Asia Intelligence Brief — Saturday, September 26, 2026

Pakistan's capital, Islamabad, was sealed for a fortnight against a march that was postponed to 4 October at a cost of 46.5 million Pakistani rupees. Dhaka police policed a brief procession in Bangladesh, while Delhi let an ultimatum expire. Officials in these capitals appeared tired, simply renting containers, clearing mud from highways, counting detainees and writing letters to opposition leaders.

Pakistan is the most expensive example of this, with its capital ringed with rented containers costing about US$168,000 per day. Nepal asked for grants rather than loans in New York, while Australia remained calm and fatalistic, with all four of its largest banks expecting borrowing costs to rise. Dhaka's unease is older, with two bombs going off beside a procession in Dhanmondi street.

Pakistan's government spent two weeks fortifying its capital against a protest, only to see the protest moved a week later. Khyber Pakhtunkhwa's chief minister Sohail Afridi announced the postponement, stating that the party's political committee unanimously agreed to put the long march off. Despite the barriers, the party remains defiant, with Afridi urging supporters not to be deterred.