(By Khalid Masood) In a provocative series of statements in July 2025, former U.S. President Donald Trump ignited a firestorm by suggesting he might strip the U.S. citizenship of three prominent figures: tech titan Elon Musk, New York City mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani, and comedian Rosie O’Donnell. These threats, aimed at critics and former allies…
(By Khalid Masood) Introduction In a stunning act of defiance on 17 July 2025, Yemen’s Ansar Allah movement, known as the Houthis, rejected a U.S. Department of State offer to recognise their de facto government in Sana’a, choosing instead to intensify their Red Sea blockade—a daring protest against what they call Israel’s “genocide” in Gaza….
(By Mohsin Tanveer) Introduction On July 17, 2025, a bombshell White House announcement revealed that President Donald Trump, aged 79, was diagnosed with chronic venous insufficiency (CVI), sparking widespread curiosity about his health. Described as a “surprising health scare” after photos showed swollen ankles during high-profile events, this common yet intriguing condition has raised questions:…
(By Khalid Masood) I. Introduction: Significance of Trump’s Visit Reports of U.S. President Donald Trump’s potential visit to Pakistan on 18 September 2025, the first by a U.S. president since George W. Bush’s 2006 trip, have sparked anticipation, though both Pakistan’s Foreign Office and the White House have clarified no such visit is confirmed at…
(By Khalid Masood) I. Introduction In an era where nations leverage cultural heritage as a tool of soft power, Pakistan stands poised to harness its ancient Gandhāra civilization—a cradle of Buddhist philosophy, art, and scholarship—as a cornerstone of its diplomatic strategy. Termed Gangadhara Diplomacy, this initiative seeks to revive Pakistan’s Buddhist heritage, centred in sacred…
(By Quratulain Khalid) I. Introduction In July 2025, Pakistan faces relentless monsoon rains, marked by cloudbursts and urban flooding in major cities from Lahore to Rawalpindi and even in water-scarce regions like Chakwal, transforming streets into nullahs and exposing the nation’s fragile disaster management. This deluge, a natural gift, flows unharnessed into drains, rivers, and…
(By Khalid Masood) I. Introduction On 22 April 2025, the Pahalgam attack in Jammu and Kashmir claimed 26 civilian lives, triggering a brief but intense Indo-Pak conflict from 7 to 10 May 2025, codenamed Operation Sindoor by India and Muarka-e-Baqa by Pakistan in retaliation. This escalation, driven by Indian airstrikes on Pakistan and Azad Kashmir,…
(Quratulain Khalid) I. Introduction In July 2025, Indian External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar’s visit to China for the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Foreign Ministers’ Conference in Tianjin marked the first such high-level trip since the 2020 Galwan Valley clash, a deadly skirmish that plunged India-China relations into a deep freeze. Against a backdrop of border…
(By Khalid Masood) I. Introduction Pakistan’s pursuit of military modernization is a cornerstone of its strategy to ensure maritime security, CPEC security, and regional deterrence, particularly in the context of asymmetric warfare and tensions with India. Central to this effort is the Pakistan Army Aviation Corps (PAAC), which relies on attack helicopters for anti-tank warfare,…
(By Khalid Masood) I. Introduction The Red Sea Crisis, escalating since October 2023, has spotlighted the Houthi movement’s drone swarm tactics as a transformative force in asymmetric warfare. By deploying Houthi drone attacks against commercial and naval vessels in the Bab al-Mandab Strait, a critical chokepoint for $1 trillion in annual global supply chains, the…
