US in uphill battle to challenge Russia in Black Sea
On the day that two Russian fighter jets suddenly scrambled to intercept a US bomber refuelling mid-air near Crimea, US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin was visiting three Black Sea states.…
‘We got it wrong, for sure’
While the political and military establishment of the United States grapples with the causes and consequences of its debacle in Afghanistan, we will have to contend with how Pakistan figures…
Kashmir in chains
“At midnight on Aug 4, 2019 India turned all of Kashmir into a giant prison camp. Seven million Kashmiris were barricaded in their homes, internet connections were cut and their…
Threat of Taliban ascendancy
There are many reasons why Pakistanis should be deeply concerned about the Taliban ascendancy in Afghanistan. But perhaps the two most important reasons are, in equal parts, existential and urgent.…
A win-win formula
A few questions first about the current Afghan situation, in order of their importance. Is Afghan peace hostage to big power rivalry? What policy should Pakistan adopt vis-a-vis various warring…
Redefining Pak-US relations
WITH the last of the American soldiers packing to leave Afghanistan, post-9/11 US-Pakistan relations have come full circle. Originally touted as a strategic alliance, it morphed into a transactional one…
Imperatives for security
THE Islamabad Security Dialogue that coincided with US Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin’s India visit, where he praised New Delhi’s growing ties with ‘like-minded partners’, saw Pakistan’s leadership attempting to allay…
Afghanistan amid uncertainties
The US's military invasion of Afghanistan seems to be finally ending on September 11 this year – marking the 20th anniversary of the terrorist attacks on New York and Washington…
Thwarting Israeli provocations
The cyber-attack on an Iranian nuclear facility may have created a ripple of excitement among the war-mongers sitting in the power corridors of Tel Aviv but has appalled many who…
Trump vs Biden
US President Joe Biden’s cabinet nominations and the steps he has taken so far prove that he has a full understanding of the nature, volume and solution of the problems…
