Iran’s Nuclear Program – Destroyed or Not?

30/06/2025
Asad Mirza It has been almost one week since US bombers conducted "Operation Midnight Hammer" against Iran and its nuclear development sites. However, it is still not clear whether Iran’s’ capabilities have been damaged; if yes, then to what extent? Further, it also puzzles one with Iran’s obsession with continuing a nuclear program. US President Donald Trump has repeatedly said the US attack on Iran obliterated its nuclear program and prompted the ceasefire. However, a US offici...

How Iran Was Duped by Israel

16/06/2025
Asad Mirza Iran and Israel continued their military strikes against each other for a third straight day (June 16). Last night, Iran targetted the northern Israeli port city of Haifa. As Israel's defence system intercepted Iran's ballistic missiles, two hypersonic missiles reportedly hit Haifa, causing several injuries, according to Israel's public broadcaster Kan. However, during these ongoing attacks and counter attacks, the moot question is where Iran faltered in securing the sec...

The Uncalled For Israeli Attack on Iran

13/06/2025
Asad Mirza Israel’s attacks on Iran could lead to a catastrophic potential full-scale war, further destabilising an already volatile Middle East, with serious implications for global security. Such a conflict could disrupt global oil supplies, involve international powers, and deepen regional instability. Israel’s June 13 airstrikes on Iranian soil have sharply escalated the long-running confrontation between the two arch-rivals. Codenamed Operation Rising Lion, the operation invo...

UK To Revamp Its War Preparedness

09/06/2025
Asad Mirza The United Kingdom’s Strategic Defence Review (SDR), published on 2 June 2025, offers an ambitious vision for the British Armed Forces. It reiterates a focus on a ‘NATO First’ policy, amid what Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer calls in the document a ‘new era for defence and security’. The latest war preparedness, to fight any future war in Europe or elsewhere has been proposed in the Strategic Defence Review (SDR), 2025. The SDR proposes to build as many as a dozen new nucle...

To Kashmiri Pandits with an olive branch

03/06/2025
K N Pandita Thirty-six years after our forced exile from our birthplace of Kashmir, PDP Chairperson, Mehbooba Mufti, during her recent meeting with the LG, suggested honourable, secure and sustainable return and rehabilitation of nearly 60 thousand Kashmiri Pandit families scattered all over the country after their exodus in 1990. In her formal letter to the LG, she has appended an outline of a comprehensive rehabilitation plan for the Pandit minority in Kashmir Valley. To many ...

US Denounces Aggressive Chinese Attitude

02/06/2025
Asad Mirza At the recently concluded Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore, US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth urged US allies in Asia to boost defences fast, saying America is shifting its strategy to counter growing threats from China. During his speech at the 22nd Shangri-La Dialogue, US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth painted a picture which warned that China is “credibly preparing” to use military force to shift the power balance in Asia, saying that the US remains firmly committe...

AI To Help Hajj Pilgrims and Saudi Organisers

30/05/2025
Asad Mirza As millions of people prepare to converge on Islam’s holiest site for the 1446 AH Hajj season, Saudi authorities have introduced a sophisticated series of technological systems designed to enhance the management of pilgrims at the Grand Mosque in Makkah. Millions of pilgrims have started congregating at the Holy Mosque in Makkah and will visit the nearby pilgrimage sites in Makkah, Saudi Arabia, shortly. The dauting task of managing millions of people and ensure their safet...

Healing touch eludes our front-line terrorist victim family

29/05/2025
By Rajinder Premi Despite the cries and sorrow of the KP families affected by the terrorism in Kashmir, the Govts have not been able to embalm our inflicted wounds. Our tales of suffering still continue even after three decades of our forced exile. We have not only lost our near and dear ones but had to abandon our homes and hearths in this back drop. We had not to come out-of the valley, but had to flee elsewhere for safety and security of the rest of the family members only after t...

A New Dawn in Syria

26/05/2025
Asad Mirza The American President Donald Trump in a significant shift in US foreign policy, recently announced the easing of long-standing sanctions on Syria, marking a pivotal moment for the war-torn nation and the broader Middle East. This decision came during the President’s middle east tour and discussions with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. The meeting between Syria’s interim President Ahmad Al-Sharaa, formerly known as Abu Mohammed Al-Golani and President Rump, apparentl...

Famine in Gaza

22/05/2025
Asad Mirza As famine looms over Gaza, with 57 children reportedly dying from the effects of malnutrition over the past 11 weeks, the Israeli operation in Gaza continues unabated. Though some western leaders have voiced concern over the fast-deteriorating situation in Gaza, no practical solution or confronting Israel for its anti-human behaviour against the Palestinians, appears to be on the horizon. Israel is still blocking aid for Gaza despite promise to lift siege, the UN has sa...

Expose Pakistan’s Terror Machine: Time for the World to Act

22/05/2025
by Farooq Ganderbali Pakistan, long known as a safe haven for terrorists, continues to be the epicenter of cross-border terrorism. From the rugged terrains of Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) to the terror launch pads scattered across its territory, Pakistan has institutionalized terror as an instrument of state policy. With alleged support from the Pakistan Army and its intelligence agency ISI, militant groups are being trained, armed, and pushed into Jammu and Kashmir with a singul...

Trump’s West Asia Tour: Arabs In, Israel Out

19/05/2025
Asad Mirza The President of the United States, Donald Trump, arrived in Riyadh, the capital of Saudi Arabia, on the first leg of his West Asian tour, last week. He also visited Qatar and the UAE during the tour, ignoring Israel. During the visit he also met with Syria’s President, a former Al Qaeda leader, Al Shara. Overall, the visit was not just foreign policy and bilateral relations but an exercise to boost the financial fortunes of the Trump family. Believe it or not, Trum...

Nationalism not cubbed with Religion

13/05/2025
Asad Mirza The last week saw an unprecedented escalation of tension between two nuclear powers, i.e. Indian and Pakistan. The situation was exacerbated after the launch of Operation Sindoor by India to retaliate against Pakistan-backed terrorist groups, after the Pahalgam attack of 22 April, in which 26 civilians were killed by the operatives of The Resistance Force (TRF) a largely unknown entity. In a tit for tat manner, after Operation Sindoor carried on the night of May 6-7 by I...

Kashmir Speaks Loud and Clear:No More Terrorism, No More Pakistan Propaganda

08/05/2025
By Farooq Ganderbali The people of Jammu & Kashmir have once again spoken with a united voice: terrorism has no place in our land, and Pakistan’s decades-old agenda of bloodshed and division stands utterly rejected. For years, Pakistan has tried to infiltrate the minds of Kashmiri youth through fake Islamic propaganda, luring them into a cycle of violence and radicalisation. But today, the people of Kashmir are sending a firm message — stop sending terrorists, stop destroying o...

World Red Cross Day – May 8, 2025

07/05/2025
By Dr. Dinesh Gupta, Each year, World Red Cross Day stands as a solemn tribute to the vision of Henry Dunant—the founding father of the Red Cross Movement—and the countless humanitarian workers who embody his ideals on the front lines of suffering. It is a day to reaffirm our collective duty to uphold the values of humanity, impartiality, neutrality, and voluntary service, values that have guided the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement for over a century. But i...

Taliban Gaining International Support

05/05/2025
Asad Mirza Since 2021, seizing power yet again after a gap of 20 years, Afghanistan's Taliban rulers were termed as ‘pariahs’ and shunned by the international community, but recently the hard-line militants have notched up some big wins in their diplomatic efforts to forge international ties. Coming back to power in Afghanistan after a 20 years period, following the hasty withdrawal of American forces from the country, Afghanistan’s Taliban rulers or the Islamic Emirate of Afghanist...

Time to End Pakistan-Sponsored Terrorism in Kashmir: A Call for Unity and Action

01/05/2025
By Farooq Ganderbali The recent brutal attack on innocent tourists in Pahalgam marks a turning point in the collective conscience of Jammu and Kashmir. For the first time, villages across the Valley have risen in protest—not against the government, but against the true enemy: Pakistan-sponsored terrorism and radical extremism. The unified voice of the people sends a clear message—enough is enough. Kashmir's economy thrives on tourism, an industry that relies fundamentally on peace. Wit...

Baisaran Carnage shamed Kashmir, Kashmiris & Kashmiriyat!

28/04/2025
K B Jandial The past 35 years’ Pakistan-sponsored terrorism in Jammu and Kashmir has experienced a series of horrifying terrorist attacks—targeting every section of the population including Kashmiri Pandits, local Muslims, journalists, civil servants, JKP personnel, security forces, political figures, and pilgrims. However, the 22/4 terrorist strike at Baisaran, Pahalgam marked a chilling departure from past gory incidents. This attack was not just exceptionally brutal but bore a d...

US-Saudi Arabia To Ink The Biggest Arms Deal

28/04/2025
Asad Mirza Washington and Riyadh are reportedly close to a new $100 billion arms package as Trump's Gulf trip nears. The US is poised to offer Saudi Arabia an arms package worth well over $100 billion, sources told Reuters, saying the proposal was being lined up for announcement during President Donald Trump's visit to the kingdom in May. The US may offer a major arms package for Saudi Arabia, expected to be unveiled during President Donald Trump’s upcoming visit to the kingdom ...

Urdu: Will It Get Its Due Ever?

21/04/2025
Asad Mirza Last week, a Supreme Court bench’s observation on the use of Urdu, has once again opened a pandora’s box, on the treatment meted out to Urdu – a language of connoisseurs, but which has been appended to the Muslim community. As in the past, this time too, nothing worthwhile would come out of this development, as Urdu has been relegated to its current status by the Urdu lovers only. A Supreme Court bench of Justice Sudhanshu Dhulia and Justice K Vinod Chandran while hea...

Trump’s Tariff Mania

14/04/2025
The spate of tariffs announced against virtually the whole world has started taking its toll. With counter measures announced by some nations, led by China has further complicated that what the tariffs and reciprocal-tariffs are. The economists have deciphered the long-term negative impact of the tariffs announced by the US and what it essentially entails for the global economy. The UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres on Friday (April 11) warned that "nobody wins in a trade war," h...

Lost in silence: The women we betrayed

11/04/2025
Tawheed Sheikh It is painful beyond words to witness the ongoing suffering of women in our society.A deep and widespread pain surrounds many as they carry heavy burdens in their hearts,often without sharing, often without anyone noticing.Their pain is silent, their struggles invisible, yet the weight is crushing. Yesterday,we were shaken by a heartbreaking incident in Ganderbal : a woman,overwhelmed and broken jumped into a water canal with her son and daughter.Fortunately,all th...

Americans warn Trump to be ‘Hands Off’

07/04/2025
Asad Mirza Opponents of US President Donald Trump and his adviser, billionaire Elon Musk, staged rallies across the United States, over the weekend, to protest against the administration’s actions to overhaul the government and expand presidential authority. Reportedly, more than 1,200 “Hands Off” rallies were held on Aorul 5, with organisers anticipating the largest single-day mobilisation opposing the administration’s recent initiatives. Tens of thousands of anti-Trump demonstra...

Navreh first day of Chaitra, the first month of the Hindu lunar calendar

29/03/2025
By Satish Mahaldar Navreh, the Kashmiri Pandit New Year, is a festival that holds deep cultural, spiritual, and historical significance. While it marks the beginning of the lunar year, its implications go beyond the mere passage of time. Rooted in ancient texts such as the Nilmat Purana and the Kashmir Mahatmya, Navreh is a celebration that resonates with themes of cosmic renewal, agricultural cycles, divine intervention, and spiritual reflection. This research aims to provide an i...

Regional security concerns and India’s strategic response

24/03/2025
Fatima Baloch and Dr K N Pandita Pakistan was established in 1947 through the partition of India by the British, rather than through a prolonged independence struggle marked by significant sacrifices against colonial rule. As a result, the country initially mishandled Balochistan, forcefully occupying it against the will of the Baloch people on March 27, 1948. Furthermore, Pakistan has struggled to function as a cohesive nation, comprising diverse ethnic groups such as Bengalis, Punjabis...

Forced displacement of Pandits from their homeland

22/03/2025
K N Pandita The forced displacement of the Pandit minority in Kashmir in 1989-90, is in the sequence of atrocities perpetrated against the Hindu minority ever since the advent of the Islamic faith and its propagators in Kashmir in the third decade of the 14th century. Islamic faith enjoins its followers to practise Allah's command of destroying atheism, polytheism, idolatry or grave worship. The Hindus of Kashmir followed their age-old philosophy of polytheism and practised id...

An Open Letter to CEO Hajj Committee Of India

21/03/2025
Respected Sir Hajj issues faced by Kashmiri women continue to be ignored year after year, and this time is no different. It is extremely disappointing that not a single female State Hajj Inspector (khadim) has been selected from Jammu & Kashmir, nor has any female trainer been appointed to guide Kashmiri women Hajis. This is a clear case of injustice and gender discrimination. Don’t Kashmiri women deserve to learn the basics of Hajj from a female trainer with whom they feel comfortabl...

14th March should be recognized as martyrs’ day in the UT of Jammu & Kashmir

13/03/2025
By Sanjay K. Tickoo The tragic history of the Kashmiri Pandits is a wound that has refused to heal, a deep scar on the conscience of the nation. Even decades after the cataclysmic events of 1990, justice remains elusive, and the voices of the exiled continue to echo in the void of political apathy. Among the many blood-stained pages of this history, one date stands out as the first cry of an impending genocide—14.03.1989. On this day, Smt. Prabhawati became the first recorded victim o...

US-China Trade War Intensifies

10/03/2025
Asad Mirza As if the tariff war against almost the whole world, leading among them China, Mexico, Canada, and India, hots up, it portrays the leading hero, Trump in this case, frothing at the mouth and cursing and cussing everyone, if he does not get what he wants, and shows a completely new and unacceptable face of the American democracy and diplomacy. Accusations and counter accusations are flying around but the optics are definitely working against Donald Trump. If only he ha...

Women of Jammu and Kashmir: Catalysts for Nation-Building

07/03/2025
Sindhiya Gupta On International Women’s Day, it is essential to recognize and empower the women of Jammu and Kashmir, whose resilience, talent, and determination can significantly contribute to nation-building. Despite facing historical challenges, women in the region continue to break barriers and emerge as leaders in various fields. Their participation in economic development, governance, social reforms, and technological advancements can be a driving force in shaping a progressive a...