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Here are top 5 news article shaping South Asia Today.
1- Pakistan, Uzbekistan aim to boost bilateral trade to $2bn within next 5 years
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev signed a protocol on Thursday for enhancing bilateral trade between their countries to $2bn within the next five years.
2- India-US Trade Deal With 18% Tariff Reduction Expected by Mid-March
India and the United States are expected to sign a new trade agreement by mid-March that will reduce reciprocal tariffs to 18 per cent, a move both governments say is intended to deepen economic ties and significantly expand bilateral trade.
3- From Dependence To Diversification: Afghanistan’s Ban On Pakistani Medicines And Its Regional Impact – OpEd
On November 12, 2025, the Taliban government in Afghanistan (the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan) announced a ban on the import of medicines from Pakistan. During a meeting with Afghan traders, Deputy Prime Minister for Economic Affairs Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar Akhund described Pakistani medicines as low-quality and gave Afghan pharmaceutical importers a three-month deadline to settle their financial accounts in Pakistan. After the expiration of this period, Afghan traders would no longer be allowed to import Pakistani medicines into the country.
4- Provision of ‘maximum security’ to Chinese nationals top priority, interior minister tells envoy
Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi held an “important meeting” with Chinese Ambassador Jiang Zaidong in Islamabad on Thursday and told him that providing “maximum security” to Chinese nationals was Pakistan’s top priority.
5- Sri Lanka urges Pakistan to reconsider India match boycott in T20 World Cup 2026
Sri Lanka has appealed to Pakistan to reconsider its decision to boycott the match against India in the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026.
According to foreign media reports, Sri Lanka Cricket has requested the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) to review its decision to boycott the high-profile match against traditional rivals India in the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup.