South Asia Times - SAT

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Five years into Taliban rule, the question is not whether accountability mechanisms exist, but whether they can be indep...
14/08/2026

Five years into Taliban rule, the question is not whether accountability mechanisms exist, but whether they can be independently assessed.

A new UNAMA assessment examines the Taliban’s monitoring and accountability mechanisms for security forces, including bodies dealing with complaints, detention and personnel conduct.

UNAMA reports concerns over interference with monitoring processes and cases where complaints against Taliban personnel were reportedly rejected.

The report calls for stronger complaint mechanisms, use of force reporting and regular, disaggregated public reporting, warning that continued opacity risks reinforcing perceptions of impunity.

724 trucks of humanitarian aid have crossed into Afghanistan through Torkham.UN Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator fo...
14/08/2026

724 trucks of humanitarian aid have crossed into Afghanistan through Torkham.

UN Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator for Afghanistan .yahya said 724 trucks of humanitarian cargo have crossed into Afghanistan through the Torkham border crossing, reaching families in need, and thanked the Government of Pakistan and all those who kept the corridor open.

The figure is significant given Torkham's recent volatilit, the crossing was closed to transit and commercial movement for roughly nine months following clashes in October 2025, before Pakistan began authorising phased UN humanitarian transit in December 2025 under WFP, UNICEF, and UNFPA consignments.

UN estimates more than half of Afghanistan's population requires humanitarian assistance.

Pakistan's first generation gave it existence. This one has to give it a future.Seventy-nine years ago, millions of fami...
14/08/2026

Pakistan's first generation gave it existence. This one has to give it a future.

Seventy-nine years ago, millions of families walked away from homes, land, and certainty, not toward a functioning state, but toward an idea.

What followed was a Republic tested by war in 1947-48 and 1965, the trauma of 1971, a frontline role in the Cold War's Afghan conflict, a nuclear deterrent built under sanction, and two decades of internal conflict fought in villages, schools, and marketplaces at enormous human cost. Each generation inherited a different crisis and answered it.

In this edition of Down the Line, SAT argues that this generation's test is different, not whether Pakistan can survive, but whether it can renew itself, through stronger institutions, economic resilience, and a citizenry that still believes the country is a project worth building.

Can this generation do what "unfinished independence" actually demands next?

The Makkah Accord is reportedly moving from political commitment towards practical defence cooperation.Pakistan, Türkiye...
14/08/2026

The Makkah Accord is reportedly moving from political commitment towards practical defence cooperation.

Pakistan, Türkiye and Saudi Arabia are reportedly working to develop joint strategic, political and military mechanisms under the agreement, alongside plans for military exercises, defence-industrial cooperation and technology exchange.

If implemented, these measures could deepen institutional coordination and strengthen collective deterrence. The focus now is on translating the agreement into sustained mechanisms that can endure beyond political cycles.

Washington is signalling a strict economic response as tensions over the Strait of Hormuz escalate.US Treasury Secretary...
14/08/2026

Washington is signalling a strict economic response as tensions over the Strait of Hormuz escalate.

US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said Washington plans to impose new measures on Iran next week, warning of “economic isolation, like the world has never seen before.”

Bessent also described a two-pronged approach involving financial pressure and restrictions on Iranian ports, as the US seeks to pressure Tehran over the continued disruption of traffic through the Strait of Hormuz.

The tougher stance marks a shift from Bessent’s 4 August remarks that an agreement to reopen the waterway could be reached within days, underscoring the uncertainty surrounding efforts to de escalate the crisis.

Pakistan warns that recognising territorial gains made through occupation could weaken the rules-based international ord...
14/08/2026

Pakistan warns that recognising territorial gains made through occupation could weaken the rules-based international order.

Pakistan has condemned Colombia’s recognition of Israeli sovereignty over the occupied Syrian Golan Heights, arguing that unilateral recognition cannot alter the territory’s status under international law.

The development raises broader questions about the principle that territory cannot be acquired through force.

Pakistan has urged the UN Security Council to respond, while linking the Golan issue to wider regional stability and the need for a comprehensive resolution of outstanding Middle Eastern conflicts.

Taliban-appointed Faizabad Mayor Habib Rahman Mansour, who was also reportedly involved in overseeing security operation...
14/08/2026

Taliban-appointed Faizabad Mayor Habib Rahman Mansour, who was also reportedly involved in overseeing security operations in Badakhshan, was killed along with his guards in an explosion targeting his vehicle in Faizabad.

The incident reportedly occurred near Bridge No. 1, around 100 metres from the provincial government complex. The National Resistance Front claimed responsibility, while local authorities reportedly described the blast as an IED attack.

Mansour, originally from Maidan Wardak, was reportedly involved in monitoring the security situation and coordinating operational matters in the province. His killing comes amid continued security tensions and reported clashes in Badakhshan.

Five years after the Taliban takeover, new UN Women data highlights the continuing impact of restrictions on Afghan wome...
13/08/2026

Five years after the Taliban takeover, new UN Women data highlights the continuing impact of restrictions on Afghan women and girls.

More than half of women surveyed leave home only twice a month or less, while seven in ten report poor or very poor mental health. Women also remain largely excluded from education and employment, with only 7% participating in the workforce.

The report says more than 10.7 million women and girls require humanitarian assistance in 2026, as restrictions and funding cuts further limit access to essential services.

Five years on, the Taliban controls Kabul. It hasn't controlled the outcome.The Taliban ended one war in 2021. Five year...
13/08/2026

Five years on, the Taliban controls Kabul. It hasn't controlled the outcome.

The Taliban ended one war in 2021. Five years later, a different picture has emerged. Afghanistan still hosts al-Qaeda, TTP, ISKP, and other armed groups. The economy grew in 2025, but GDP per capita fell.

Nearly one in four young Afghans remain unemployed. Girls are still barred from school past Grade 6. Hazaras have faced thousands of killings since the takeover. At least 178 places of worship have reportedly been demolished.

In this edition of Down the Line, SAT traces what changed under five years of Taliban rule, and what stayed exactly the same.

Afghanistan’s anti Taliban resistance faces a broader political challenge beyond the battlefield.Afghanistan Freedom Fro...
13/08/2026

Afghanistan’s anti Taliban resistance faces a broader political challenge beyond the battlefield.

Afghanistan Freedom Front leader Yasin Zia says resistance must move beyond sporadic armed operations and build a stronger social and political base.

He argues that a credible post Taliban alternative must be legal, elected and inclusive, while avoiding renewed conflict, revenge and institutional collapse.

Zia also points to recent fighting in Zebak, Badakhshan, as an indication that resistance groups could move towards more sustained operations. He identifies former Afghan security personnel as a potential source of expertise and organisational capacity.

His remarks underline a wider question, whether armed opposition can develop into a coherent political alternative capable of shaping Afghanistan’s post-Taliban future.

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