Afghan challenge
What will be achieved in Istanbul, and with what intention will Kabul move? Pakistan’s intentions are now out in the open: right behind dialogue and diplomacy, the kinetic will be…
Covert crimes
The term “covert action” is a peculiarly American invention; it does not appear in the lexicon of other intelligence services. Nor does the term appear in the National Security Act…
The red line
Pakistan and Afghanistan forces have been locked in a confrontation that, in its scale and persistence, has no precedent in recent decades. Over the past five days, the two neighbours…
Did Trump’s crime crackdown in Washington work? It’s complicated
After mobilizing hundreds of federal agents and thousands of soldiers to the nation’s capital, President Donald Trump has declared victory over what he called a “crisis” of crime in Washington,…
Inclusivity is key
IN 2022, Pakistan’s first national security policy introduced the concept of geo-economics, arguing that the country’s security and prosperity go hand in hand. Recent geopolitical and regional shifts have led…
Futile reforms
THERE is talk of administrative reforms by the government these days. Reforming the bureaucracy has been on the minds of most governments. There have been numerous commissions and committees and…
Higher education antinomies
Pakistan’s higher education sector reflects a story of remarkable growth in access, yet one that still grapples with deeper structural change. The numbers are impressive: from just 67 higher education…
Pakistan-Saudi defence pact oozes with unknowns
The new mutual defence pact signed by Pakistan and Saudi Arabia this month surprised many and came just days after the Gulf region was rattled by Israeli strikes on a…
Pakistan and KSA redraw security map
The announcement of a mutual defence pact between Pakistan and Saudi Arabia is more than a ceremonial gesture. It represents a recalibration of regional security equations at a time when…
Symbolism over justice
In September 2025, the UK formally recognised the State of Palestine, a gesture hailed by some as historic. Yet it is a hollow, belated move after more than a century…
