Blast in Afghanistan's Jalalabad kills 5

India on Thursday rejected Pakistan's allegations of aggravating skirmishes with Afghanistan, calling them "baseless" and accusing Pakistan of blaming others for its own misdeeds.

In a video statement, Mirza argued that the current situation between Pakistan and Afghanistan should be examined through the framework of international law, particularly the principles upheld by the United Nations.

India's UN Ambassador, Harish Parvathaneni, has condemned Pakistan's "hypocritical" airstrikes in Afghanistan during Ramadan, which killed 185 civilians. Speaking at the UNSC, he denounced the strikes as flagrant violations of sovereignty and international law, while also slamming "trade and transit terrorism" targeting the landlocked nation.

India raised concerns over humanitarian challenges, cross-border violence, and trade restrictions affecting Afghanistan during a United Nations Security Council (UNSC) briefing on the situation in the country. Delivering India's statement at the meeting, Permanent Representative Ambassador Harish Parvathaneni highlighted New Delhi's continued humanitarian support while drawing attention to issues including civilian casualties, forced returns, and barriers to trade for the landlocked nation.

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio designated Afghanistan as a "state sponsor of wrongful detention" in a release on Monday. He urged the Taliban to release Americans "unjustly detained," accusing the group of using "terrorist tactics" and "hostage diplomacy" to seek policy concessions from the US.

With Pakistan facing the impact of the crisis in West Asia, the Chief Minister of the country's Punjab province, Maryam Nawaz Sharif, has announced a series of measures "to protect the public and manage resources responsibly".

The findings have raised questions about the effectiveness of legal mechanisms meant to protect women and vulnerable communities in the province.

Three young men were shot dead in Balochistan's Panjgur district, allegedly by state-backed "death squads." The Baloch Yakjehti Committee condemned the killings alongside recent attacks on intellectuals and artists, urging the UN to investigate these escalating human rights violations and targeted violence across the province.

His remarks come amid the backdrop of international outrage after strikes in Iran hit Minab Girls' Primary School in the country's Hormozgan province, killing over 160 and injuring another 100.

The UN body said that from late evening on February 26 to March 5, it verified and recorded 185 civilian casualties in Afghanistan due to indirect fire and aerial attacks linked to cross-border armed clashes with Pakistan.