16/08/2026
By Kuldeep Raina
Independence Day serves as a solemn reminder of the freedom earned through the immense sacrifice, courage, and devotion of countless men and women. We bow in gratitude to all those brave souls who gave their today so that India could breathe freely tomorrow.
We celebrate with pride the freedom of our nation. Yet, beneath that celebration, there remains a quiet anguish in the hearts of many Indians, a question that conscience cannot simply silence. Can the joy of fr...
08/08/2026
Asad Mirza
On August 7, Saudi Arabia, Türkiye and Pakistan signed the Makkah Joint Defence Agreement, an "Islamic NATO"-style mutual-defence pact, in Islam's holiest city rather than any capital. Born from doubts about US protection after Iranian strikes went unanswered, and Yemen's collapsing truce, the deal reshapes regional alignments - unsettling Iran, unnerving Israel, and drawing wary attention from India amid a related disinformation flare-up.
On August 7, in the holy cit...
04/08/2026
By Fatima Baloch
THE CURRENT CRISIS IN POJK
Pakistan-Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (POJK) has been engulfed in unrest for several weeks. Peaceful Kashmiri protesters have reportedly been met with AK-47 bullets instead of water cannons, batons, and tear gas, which are generally used in the civilized world to control public demonstrations. The protests have continued for more than 45 days with no sign of abating., Pakistan has continued its crackdown on Kashmiri protesters, resulting...
01/08/2026
Asad Mirza
Donald Trump has declared a "historic" deal for Hamas to fully disarm in Gaza, brokered by his Board of Peace. But Netanyahu calls it inadequate, Hamas ties disarmament to a full Israeli pullout, and Washington simultaneously readies fresh strikes on Iran - exposing how unsettled the region truly remains.
On the night of July 30, 2026, President Donald Trump took to Truth Social with characteristic bravado. "Today, the Board of Peace reached a HISTORIC agreement for the C...
29/07/2026
By Fatima Baloch
Following the success of the Indian student- and Gen Z-led protest organized by the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) at Jantar Mantar on 25 July 2026, many Baloch commentators argued that Indian Gen Z appeared to be more politically influential than Baloch Gen Z. However, an examination of the history of the Baloch student movement presents a different perspective. From this viewpoint, despite deprivation, a lack of basic facilities, and living under occupation, Baloch yo...
27/07/2026
By Zuhaib Khan
Pandit Sansar Chand Baru (1902–1995), affectionately known as "Master Ji," occupies a distinguished place in the cultural history of Jammu as its first modern painter. Renowned for his exceptional artistic vision, he successfully blended the elegance of the traditional Pahari miniature school with the evolving aesthetics of modern art, creating a style that was both deeply rooted in heritage and refreshingly contemporary. His remarkable contributions as an artist, curator,...
20/07/2026
Asad Mirza
Andy Burnham entered Downing Street on July 20, 2026, without winning a general election. He inherits a stagnant economy, a fractured Labour Party, and an anxious relationship with Washington, Beijing and Brussels alike. History suggests unelected prime ministers can govern effectively - but only if they move fast.
Andy Burnham became Britain's seventh prime minister in a decade on Monday, July 20, 2026, without a single vote cast by the wider public. The "King of the Nor...
17/07/2026
By Aubaid Ahmad Akhoon
"Freedom of the press is not merely the freedom to publish; it is the responsibility to inform, educate, question and inspire society with truth."
In any democratic setup, criticism is vital for governance, accountability as well as transparency. Recently, in the name of criticism, especially with the advent of digital media, rising TV ratings and social media's propagation of 'virals', a thin line between criticism is getting blurred and is becoming more of a...
16/07/2026
By Sehrish Kashmiri and Fatima Baloch
The injustice, cruelty, and human rights violations committed by an occupying power inevitably create deep resentment among the people of an oppressed society. In such circumstances, a true and sincere leader guides the nation throughout its struggle for freedom with a clear ideology and vision, transforming state repression and brutality into a source of greater public resolve, unity, and resistance.
Rather than allowing oppression to weake...
13/07/2026
By Afreen Jan
Long before paper currency, digital payments, and banknotes became part of everyday life, the people of Kashmir relied on coins that carried far more than monetary value. They bore the symbols of kingdoms, the names of rulers, the influence of religions, and the marks of cultures that flourished across centuries. Every coin that has passed through Kashmir's hands is a silent witness to its remarkable history.
The journey of Kashmir's currency began over two thousand ...
10/07/2026
Asad Mirza
Donald Trump turned NATO's Ankara summit into a one-man show - reviving Iran hostilities, threatening Spain, demanding Greenland, and needling allies - while Secretary-General Mark Rutte's flattery-and-spending strategy kept the alliance intact. The summit exposed a NATO that survives not through unity, but through the careful, anxious management of one man's moods.
When Donald Trump landed in Ankara this week for NATO's annual summit, the alliance's carefully choreog...
07/07/2026
By Sehrish Kashmiri and Fatima Baloch
At present, in Pakistan-Occupied Kashmir (POK), under the leadership of the Jammu Kashmir Joint Awami Action Committee (JAAC), the Kashmiri nation is fighting for its constitutional and legal rights, as well as for national freedom. In this so-called peaceful struggle, the people of POJK have been suffering from state brutality, killings, and shortages of food and medicines. The greatest weakness of this movement is our own hypocrisy and co...
06/07/2026
Asad Mirza
China’s newly enacted "Law on Promoting Ethnic Unity and Progress" marks a definitive shift from managing diversity to enforcing homogeneity. By legally institutionalising the assimilation of Uyghurs, Tibetans, and other minorities, Beijing aims to replace distinct cultural, linguistic and religious identities with a singular, state-defined consciousness loyal to the Communist Party.
The "Law on Promoting Ethnic Unity and Progress," which officially came into effect on ...
02/07/2026
Asad Mirza
Keir Starmer announced his resignation as Labour leader on 22 June 2026 after a mutiny within his own party, but before leaving Downing Street he unveiled a near-£300 billion, drone-heavy defence plan - a move critics call his final, and most contested, act as prime minister.
Sir Keir Starmer's fall was less an event than a slow puncture. Labour's landslide 2024 victory gave way, within eighteen months, to collapsing approval ratings, a dismal set of local election re...
22/06/2026
Kuldeep Raina
The annual Kheer Bhawani Mela, observed on the sacred occasion of Jyestha Ashtami, is far more than a religious festival for Kashmiri Pandits. It is a profound pilgrimage of faith, remembrance, identity, and collective determination.
Every year, thousands of exiled Kashmiri Pandits undertake the arduous journey to the holy shrines of Mata Ragnya Bhagwati, especially at Tulmulla, carrying with them not only prayers but also the pain of displacement, the memory of lo...
20/06/2026
Asad Mirza
A fragile diplomatic breakthrough between Washington and Tehran has collided head-on with Israeli military aggression in Lebanon, casting a long shadow over what could have been the most consequential peace settlement in the Middle East in a generation.
In the arc of modern Middle Eastern diplomacy, peace has always been the most perishable of commodities. That uncomfortable truth was on full display on Friday, June 19, 2026, when planned implementation talks between ...
16/06/2026
Kalpana Pandey
A few months ago, I decided to donate my body and went to KEM Hospital in Mumbai to complete the formal process. The purpose behind this decision was to help dispel superstitions, customs and misconceptions about death in society, to make my body useful for medical education and research after my death, to promote scientific, rational and humanist thought, and to increase scientific temper in society. I decided to donate my body out of the feeling that I should...
15/06/2026
By Fatima Baloch
The original princely state of Jammu and Kashmir, which included Gilgit-Baltistan, Muzaffarabad, Kotli, Bhimber, Rawalakot, and Sudhnoti, was divided between India and Pakistan in 1947–48. Today, the people of Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir (PoJK), mobilized by the Jammu Kashmir Joint Awami Action Committee (JAAC), are protesting for a combination of economic, political, and governance-related reasons, while Pakistan is allegedly suppressing these protests.
Lea...
09/06/2026
Asad Mirza
Marking exactly 100 days since a catastrophic conflict reordered the Middle East, a fragile, US-brokered truce violently collapsed as Israeli jets struck deep inside Iranian territory. By directly defying President Donald Trump’s explicit warnings to exercise restraint, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has pushed the region into uncharted waters, leaving a heavily anticipated peace deal dead in the water.
The conflict that began as a series of sharp, asymmetr...
31/05/2026
By Devraj Thakur
The recent decision on May 29,2026, of the Supreme Court mandating Teacher Eligibility Test (TET) qualification for in-service teachers has reignited a nationwide discussion on educational standards, teacher accountability, and career security. While extending the deadline for qualifying TET until August 31, 2028, the Court re-affirmed that quality education for children is a constitutional imperative and that minimum professional standards for teachers cannot be...
26/05/2026
Asad Mirza from Jeddah/Mina
The 1447 AH/2026 Hajj season has started in Makkah and Madinah. However, most of the people don’t have a clue about the massive scale of preparation and delivery managed by the various ministries of Saudi Arabia and municipalities of the regions, visited by the Hajj pilgrims, which take place. In the fourth part of the series of hajj 1447/2026, Asad Mirza provides an insider’s view of preparations at Mina, where the rituals and prayers for the Hajj start...