Israel’s unprecedented strike in Doha has reignited calls for a collective Muslim defence pact. Can the Crescent Security Initiative succeed where past efforts failed?
The Taliban’s hostility toward Pakistan is not confined to isolated voices. Rooted in religious narratives that brand Islamabad as “un-Islamic” and reinforced by incendiary speeches and propaganda, this rhetoric fosters deep mistrust. While official representatives preach cooperation, commanders and ideologues openly glorify conflict, creating a dangerous contradiction between diplomacy and reality.
The Gaza war highlights how Zionism functions as a structural contradiction within the Western-led order, exposing its exhaustion and accelerating a wider civilisational crisis. What is unfolding is not simply another regional conflict but evidence that the very system once projected as the “endpoint of history” is unable to enforce norms, restrain its clients, or reconcile its internal contradictions.
Pakistan and China have launched CPEC 2.0, shifting from roads and energy to industries, technology, and trade. With $64 billion in projects and Gwadar Port at its heart, the initiative promises jobs, growth, and regional integration at a critical time.
India’s long-standing strategy of balancing ties with Washington and Moscow has unraveled. Sweeping US tariffs on Indian exports signal that New Delhi’s ambiguous stance on Russian oil is no longer sustainable, with severe economic and diplomatic consequences that could reshape its foreign policy trajectory.
Amid shifting global supply chains and great-power rivalry, Pakistan offers the United States untapped opportunities in minerals, technology, energy, and human capital.
Pakistan’s devastating floods have exposed a systemic failure of outdated water infrastructure. Without urgent investment in modern dams, flood canals, and climate adaptation, the country will remain locked in a cycle of annual destruction. Learning from international models and pursuing cooperative management of shared rivers with India is vital to building a secure and resilient future.
Climate change is reshaping life in Azad Jammu and Kashmir, from melting glaciers and cloudbursts to devastating floods. Beyond economic losses, these disasters are leaving deep psychological scars, with rising cases of PTSD, depression, and chronic stress. Yet, awareness of the mental health toll remains scarce, underscoring the urgent need for community resilience and mental health support in AJK.
Pakistan is already in climate catastrophe. Deadly floods, landslides, and heatwaves expose weak governance and demand urgent action.
South Asia’s democracies are being hollowed out by the cult of celebrity-politicians. Charisma is eclipsing competence, leaving institutions weakened.
Since the Taliban’s return in 2021, Afghanistan has plunged into isolation, economic collapse, and humanitarian disaster. Security threats from ISKP, worsening poverty, healthcare breakdown, the rollback of women’s rights, and mass displacement have left millions facing unprecedented hardship.
Afghanistan’s descent into chaos has transformed into a global crisis, driven by terrorism, narcotics, and human suffering. Since the Taliban’s return, the country has re-emerged as a dangerous incubator for extremist groups and a global hub for narcotics production, creating a vicious cycle that threatens regional stability and international security alike.
The 9/11 attacks reshaped global politics and ignited the US-led “War on Terror.” Beyond Afghanistan and Iraq, Muslims worldwide faced rising Islamophobia, systemic discrimination, and cultural vilification. This era marked the transformation of prejudice into an entrenched political and social structure across the West.
Unlike its peak years of 2007–2009, the TTP no longer commands territory but operates through small decentralized cells that blend into civilian populations. This shift poses an unprecedented challenge for Pakistan’s security forces, where every strike risks civilian casualties and fuels propaganda. The dilemma is not unique, echoing ISIS in Iraq and Boko Haram in Nigeria, but it demands a collective civil-military response to deny militants both sanctuary and narrative advantage.
The glorification of militants as martyrs by Mufti Kifayatullah reveals a dangerous narrative that mirrors extremist propaganda. From constitutional consensus to historic fatwas by leading scholars, Pakistan’s religious and political mainstream has repeatedly rejected armed rebellion as un-Islamic. By platforming extremist sympathizers, certain nationalist movements risk legitimizing violence, undermining national sacrifices, and enabling the TTP’s attempt to co-opt Pashtun identity. The path forward lies in constitutionalism, peace, and dialogue—not violence.
The 9/11 attacks reshaped global politics and ignited the US-led “War on Terror.” Beyond Afghanistan and Iraq, Muslims worldwide faced rising Islamophobia, systemic discrimination, and cultural vilification. This era marked the transformation of prejudice into an entrenched political and social structure across the West.
Unlike its peak years of 2007–2009, the TTP no longer commands territory but operates through small decentralized cells that blend into civilian populations. This shift poses an unprecedented challenge for Pakistan’s security forces, where every strike risks civilian casualties and fuels propaganda. The dilemma is not unique, echoing ISIS in Iraq and Boko Haram in Nigeria, but it demands a collective civil-military response to deny militants both sanctuary and narrative advantage.
The glorification of militants as martyrs by Mufti Kifayatullah reveals a dangerous narrative that mirrors extremist propaganda. From constitutional consensus to historic fatwas by leading scholars, Pakistan’s religious and political mainstream has repeatedly rejected armed rebellion as un-Islamic. By platforming extremist sympathizers, certain nationalist movements risk legitimizing violence, undermining national sacrifices, and enabling the TTP’s attempt to co-opt Pashtun identity. The path forward lies in constitutionalism, peace, and dialogue—not violence.
India’s Balancing Act Collapses: US Tariffs Expose Fragile Foreign Policy