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Biden not engaging Pakistan on Afghanistan is ‘disaster in the making’ — US senator

US Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) speaks during a hearing to discuss President Biden's budget request at the US Capitol in Washington, D.C. on June 8, 2021. (AFP/File)
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Updated 02 August 2021
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Biden not engaging Pakistan on Afghanistan is ‘disaster in the making’ — US senator

  • Lindsey Graham questions how US expected “effective” troop withdrawal from Afghanistan without coordinating with Pakistan
  • As of June, Biden has not made any contact with Pakistani PM Imran Khan since becoming president in January
Updated 02 August 2021
Muhammad Ishtiaq

ISLAMABAD: United States Republican Senator Lindsey Graham warned this week that US President Joe Biden’s approach not to engage with Pakistan on Afghanistan was a “major disaster in the making.”
The senator’s comments come amid slow progress in Taliban and Afghan government peace talks in Qatar and as violence rises dramatically around the country ahead of the withdrawal of foreign forces by September 11.
As of June, Biden has not made any contact with Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan since he took over as president this January. 
In a series of tweets on Tuesday evening, Graham said the planned withdrawal from war-torn Afghanistan required Pakistan’s cooperation.
“I believe that this decision by the Biden Administration to withdraw all forces and not stay engaged with Pakistan is a major disaster in the making, even worse than the blunder in Iraq,” Graham said.

“Stunning to hear that President Biden hasn’t reached out to the Prime Minister of Pakistan Imran Khan regarding the US-Pakistan relationship and Afghanistan,” the senator said in another tweet

Senator Graham has also questioned how the US expected troop withdrawal from Afghanistan “to be effective without coordinating with Pakistan? Clearly the Biden Administration believes that our problems in Afghanistan are behind us.”

A day earlier, on Tuesday, in an opinion piece published in the Washington Post, Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan said Pakistan was ready to partner with the US for peace in Afghanistan but would avoid risking further conflict, saying his country was opposed to a military takeover of Afghanistan and would not offer the US bases. 
“The interests of Pakistan and the United States in Afghanistan are the same. We want a negotiated peace, not civil war. We need stability and an end to terrorism aimed at both our countries,” Khan wrote.

Topics: Joe Biden Pakistan-US ties

Pakistan stocks hit record as fertilizer sales jump, rate cut hopes build

Updated 5 sec ago
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Pakistan stocks hit record as fertilizer sales jump, rate cut hopes build

  • KSE-100 jumps 1.5 percent to close above 179,000 points for the first time
  • Stocks start 2026 on a strong note amid broad-based institutional buying
Updated 5 sec ago
Hasaan Ali Khan

ISLAMABAD: Pakistani stocks extended their rally on Friday, with the benchmark index closing above the 179,000-point mark for the first time, driven by strong fertilizer sales data and expectations of further monetary easing by the central bank.

The KSE-100 index rose 2,679.44 points, or 1.52 percent, to close at 179,034.93, compared with its previous close of 176,355.49, according to data from the Pakistan Stock Exchange (PSX).

Ahsan Mehanti, chief executive officer at Arif Habib Commodities, said buying interest picked up ahead of key corporate earnings due next week, supported by easing inflationary pressures and improving sector-specific data.

“Rupee gains, strong fertilizer sales growth of 34 percent year-on-year in December 2025 and expectations of further policy easing by the State Bank of Pakistan, after headline inflation slowed to 5.6 percent year-on-year, acted as key triggers for bullish activity at the Pakistan Stock Exchange,” he told Arab News.

Fertilizer sales in Pakistan have shown mixed trends in recent months, with overall offtake affected by weak farm economics and seasonal factors. While urea sales declined in some periods, December data showed a sharp rebound, helping lift investor sentiment in the sector.

This has supported fertilizer stocks on the PSX, including Fauji Fertilizer Company, Engro Fertilizers and Fatima Fertilizer, which continue to draw interest due to their market dominance and dividend payouts.

Samiullah Tariq, head of research and development at Pakistan Kuwait Investment Company Limited, said investors were positioning for another rate cut amid improving macroeconomic indicators.

“Expectations of another rate cut, strong macroeconomic fundamentals and better corporate results are driving the market,” he said.

Pakistan’s central bank cut its key policy rate by 50 basis points to 10.5 percent last month, surprising markets after maintaining rates unchanged in its previous four policy meetings. Consumer price inflation eased to 5.6 percent year-on-year in December, while prices declined on a monthly basis.

Friday’s close capped a strong start to 2026 for the PSX, with broad-based institutional buying lifting major sectors and reinforcing investor confidence at the beginning of the year.

Topics: Pakistan Stock Exchange (PSX)

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