in a jiff, why can't a successive order be issued in due course of time? That is where the civil-military coordination took a blink.”
https://tribune.com.pk/story/2580726/the-first-cdf
Security
Imtiaz Gul, “Closed borders: answer to terrorism and stability?” The Express Tribune, 06 December 2025
“In the first eleven months of 2025, Pakistan saw a near 25 per cent escalation in terrorism, recording 1,188 attacks and security operations, which resulted in 3,187 fatalities. Pakistan attributes this spike to TTP sanctuaries in Afghanistan. Kabul, however, continues to assert that it is doing its best to prevent its soil from being used for cross-border terrorism. To reinforce its security claims, Pakistan suspended all cross-border human and cargo movement on October 11. But will closing the border rid Pakistan of terrorism? Why would it? The malaise has far deeper internal and external roots. Proxy terrorism — carried out by groups such as TTP, ISKP, ETIM/TIP and Al-Qaeda — remains a regional reality. Exports to Afghanistan — formal and informal — amount to over $3 billion annually. Yet, after Pakistan shut the border on October 11, most cross-border trade has collapsed. A larger question also arises: are the recent terrorist attacks solely due to the Afghan Taliban's unwillingness to act on counter-terrorism concerns, or are they the result of externally backed proxy terrorism? The convergence of internal and external threats — including transnational jihadist networks — illustrates the limits of simplistic, reactive measures. If Pakistan acknowledges that terrorism is externally financed and regionally integrated, then punitive actions such as sealing borders and halting trade with Afghanistan cannot be the primary tools of state strategy.”
https://tribune.com.pk/story/2580731/closed-borders-answer-to-terrorism-and-stability
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