The Ministry of Public Health said on Saturday that it had held a meeting to coordinate and effectively implement a plan to halt the import of medicines from Pakistan.

The meeting was attended by officials from the Directorates of Pharmaceutical Services, Licensing of Pharmaceutical Facilities, and Document Analysis and Regulation of Activities under the Food and Drug Deputy Ministry of the Ministry of Public Health.

During the meeting, emphasis was placed on alternative measures, including assessing the domestic market, managing existing stockpiles, facilitating imports from approved countries, and holding technical meetings to ensure that the supply of medicines is not disrupted and that people have continued access to safe, standard-quality medicines.

The ministry added that officials stressed the plan should be implemented in a gradual and carefully considered manner so that pharmaceutical services are not disrupted and the public interest is safeguarded.

The World Health Organization (WHO) has warned that the health situation in Afghanistan is deteriorating as winter deepens, leaving millions increasingly vulnerable.

Over the past three months, WHO has delivered 223 metric tons of essential medicines and medical supplies to 193 health facilities across 25 provinces, the agency said. The supplies are intended to treat respiratory infections, measles, severe acute malnutrition among children, and other urgent health conditions.

WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said the organization, with support from international partners, was working to expand access to healthcare and save lives across the country.

Health experts caution that without additional international assistance, the humanitarian and health crisis could worsen during the winter months. Earlier, UN Deputy Secretary-General Tom Fletcher warned that 1.7 million Afghan children are suffering from life-threatening malnutrition and said further cuts in aid risk deepening the crisis.

Pakistan has emerged as the country most affected by the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan’s return to power in 2021, according to a new report by the International Crisis Group (ICG), as cited by Pakistani daily Dawn.

The Brussels-based independent think tank warns that relations between Kabul and Islamabad have sharply deteriorated, raising the risk of further military confrontation if militant attacks inside Pakistan continue. The report cautions that Pakistan may resort to additional cross-border military action against Afghanistan under such circumstances.

According to the ICG, the primary source of tension lies in Pakistan’s assertion that the Islamic Emirate has failed to act decisively against the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP). Kabul has repeatedly rejected these claims, maintaining that Pakistan’s security challenges are internal and not linked to Afghan territory.

The report notes a significant escalation in violence across Pakistan since 2022. In 2025 alone, more than 600 Pakistani soldiers and police personnel were killed in militant attacks, particularly in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan. Islamabad attributes much of the violence to the TTP and Baloch insurgent groups, alleging they operate with backing from India.

The ICG also references United Nations monitoring assessments that claim the TTP enjoys support from the Islamic Emirate, an allegation Afghan authorities firmly deny. Kabul insists that TTP fighters are not present in Afghanistan and that militancy in Pakistan is homegrown.

According to Dawn, tensions escalated further after 11 Pakistani military personnel were killed in a TTP attack on October 8, prompting Pakistan to carry out airstrikes, including what was described as its first-ever strike on Kabul. Afghanistan subsequently retaliated by targeting Pakistani military positions, resulting in both military and civilian casualties on both sides.

The report warns that Islamabad is likely to respond forcefully again if future attacks are traced to Afghan territory. While describing the Islamic Emirate as militarily outmatched, the ICG cautions that any retaliation could still prove deadly. Afghan authorities have claimed they possess missiles capable of reaching Pakistani cities, a scenario that could provoke a far stronger response from Islamabad.

In a broader regional assessment, the International Crisis Group has listed Afghanistan–Pakistan relations among the 10 major conflicts to watch in 2026. The report adds that the global security environment was already deteriorating before Donald Trump’s return to the White House and that prospects for lasting peace in 2026 remain bleak.

Despite renewed diplomatic initiatives under President Trump aimed at portraying him as a global dealmaker, the report concludes that international crises have not eased and, in several cases, have intensified.