The Elusive Peace Deal

13/04/2026
Asad Mirza As expected, the United States and Iran failed to reach a peace deal after high-stakes talks in the Pakistani capital, with American Vice President JD Vance saying Tehran refused to accept Washington’s terms after 21 hours of talks in Islamabad. And Iran citing lack of American commitment to the talks. The talks termed as ‘Islamabad Talks’, lasted a full day of negotiations, which ended with a terse three-minute press conference — and without a deal. Talks between America and...

Historical Vijeshwar Temple Bijbehara is in a deteriorating condition

01/04/2026
By Vijeshwar Devasthan Trust The image shows an old Vijeshwar Temple, historically known as Vijayeshwara structure that appears neglected—there’s visible damage to the upper portion, vegetation growing out of the walls, and the surrounding area looks unmaintained. It’s understandable to feel concerned seeing a heritage or religious site in such a state of Jammu and Kashmir. However, attributing the condition to a specific cause like terrorism. What can be said with confidence ...

Bab el-Mandeb May Prove To Be The Gate Of Tears

01/04/2026
Asad Mirza The war against Iran has threatened global supplies of oil and natural gas, sparked fertiliser shortages and disrupted air travel. Iran’s grip on the strategic Strait of Hormuz has shaken markets and prices. The United States and Israel continue to strike Iran, whose retaliatory attacks have targeted Israel and neighboring Gulf Arab states. More than 3,000 people have been killed. In this backdrop, the entry of Iranian-backed Houthi rebels the war, has increased concer...

‘No Kings’ Protests Symbolises Global Frustration With Trump

30/03/2026
Asad Mirza More than 3,000 ‘No Kings’ protests against the Trump administration were held across America and in more than a dozen countries on Saturday (March 27), according to a coalition of organisers that included “anti-authoritarian” groups - Indivisible and 50501, labour unions and other grassroots organisations. Saturday, March 27 protests were the third ‘No Kings’ protest against US President Donald Trump; the last one in October 2025 drew seven million people nationwide. A...

Pakistan is behind Arab suffering and Middle East Wars

30/03/2026
By Fatima Baloch Through its notorious “Buy America, Hire America” strategic Middle East policy, the United States has long engineered artificial security threats for Arab countries in the Middle East by pushing Arab nations to fight against one another, coercing them into seeking US military support, purchasing American weapons, and hiring US military services—often against their neighboring Arab states. By supporting Israel, the US intimidates Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Syria, Qatar, and the...

Pakistan’s Aggression Against Afghanistan and India’s Options

24/03/2026
By Fatima Baloch The USSR militarily intervened in Afghanistan in 1979, toppling President Mohammad Daoud Khan and installing a communist government under Babrak Karmal. In response, the United States and Saudi Arabia, under Pakistan’s supervision, brought together various Afghan factions, mostly tribal warlords, and labelled them the so-called Afghan mujahideen. They waged a decade-long proxy war in the interests of the U.S. and Pakistan that ultimately led to the Soviet withdrawal ...

Easing Sanctions On Iranian Oil - A Pragmatic Move?

23/03/2026
Asad Mirza The decision last week by the United States to temporarily ease sanctions on Iranian oil shipments already at sea sparked immediate reactions on social media. Apparently, the hasty American move is viewed by experts at cooling surging global energy prices amid the ongoing West Asia conflict. However, in the current scenario India stands to benefit from this move and it may ease the pressure a bit on the Indian demand side. The US decision to temporarily ease sanctions on ...

The Drum that woke my Ramadan

19/03/2026
By Afreen Jan Some of my earliest memories of Ramadan in Kashmir are not of food or gatherings, but of a sound. A soft yet steady beat of a drum echoing through the quiet lanes before dawn. As a child, I would often wake up to that sound while the valley was still wrapped in darkness. I remember lying in bed, half asleep, listening carefully as the rhythm slowly came closer to our street. It was Sahar Khan, walking through the neighbourhood to wake people up for Sehri. My mother would ...

Pakistan’s Crimes Against Muslims and Humanity

18/03/2026
By Fatima Baloch The demoralized Pakistan Army, struggling against the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and the Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) in Balochistan, has escalated its conflict with its western neighbor, Afghanistan. On 27 February 2026, it launched a full-scale military campaign, codenamed Operation Ghazab-e-Ilhaq, bombing major Afghan cities including Kabul, Kandahar, and Khost, destroying civilian infrastructure and killing innocent people. Pakista...

PoK under TTP and India’s Future Security Challenges

16/03/2026
By Fatima Baloch Whether it is India in the east, Taliban-led Afghanistan in the west, a religious jihadist ideological insurgency in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa that is gradually engulfing Pakistan, or the secular Baloch national armed struggle seeking an independent Republic of Balochistan, Pakistan has opened multiple strategic fronts and is now facing grave security and existential threats. For India in particular, the situation carries serious implications. The Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP)...

Iran’s 'Mosaic Defence' and ‘Fourth Successor’ Models

14/03/2026
Asad Mirza In the ongoing war against Iran by US and Israel two terms which have gained prominence are “Mosaic Defence” model of war tactics and “Fourth Successor” model of leadership, both of which have shown the success of the Iranian regime in the war, so far. As US-Israel versus Iran conflict intensifies, Iran’s decentralised “Mosaic Defence” and “Fourth Successor” layered leadership models ensure military operations persist despite leadership losses. The world first heard the t...

An Asymmetric War In Terms Of Costs

11/03/2026
Asad Mirza Recent US and Israeli operations against Iran and the latter’s retaliatory strikes have once again demonstrated the mathematics of modern air defence. Waves of Iranian-designed Shahed-136 drones—crude, slow, and estimated to cost as little as $20,000 apiece—have in a number of exchanges forced the United States and several Gulf partners to expend their Patriot and SM-6 interceptors that cost millions of dollars each. During the ongoing Iran War interception rates have been ...

Gen Z Triumphs in Nepal, Falters in Bangladesh

11/03/2026
Asad Mirza During the last six months, there have been two political movements and subsequent elections in India’s immediate neighbourhood, which might have an impact on India’s regional aspirations and impact. These two movement and elections happened in Bangladesh and Nepal. Both were led by the young voters of the two countries, anxious for a change in the political leadership of their countries. But the results in both have been different. Let’s analyse the reasons for the same....

TTP-Led Pakistan and Future Indian Security Challenges

11/03/2026
By Fatima Baloch Whether it is India in the east, Afghan Taliban–led Afghanistan in the west, a religious jihadi ideological insurgency in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, or the secular Baloch national armed struggle for a secular Republic of Balochistan, Pakistan has opened multiple strategic fronts and is facing grave security and existential threats. For India in particular, the situation carries serious implications. The Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) has expanded its operational focus into P...

Iran’s New Supreme Leader - Mojtaba Khamenei

09/03/2026
Asad Mirza Iran on Monday (March 9) named Mojtaba Khamenei to succeed his father Ali Khamenei as the supreme leader of Iran, signalling that hardliners remain firmly in charge. Iranian institutions and politicians, from the foreign ministry to lawmakers, issued statements expressing their allegiance to the country's new supreme leader as the war entered its 10th day and fresh missile and drone strikes reverberated across the Middle East. This has also resulted in the failure of th...

Unrest in Gilgit-Baltistan. A Warning Sign for Pakistan

08/03/2026
Dr Shabir Choudhry from London When crowds burn military headquarters, attack government offices, and defy curfew orders, the message is rarely about a distant geopolitical event alone. The recent unrest in Skardu and other parts of Gilgit-Baltistan may have been triggered by anger over developments in the Middle East, but the targets of the violence tell a deeper story. Beneath the immediate outrage lies a reservoir of long-standing political frustration in a region that remains...

War Against Iran, Is it a Religious War?

06/03/2026
Asad Mirza US and Israeli leaders are framing the ongoing conflict with Iran as a religious war primarily for domestic mobilisation, civilisational framing, and strategic narrative construction. While the US-Israel led war against Iran could primarily be described as the one which is aimed at reducing Iran, the only country in west Asia, as it is a direct threat to the American hegemony in the region. Most other countries in the region are under the direct or indirect influence of ...

Pakistan’s Objectiveless Military Aggression Against Afghanistan

05/03/2026
By Fatima Baloch Every military operation and war generally has certain strategic objectives. However, just like the 1965 war and the Kargil conflict, Pakistan’s military operations often lack clear strategic objectives during wartime. This frequently leads to failure, heavy military casualties, and embarrassment, and Pakistan continues this legacy both in external wars and in internal military operations in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan. The Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP)...

Who After Ayatollah Khamenei?

03/03/2026
Asad Mirza The latest Israeli-US war on Iran began with airstrikes on the home and offices of the Late Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei. Apparently, the strategy behind this stemmed from the wishful thinking that Khamenei’s sudden elimination would pose a dire threat to the current ruling system of Iran and after his elimination the country would be thrown in chaos. Further, these chaos would be exploited by anti-Iran elements present in the country to foment anti-government mass move...

Ripples of a Regional Conflagration

03/03/2026
Dr Shabir Choudhry From London The recent escalation in the Middle East has underscored a stark geopolitical truth: localised conflicts now have global reverberations. What began as shifting regional alignments in West Asia has rapidly evolved into a cascade of political, security, and societal effects — extending far beyond the immediate theatre of confrontation. Pakistan and the broader South Asian region are currently experiencing the early shockwaves of this unfolding crisis. ...

Ayatollah Ali Khamenei: End of an era

01/03/2026
Asad Mirza Ayatollah Ali Khamenei (1939–2026), the second Supreme Leader of Iran, was killed on February 28, 2026, during coordinated US and Israeli airstrikes on Tehran. His death was confirmed by the Iranian state media on March 1, 2026, following an initial announcement by US President Donald Trump. Khamenei was killed at his office in a joint operation known as "Operation Epic Fury". Several other high-ranking officials, including the commander of the Islamic Revolutionary Guar...

Israeli-American attack on Iran:A prelude to the destruction of the Middle East

01/03/2026
Asad Mirza The latest attacks by Iran and Israel on each other heralds a horrific and decisive phase in the verbal duel between the two. It is no longer just a traditional fight of words between two countries, but is leading to a permanent change in the geographical and political map of the Middle East. 1. From historical background to direct confrontation For almost four decades, Israel and Iran have fought a "shadow war" against each other, which included cyber-attacks, targeted ...

From the Abraham Accords to South Asia: Realignment, Escalation

01/03/2026
Dr Shabir Choudhry The current turbulence in the Middle East is not an isolated eruption of violence. It is the visible phase of a deeper structural transformation that began years ago with shifting alliances, normalisation agreements, and recalibrated power balances. The question now confronting policymakers is not merely whether the conflict will intensify within West Asia, but whether its consequences will extend into South Asia. The concern is not about tanks moving across contine...

Backgrounder: Nepal Elections

01/03/2026
Asad Mirza Nepal will go to the polls on March 5 to elect a new government. Nearly 19 million people will take part in the ballot for Nepal's House of Representatives. The general election will be the first the country has held since the youth-led anti-corruption protests toppled the government in September 2025. The republic has since been governed by an interim government led by former chief justice Sushila Karki, which promised to hold fresh elections and hand over power within si...

Merz Shows The Mirror To Trump

23/02/2026
Asad Mirza In the backdrop of a continuous barrage of new American interpretations of the global law, threats and actions against unfriendly states, at least one leader has tried to show a mirror to the American President Donald Trump. Under Trump’s rule in the last 13 months most of the taken for granted American principles have been thrown to the winds, followed by his whimsical diktats. But at the recently held Munich Security Conference (February 13 to 15), the German Chancellor Fr...

Christianity and Islam Share The Fasting Month in 2026

20/02/2026
Asad Mirza Two largest religions of the world, i.e. Christianity and Islam started their most important period of fasting in a year on the same day this year. This rare convergence comes after a gap of 33 years. The Islamic month of Ramadan and Christianity’s 40 -day period of fasting called Lent, stated on 18 February this year. The last time the convergence happened was in 1993. Millions of Christians worldwide observe Lent, a 40-day period of prayer, fasting, reflection and s...

Israel’s aggression Continues Unabated in West Bank

17/02/2026
Asad Mirza Israel unabatedly continues its expansionist policy in the West Bank. The US, United Nations and several Arab states have criticised Israel as it expands powers in the occupied West Bank by allowing Jewish Israelis to buy West Bank land directly, and extending greater Israeli control over areas where the Palestinian Authority exercises power. A White House official has reiterated Donald Trump’s opposition towards Israel annexing the West Bank, after Israeli plans were...

Rise Of Jamaat-e Islami In Bangladesh And Its Impact On India

16/02/2026
Asad Mirza The much-anticipated election results from Bangladesh are out. The BNP has secured 209 seats, while the Jamaat-e-Islami won 68, as the Election Commission disclosed the unofficial election results for 297 constituencies. But the scale of the win surprised some observers, given expectations of a tighter race and wins by Jamaat-e-Islami. The keenly watched elections in Bangladesh were important, not just for the country but for the region as a whole. At the centre of this ...

Defence Budget Hiked Significantly

04/02/2026
Asad Mirza While presenting the budget for FY 2026-27, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman earmarked a record ₹7.85 lakh crore allocation for the county’s defence sector, post-Operation Sindoor. The increase in the defence outlay in the recent budget, was in the backdrop of "historic success of Operation Sindoor" which has further strengthened our resolve to make India's defence system even more robust, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said. In a decisive push to strengthen nati...

Indian Armed Forces Prepare for Strategic Sacrifice

01/02/2026
By Fatima Baloch War is never a desirable option; however, history demonstrates that nations are sometimes compelled to resort to military action in the pursuit of peace, sovereignty, and national security. India’s experiences in 1965 and 1971 underscore this reality. Whenever issues of territorial integrity, national dignity, and security have been compromised, India has demonstrated a willingness to bear significant sacrifices in defense of its national interests and honour. Thes...