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In Focus
Pakistan-Afghanistan tensions
Pakistan conducts air strikes on targets inside Afghanistan; Claims 80 terrorists killed
On 23 February, The Express Tribune and Dawn reported that Pakistan carried out intelligence-based strikes on terrorist camps inside Afghanistan late Saturday night. The attack was seen as a response to a string of deadly suicide bombings, including the attack on an Imambargah in Islamabad and multiple blasts in Bajaur and Bannu over the last month. Afghanistan summoned Pakistan’s ambassador in response and condemned the attack as a violation of its territorial integrity. Pakistan was quick to confirm the strikes, with an official press release saying the nation had “conclusive evidence” that the recent attacks in the country were orchestrated by terrorists originating from Afghanistan. According to Express News, seven Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) hideouts in Nangarhar, Paktika and Khost were destroyed, killing more than 80 terrorists.
The official statement said the attacks in Islamabad, Bajaur and Bannu were claimed by Afghan-based Pakistani Taliban belonging to Fitna al Khwarij (FAK) and their affiliates, as well as the Islamic State of Khorasan Province (ISKP). It also accused the TTP of conducting attacks with support from Afghanistan. "Despite repeated efforts by Pakistan to urge the Afghan Taliban regime to take verifiable measures to deny use of Afghan territory by terrorist groups and foreign proxies to carry out terrorist activities in Pakistan, the Afghan Taliban regime failed to undertake any substantive action against them," the statement said. Officials said Pakistan made “selective” strikes based on actionable intelligence. They also maintained that the operation was limited in scope and designed to dismantle terrorist infrastructure. Kabul, on the other hand, has strongly rejected Pakistan’s version of events. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan, in a statement, said it "strongly condemns the violation of Afghan airspace and the bombing of civilians by the Pakistani Army, and considers it a clear violation of Afghanistan's territorial integrity and a provocative act." Afghanistan also accused Pakistan of targeting civilians, which Islamabad rejected.
The latest escalation comes amid a renewed wave of terrorism in Pakistan’s western regions, with attacks claimed by the TTP and ISKP surging over the last year. The increase in terrorist attacks strained relations between Islamabad and Kabul last year, with both countries even fighting a brief war in October. Despite the ceasefire agreement signed between the two with the help of Qatar and Turkey, the latest strikes complicate efforts to stabilise the border. Pakistan has repeatedly demanded that Afghanistan take “visible and verifiable” action against TTP elements, which, it believes, Afghanistan shelters - while Kabul has denied allowing any group to use its soil against other countries. (Kamran Yousaf, “Air raids in Afghanistan destroy 7 terror camps,” The Express Tribune, 23 February 2026; “Over 80 terrorists killed as armed forces strike 7 camps along Pakistan-Afghanistan border,” Dawn, 22 February 2026)
In Brief
EXTERNAL
Pakistan and Bangladesh discuss expanding bilateral cooperation
On 22 February, The Express Tribune reported that Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar and Bangladesh’s newly-appointed Foreign Minister, Dr Khalilur Rehman, had their first phone conversation, where they discussed strengthening bilateral ties and expanding cooperation across various sectors. During the call, both ministers emphasised a shared vision of peace, stability and prosperity in the region. This comes following the victory of the BNP in last week’s general elections in Bangladesh. In August 2025, Pakistan and Bangladesh signed several agreements to expand cooperation in trade, diplomacy, education and cultural exchanges, among others. (“Ishaq Dar, Bangladesh counterpart discuss boosting bilateral ties in first phone call,” The Express Tribune, 22 February 2026)
Pakistan and 13 others condemn remarks by US envoy supporting Israel's expansion
On 22 February, The Express Tribune reported that Pakistan and 13 other countries denounced remarks by US Ambassador to Israel, Mike Huckabee, suggesting that he would not oppose Israel taking over large parts of the Middle East. Huckabee’s statement came while speaking to journalist Tucker Carlson, where he argued that Israel has a Biblical right to land stretching from the Nile to the Euphrates River. In response, foreign ministers from Pakistan, Egypt, Jordan, United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Indonesia, Kuwait, Oman, Turkiye, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Lebanon, Syria and Palestine, along with the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation, League of Arab States and Gulf Cooperation Council, expressed “profound concern” in a joint statement. The statement also called for an end to such “incendiary statements” and reaffirmed support for Palestinians’ right to self-determination and an independent state along 1967 lines. Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Jordan, Egypt and Iraq also condemned the remarks in separate statements. This comes following Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s remarks last August, where he said he feels “very attached” to the vision of a “Greater Israel”. (“Pakistan, Muslim bloc denounce US envoy remarks backing Israel expansion,” The Express Tribune, 22 February 2026)
ECONOMY
Government borrowing rises almost fivefold
On 22 February, Dawn reported that government borrowing in the first seven months of FY26 was almost five times more than the same period last year. Data from the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) showed that the government borrowed PKR 1912 billion in 7MFY26, compared to PKR 408 billion a year ago. The government borrowed PKR 5.4 trillion in FY25, but the situation is even worse this year, with borrowing already touching nearly PKR 2 trillion in the first seven months. This has left little room for the private sector to borrow, curtailing growth despite low inflation. While the State Bank reduced the Cash Reserve Requirement (CRR) for banks from 6 per cent to 5 per cent, experts believe the private sector is still reluctant to borrow for long-term investments. (“Government borrowing increases five times,” Dawn, 22 February 2026)
POLITICS & GOVERNANCE
TTAP demands elections and proper medical treatment for Imran in criticism of government
On 22 February, The Express Tribune reported that the Tehreek-e-Tahaffuz-e-Ain Pakistan (TTAP), on Sunday, demanded immediate free and fair elections, the release of political prisoners and proper medical treatment for PTI founder Imran Khan. This came during a press conference in Islamabad, where TTAP leader Mustafa Nawaz Khokhar criticised the government’s governance and economic policies, warning that the country cannot be led by a “hybrid regime” indefinitely. “The country cannot continue to function this way. People will grow further alienated, and we will continue to expose their failures and show their true face to the people of Pakistan,” he said. He called out the government’s counterterrorism efforts, stressed the importance of political dialogue, criticised the condition of the country’s economy and the decision to join US President Donald Trump’s “Board of Peace”. Separately, TTAP spokesperson Akhunzada Hussain Ahmed Yousafzai expressed concern over Imran Khan’s medical treatment, calling for his personal doctors and family to be allowed during the treatment. (“TTAP criticises govt policies, demands elections and medical care for Imran Khan,” The Express Tribune, 22 February 2026)
SECURITY
CTD kills terrorist commander and accomplice in Bannu
On 22 February, The Express Tribune reported that two terrorists, including a detained commander, were killed in Bannu district of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (KP) after attacking a Counter Terrorism Department (CTD) vehicle in an attempt to free their captured chief. The CTD team was transporting a high-profile terrorist commander, Usama alias Daniyal alias Baghi, to identify another crime scene when his accomplices attacked the convoy. The CTD’s SWAT team responded promptly, leading to crossfire during which the commander was killed. During interrogations, the CTD said that the commander had confessed to involvement in multiple high-profile attacks, including the killing of Assistant Commissioner Shah Wali Khan, former SHO Abid Wazir, and three leaders of the Marwat Qaumi Tehreek. (“Terrorist commander, accomplice killed in exchange of fire with CTD Bannu,” The Express Tribune, 22 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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