RFE/RL Gandhara

Balochistan Social-Media Activist Appears In Court After Disappearance

Authorities in Pakistan's southwestern province of Balochistan have arrested a local social-media activist and newspaper columnist on charges of interfering in the work of police.

Pakistani Lawyers Offer Free Services For Journalists Amid Crackdown

A top lawyer body has offered free legal services to the country’s journalists amid increasing incidents of harassment and intimidation of reporters who have criticized the country’s government and powerful military.  

Pakistan Still Seen As ‘Safe Haven’ For Regional Militant Groups

A U.S. government report has noted that despite some counterterrorism measures, Pakistan still remains a sanctuary for Islamist militant groups focused on attacks inside its South Asian neighbors.

Amnesty Calls For Immediate Release Of Pakistani Rights Researcher

Global rights watchdog Amnesty International (AI) has urged Pakistan to immediately release a human rights campaigner after the country's intelligence agency admitted it was holding Idris Khattak, who went missing seven months ago.

Pakistanis Face Chronic Fuel Shortages

Pakistan Reinforces Partial Lockdown As It Becomes A Coronavirus Hub

Authorities in Pakistan have begun reimposing a partial lockdown and have made wearing masks mandatory as the country races toward turning into a coronavirus hub amid rising infections and a mounting death toll.

Two More Pakistani Lawmakers Die Of Coronavirus

In a sign that the death toll from the coronavirus pandemic is mounting in Pakistan, two more lawmakers succumbed to COVID-19 on June 3.

Pakistan Faces Once-In-A-Generation Locust Threat Amid Pandemic

Pakistan, Afghanistan Brace For Spike In Coronavirus Cases After Eid Holiday

Authorities in Pakistan and doctors in neighboring Afghanistan are preparing for a rise in coronavirus infections after the Muslim celebration of Eid al-Fitr, which involved communal prayers, visits, and gatherings among families and communities.

Pakistan Still Supports Taliban, Pentagon Report Finds

A quarterly report by the U.S. Department of Defense to Congress has noted Pakistani continued support for Afghanistan’s hard-line Taliban movement in violence in the country.

Pakistani Parliament Controversially Convenes Amid Rising Coronavirus Infections

A meeting of the lower house of the parliament has begun in Pakistan despite some parliamentarians being unwilling to participate in special legislative sessions on the coronavirus pandemic.

Pashtun Rights Activist Killed In Waziristan Gun Attack

A prominent ethnic Pashtun rights activist has died after being critically injured in a gun attack in Pakistan’s western South Waziristan tribal district.

Pakistan Rights Watchdog Paints Bleak Picture

Pakistan’s leading nongovernmental watchdog has painted a grim picture of human rights abuses, a growing clampdown on dissent, and negative future prospects for the country’s 210 million people amid the coronavirus pandemic.

U.S. President, Qatari Amir Agree On Taliban Reducing Violence

The U.S. President Donald Trump and Qatari leader Amir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani have agreed on the importance of the Taliban reducing violence in Afghanistan.

Pakistani Crowds Still Gather For Friday Prayers

In what appears to be a setback in Pakistan’s efforts to contain the spread of the coronavirus, people have flocked to mosques for Friday Prayers across the country despite fears such congregations could spread the highly contagious virus.

Mob Attacks Police Amid Friday Prayers’ Coronavirus Curfew

A mob pelted police vehicles with stones and attacked officers as they attempted to enforce a complete curfew to prevent people congregating during Friday Prayers in Pakistan’s largest city, Karachi.

In Bid To Stop Coronavirus Spread, Afghanistan To Release Thousands of Inmates

Afghan President Ashraf Ghani has ordered the release of thousands of prisoners to prevent the spread of the coronavirus.

Health Minister Predicts Majority Of Afghans Will Get Coronavirus

Afghanistan’s health minister has cited estimates suggesting most of Afghanistan’s estimated 32 million population might contract the coronavirus over the next five months.

Pakistan Deploys Military To Impose Coronavirus Lockdown

Pakistan has deployed the military to aid civilian authorities in shutting down the country of 220 million to prevent the spread of the coronavirus outbreak as confirmed cases of the potentially deadly disease increased to more than 850.

Pakistan Scrambles To Contain Outbreak After First Coronavirus Deaths

Authorities in northwestern Pakistan are scrambling to lock down a rural community after one of the first reported deaths attributed to COVID-19, the disease caused by the novel coronavirus that has killed more than 9,000 people globally.