(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…
(By Khalid Masood) The Abraham Accords, a landmark initiative in Middle Eastern diplomacy, have redefined regional alliances by fostering normalization between Israel and several Arab states, challenging decades of hostility. Signed in 2020, the Accords have spurred economic, security, and cultural cooperation, but their expansion faces hurdles amid the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, the May 2025 India-Pakistan…
(By Khalid Masood) In a bold move to deepen defence ties, Russia has proposed supplying India with its fifth-generation Sukhoi Su-57E stealth fighter and the Sukhoi S-70 Okhotnik-B unmanned combat aerial vehicle (UCAV) in a Manned-Unmanned Teaming (MUM-T) configuration, announced in early July 2025. This offer, presented by Russia’s state-owned Rostec and Sukhoi, aligns with…
(By Khalid Masood) On 12 June 2025, Air India Flight 171, a Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner bound for London Gatwick from Ahmedabad’s Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport, crashed moments after takeoff, claiming 260 lives, including 241 of 242 passengers and crew and 19 people on the ground. The Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) of India released…
