South Asia

The hardline Taliban government in Afghanistan pushed back Thursday against an international outcry over its first public execution and application of Sharia, or Islamic law, to criminal justice at large, calling it “reprehensible” and “interference” in the country’s internal affairs. Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid said in a statement the criticism …

Police in Bangladesh killed one person and wounded more than 60 people Wednesday in Dhaka when they fired upon activists and members of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party, the largest opposition party of the country, according to reports in Dhaka newspapers. The situation across the country is volatile as BNP gears …

Afghanistan’s Taliban rulers Wednesday carried out the first public execution of a man charged with murder since returning to power, applying their strict interpretation of Islamic law, or Sharia, to criminal justice. Taliban government spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid said the early morning execution had taken place in a sports stadium in …

Pakistan’s Supreme Court Tuesday began scrutinizing an apparently lackluster government investigation into what the top court said was “the brutal killing” of a highly regarded investigative journalist while in self-exile in Kenya. Arshad Sharif, 50, was fatally shot in the head under mysterious circumstances by police officers at a checkpoint …

Pakistan said Monday that Russia had decided to export crude oil, gasoline and diesel to the South Asian nation at discounted prices. Deputy Minister for Petroleum Musadik Malik shared the details at a news conference in Islamabad after visiting Moscow last week where he met with his Russian counterparts. “An …

Afghanistan’s Taliban authorities said Monday they had arrested a foreign operative of the Islamic State militant group for allegedly carrying out last week’s failed assassination attempt on Pakistan’s chief diplomat in the country. Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid claimed in a statement, citing initial investigations, that Friday’s gun assault on Pakistani …

The Islamic State group said Saturday it is responsible for a Friday assassination attempt on Pakistan’s chief diplomat in Afghanistan. Sources said Charge d’affaires Ubaid-ur-Rehman Nizamani survived, but his security guard was critically injured. In a statement Saturday, the Islamic State group’s regional chapter said it had “attacked the apostate …

The Pakistani Taliban on Saturday claimed responsibility for a gun ambush that killed three police officers in northern Pakistan, the second attack claimed by the group just days after it announced an end to a cease-fire with the government. Police carrying out a patrol in Nowshera, a district of northern …

Pakistan’s chief diplomat in Afghanistan survived an assassination attempt Friday, but his security guard was critically injured. Sources say Chargé d’affaires Ubaid-ur-Rehman Nizamani was on a routine afternoon walk on his residential lawn inside the sprawling embassy compound when unknown gunmen from a nearby building opened fire on him. The …

The Committee to Protect Journalists has condemned the Afghan Taliban’s decision to ban FM transmissions of two U.S.-funded news media and urged an immediate resumption of their broadcasts. The Islamist Taliban government’s ban went into effect December 1. A day earlier, the Taliban’s Ministry of Information and Culture said it …