(By Quratulain Khalid) Introduction The Tirah Valley in Pakistan’s northwestern Khyber District has once again become a symbol of the fragile intersection between security operations, civilian vulnerability, and administrative preparedness. Long shaped by militancy, counterterrorism campaigns, and difficult terrain, Tirah’s population is no stranger to displacement. Yet the most recent episode of civilian movement reveals…
(By Khalid Masood) In the first weeks of 2026, U.S. President Donald Trump has returned to the White House with an intensified version of his signature “America First” playbook. Tariff increases on long-standing allies such as South Korea, explicit threats of 100% tariffs against Canada over deepening economic links with China, and unusually blunt military…
(By Quratulain Khalid) Introduction: The Stark Contrast of 26 January Every year on 26 January, India stages a spectacular display of military power and national pride in Delhi. Tanks rumble down wide avenues, fighter jets streak across the sky, cultural floats showcase “unity in diversity,” and massive crowds cheer what is billed as the world’s…
(By Faraz Ahmed) Pakistan’s formal accession to the U.S.-led Board of Peace (BoP) on Gaza—formalized at the World Economic Forum in Davos on January 22, 2026—represents one of the more intriguing foreign policy moves by Islamabad in recent years. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s signature on the charter, alongside leaders from roughly 19 other nations (including…
(By Ayesha Mahnoor) The launch of Sky47, Pakistan’s largest domestically hosted cloud and artificial intelligence (AI) infrastructure platform, represents a consequential development in the country’s digital and strategic evolution. While framed publicly as a technology initiative, Sky47 carries broader implications for data sovereignty, regulatory autonomy, AI capacity building, and economic resilience. As governments worldwide reassess…
(By Faraz Ahmed) In the space of just one week in mid-January 2026, three prominent Western leaders delivered powerful endorsements of closer ties with China, marking what many observers are calling a diplomatic hat-trick for Beijing. Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney completed a landmark visit to Beijing from January 14–17, emerging with a new strategic…
(By Khalid Masood) Trump’s Golden Dome represents one of the most ambitious and contentious defence initiatives of the second Trump administration. Announced via Executive Order 14186 in January 2025 as the “Iron Dome for America” before being rebranded in May, the project seeks to establish a comprehensive, layered missile defence shield for the United States…
(By Ayesha Mahnoor) The recent diplomatic exchange between India and Poland on January 19, 2026, in New Delhi has exposed underlying tensions in their otherwise improving bilateral relationship. Indian External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar and Polish Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Radosław Sikorski engaged in frank, at times sharp, discussions that highlighted divergences over…
(By Khalid Masood) In the evolving global energy and technological landscape of 2026, a profound divergence is reshaping power dynamics. While the United States under the Trump administration leans heavily into fossil fuel production—positioning itself as the world’s leading “petrostate“— China is forging ahead as the prototype “electrostate.” This model centers on abundant, low-cost electricity…
(By Khalid Masood) The Greenland Crisis of early 2026 has thrust NATO into its gravest internal challenge since the Cold War, pitting U.S. President Donald Trump’s revanchist ambitions against European allies’ defense of sovereignty. Triggered by Trump’s insistence on “complete and total control” of Greenland—a Danish autonomous territory—via purchase, coercion, or force, the standoff has…
