Afghanistan’s Center for Strategic Studies (CSS) and Qatar’s Center for International Policy Research (CIPR) have agreed to strengthen cooperation through joint research and academic initiatives following a virtual meeting between the two institutions.

According to a statement issued by CSS, the meeting focused on exploring institutional collaboration and opportunities for joint research on regional issues and policy-related topics.

Dr. Abdul Hai Qanit, Director General of CSS, emphasized the importance of cooperation between research institutions and highlighted the role of Track 1.5 diplomacy in supporting informed policymaking and fostering dialogue on regional challenges.

The two sides discussed a range of regional developments and agreed to expand cooperation through joint research projects, policy papers, expert exchanges, and broader academic networking.

The agreement is expected to enhance knowledge-sharing and strengthen research ties between the two institutions as they seek to contribute to policy discussions and regional understanding.

The Ministry of Industry and Commerce announced on Wednesday that Shahabuddin Saqib, deputy minister of Industry and Commerce, has arrived in China at the head of a high-level delegation to participate in the China–Eurasia Expo 2026.

In a statement issued on Wednesday, the ministry said the visit is taking place at the official invitation of the Chinese government.

According to the statement, the China–Eurasia Expo 2026 will be held from June 25 to 29, 2026, in Urumqi, the capital of China’s Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region.

The visit aims to expand trade and economic relations, showcase Afghanistan’s investment opportunities, attract foreign investment, and strengthen economic cooperation between Afghanistan and countries in the region.

The expo is considered one of the region’s largest economic and trade events and has been held annually in Urumqi, China, since 2011.

A Pakistani anti-terrorism court has sentenced prominent civil rights activist Mahrang Baloch and an associate to life in prison over the killing of a paramilitary soldier during a July 2024 protest, Reuters reported. 

Baloch’s lawyer said he ​would appeal against the verdict.

Baloch, who has been detained since March 2025, has been a ​vocal opponent of enforced disappearances and alleged human rights violations in Pakistan’s ⁠southwestern Balochistan province, where ethnic separatists have waged a decades-long insurgency.

Human rights activists have criticised ​the trial, in which the accused were asked to appear via video link from prison ​but instead boycotted proceedings.

They said the life sentences against Baloch and Sibghatullah, another leader of the Baloch Yakjehti Committee (BYC) advocacy group, could further erode trust in the state.

Balochistan government officials said the verdict announced on ​Monday followed a fair trial and proved its position that protesters who use violence ​and target state officials can be prosecuted as terrorists.

Sarfaraz Bugti, the chief minister of Balochistan province, said justice ‌had ⁠been served for Sepoy Shabbir Baloch, who was killed by protesters while on duty in the port city of Gwadar.

“Those who take the law into their own hands under the guise of peaceful protest, promote violence, and target state officials are in fact facilitators of terrorism,” ​Bugti said.

The Quetta anti-terrorism ​court said it found ⁠Baloch and Sibghatullah guilty of murder and terrorism-related offences.

The court said Baloch had incited protesters to attack paramilitary personnel deployed at the ​protest and that eyewitness and medical evidence supported the prosecution case.

BYC ​organiser Lala Abdul ⁠Baloch called it a “faceless” trial and warned more Baloch youth would likely choose resistance.

“When you close access to the corridors of justice then more people will rise up against the state,” ⁠he said, ​adding the group has called a province-wide strike to ​protest the court’s decision.

Baloch’s lawyer, Israr Jattak, said on Wednesday the verdict would be challenged in the Balochistan ​High Court.