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In Brief
EXTERNAL
Pakistan and Philippines explore enhancing trade, investment and energy ties
On 20 February, The Express Tribune reported that Pakistan and the Philippines discussed expanding trade and investment ties, cooperation in agriculture, energy and minerals and easing business travel, according to a spokesperson for Pakistan’s Ministry of Economic Affairs. This came during the second meeting of the Pakistan-Philippines Joint Economic Commission (JEC) in Manila on Friday, where the two sides considered organising trade exhibitions, while also backing the return of the Pakistan-Philippines Joint Business Council. Opportunities for export in agricultural commodities were also discussed, while within the energy and mineral sectors, upstream exploration and exchange of mining technology were highlighted. The two countries also agreed to explore the possibility of a Preferential Trade Agreement (PTA) to boost trade flows and strengthen economic engagement. (“Pakistan, Philippines explore trade, investment and energy cooperation,” The Express Tribune, 20 February 2026; “Pakistan, Philippines move toward PTA,” The Express Tribune, 21 February 2026)
Lack of liquidity undermining UN peacekeeping operations, says Pakistan
On 20 February, Dawn reported that Pakistan warned that the United Nations’ liquidity crisis is directly undermining peacekeeping operations by reducing patrols, mobility and field presence. Pakistan’s UN Ambassador Asim Iftikhar Ahmad said that the lack of liquidity was “affecting mandate delivery, deterrence against violence and the overall effectiveness of missions in the field”. He also stressed the importance of UN peacekeeping missions in maintaining international peace and security while speaking at the opening of the Special Committee on Peacekeeping Operations. He said that predictable financing had now become an issue and called for Security Council mandates to be matched with predictable resources. “The central challenge is not relevance, but resolve and collective political will,” he added. In large part, the budget shortfall is a result of member states failing to pay their assessed contributions, including the United States, which owes over USD 2.2 billion but has only paid USD 160 million so far. (“UN liquidity crisis undermining peacekeeping operations, warns Pakistan,” Dawn, 20 February 2026)
AF-PAK
Bajaur attack traced back to Afghanistan, writes The Express Tribune
On 21 February, The Express Tribune reported that there was irrefutable evidence pointing to the use of Afghan soil for conducting terrorist activities in Pakistan, security sources told the media outlet. The 16 February suicide attack in Bajaur was carried out by an Afghan national identified as Kharij Ahmad, alias Qari Abdullah Abu Zar, from Balkh province of Afghanistan. Similarly, the 6 February Islamabad suicide bomber received militant training in Afghanistan. The attackers behind the November 2025 assault on the Islamabad Judicial Complex and the 24 November attack on FC Headquarters in Peshawar also had links to Kabul. Other attacks allegedly involving Afghan nationals include the 10 October attack on the Dera Ismail Khan Police Training Centre and the 10 November attack on Wana Cadet College last year. (“Bajaur attack traced to Afghanistan,” The Express Tribune, 21 February 2026)
ECONOMY
Poverty rate rises to 29 per cent, highest in a decade
On 21 February, The Express Tribune reported that the poverty rate in Pakistan surged to an 11-year high of 29 per cent, according to a survey released by the Planning Minister Ahsan Iqbal. Additionally, income inequality has also reached its highest level in 27 years, while real income and consumption fell over the past seven years. This means around 70 million Pakistanis are now living in abject poverty, with the rate rising by 32 per cent since 2018-19. Meanwhile, the unemployment rate also hit a 21-year high of 7.1 per cent. Iqbal admitted that economic stabilisation policies under the IMF programme contributed to the increase in poverty, particularly due to the withdrawal of subsidies and exchange rate devaluation, while natural disasters and low economic growth were other factors (“Poverty rate hits 29%, highest in over a decade,” The Express Tribune, 21 February 2026)
Policy changes made by Pakistan helped stabilise economy, says IMF
On 20 February, Dawn reported that the International Monetary Fund (IMF) praised Pakistan’s policy efforts under the IMF’s Extended Fund Facility (EFF), which it says has “helped stabilise the economy and rebuild confidence,” said IMF Communications Director Julie Kozack in a statement on Thursday. “Headline inflation has been relatively contained. And Pakistan posted its first current account surplus in 14 years in FY25,” she added. She also mentioned that an IMF staff team would visit Pakistan from 25 February for the third review under the EFF and second review under the Resilience and Sustainability Fund (RSF). Following the successful completion of the review, Pakistan will be eligible for the disbursement of about USD one billion under the EFF and another USD 200 million under the RSF by the end of April. (“Policy efforts taken by Pakistan under EFF helped ‘stabilise economy, rebuild confidence’: IMF,” Dawn, 20 February 2026)
POLITICS & GOVERNANCE
Imran to be taken to hospital two more times, says minister Tariq Fazal Chaudhry
On 20 February, Dawn reported that Parliamentary Affairs Minister Tariq Fazal Chaudhry said that PTI founder Imran Khan would be taken to a hospital twice in the coming days and that he would also receive an injection on 25 February. “Our top priority is to provide him the best treatment facilities. We previously took him to Pims as well, but in secrecy due to his security,” Chaudhry said. He added that the former premier was taken to the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS) on the advice of doctors who examined him in jail and suggested he should be treated at a tertiary care hospital. He also said that the government had invited the PTI leadership to be present during an examination, but they could not decide “which leadership to send”. “We will try to invite them this time as well during his treatment, but first, they need to decide who will come,” he added. (“Imran to be taken to hospital two more times, will be administered injection on Feb 25: minister,” Dawn, 20 February 2026)
PTI reiterates objection to joining Board of Peace without consultation
On 20 February, Dawn reported that the PTI, on Friday, criticised Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif for attending the inaugural Board of Peace summit and reiterated its objection to Pakistan joining the board without consultation. In a statement posted on X, the party said it expressed “grave concern over the government of Pakistan’s decision to join the Board of Peace without transparency, parliamentary debate, or consultation with major political stakeholders of the country.” The party also maintained that it did not recognise the legitimacy of the present Parliament. The party also drew comparisons to former premier Imran Khan, who, it said, was always among the most outspoken and vocal supporters of Palestinian rights. It added that Pakistan’s role in global peace initiatives should strengthen the United Nations framework rather than encourage “parallel arrangements that weaken international law and accountability”. It emphasised the need to include Palestinians in the peace talks and criticised PM Sharif for attending the meeting. This follows the government’s decision to join the Board, which was met with criticism from political parties and analysts. (“PTI assails PM Shehbaz for attending BoP meeting, reiterates objection to joining without consultation,” Dawn, 20 February 2026)
PROVINCES
Tremors from 5.6-magnitude earthquake in Afghanistan felt in KP
On 20 February, The Express Tribune reported that tremors from a 5.6 magnitude earthquake were felt in parts of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa on Friday, according to the Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD). The quake’s epicentre was located in the Hindu Kush region in Afghanistan and occurred at a depth of 73 kilometres. According to the US Geological Survey, the magnitude was 5.8, while the depth was 90.7 kilometres. Affected areas include Peshawar, Dir, Malakand, Bajaur, as well as part of Punjab, including Chakwal, Kallar Syedan, and Talagang. (“5.6-magnitude earthquake jolts parts of K-P,” The Express Tribune, 20 February 2026)
Editorials/Opinions
Gwadar Port
Imtiaz Gul, “Ten years on, Gwadar a dream gone sour,” The Express Tribune, 21 February 2026
"High-profile events in places like Gwadar project ambition and showcase the region's significant strategic geography. A similar event titled 'Pathways to a Modern Coastal City', organised last month by the Government of Balochistan and some federal institutions, resonated with the usual repetitive shallow rhetoric on the "strategic potential" of Gwadar. The apparent objective was to woo investors and tourists into the region, where economic infrastructure continues to reel from shortages of electricity and water; education and governance remains in a shambles; and the general environment is held hostage to a state of insecurity."
https://tribune.com.pk/story/2593692/ten-years-on-gwadar-a-dream-gone-sour
Politics & governance
Shakeel Ahmed Shah, “Local bodies — forever and ever coming soon,” The Express Tribune, 21 February 2026
"It is the fundamental absurdity of Pakistan's governance system that the most basic tier of government, the one closest to citizens, is treated like an optional widget that can be turned off whenever it suits higher political interests. Local government is not some exotic policy idea. It is governance, it is development, it is the lived experience of citizens from Quetta to Gilgit, from Sukkur to Muzaffarabad, and yet we keep revisiting its absence with a curious mixture of urgency and habitual delay."
https://tribune.com.pk/story/2593690/local-bodies-forever-and-ever-coming-soon
Climate change
Naveed R Khan, “Carbon inequality: why Pakistan takes the heat,” The Express Tribune, 21 February 2026
"The climate debate worldwide is framed as if the environmental hazard is a shared problem with shared responsibility. The reality, however, is totally different. Carbon emissions are unequal, and climate damage falls unequally. That mismatch, carbon inequality, has silently become one of the biggest blind spots in global climate governance. And countries like Pakistan, which contribute very little to the problem, keep paying an enormous price in disasters, fiscal stress and lost growth."
https://tribune.com.pk/story/2593513/carbon-inequality-why-pakistan-takes-the-heat
Board of Peace
Editorial, “BOP's moment,” The Express Tribune, 21 February 2026
"The Board of Peace took off in Washington with a seed money of $10 billion, as five Muslim nations pledged troops for the International Stabilisation Force. Pakistan, despite being a founding member, has refrained from being part of the disarmament campaign in Gaza as the mandate of the ISF is yet to be decided. This is a smart move on the part of Islamabad as misgivings are in the air concerning a plausible confrontation with the politico-militant Hamas, and its wider implications on regional peace and security."
https://tribune.com.pk/story/2593687/bops-moment
Environment
Asad Ejaz Butt, “SDG façade,” Dawn, 18 February 2026
"Beset by the worst floods of its history in 2022, Pakistan approached the international community for help. As its delegation sought $10 billion in reconstruction pledges at Geneva, a local councillor in flood-hit Sindh said: “The SDGs came to us as a logo on a banner, not as a boat, a clinic or a school.” In a post-flood, inflation-hit city, a woman in a ration queue lamented: “Every year they say poverty has gone down; every year my queue gets longer.”
https://www.dawn.com/news/1974028/sdg-facade
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