In neighbouring Pakistan, security forces announced the arrest of a young woman identified as a “would-be” female suicide bomber in Khuzdar, Balochistan. Chief Minister Sarfaraz Bugti told reporters that the operation, conducted through “human intelligence,” had averted a major attack. He decried the exploitation of Baloch women by terrorist groups for use in attacks against civilians.
On the development front, the Asian Development Bank launched its 2026–30 Country Partnership Strategy for Pakistan, committing an expected $10 billion in financing over five years. The strategy targets private sector development, inclusion and empowerment, and resilience and sustainability — priorities shaped in part by the country’s vulnerability to the kind of global economic disruptions now emanating from the Gulf.
