From Doha To ĂśrĂĽmqi, The Taliban Kept Stalling
Pakistan’s Diplomatic Efforts Versus Cross-Border Terrorism Since the Taliban returned to Kabul in August 2021, Pakistan has done exactly what a responsible neighbour is expected to do. It talked, it protested through proper channels, it accepted mediation and it waited. The question today is no longer whether Pakistan tried diplomacy. The record shows it tried […]
BLA Leadership Change Exposes Internal Power Struggle
Baloch Liberation Army (BLA) announced through a press release that its commander, Bashir Zeb Baloch had been relieved of his command and “will no longer serve as head of the organization”. The press release claims that an interim arrangement has been put into place, “until a new Commander-in-Chief is selected, all administrative, military and policy-making […]
Exported Instability: How Afghan Sanctuary Put Pakistan at the Top of the Global Terrorism Index
Pakistan recorded 1,045 terror incidents and 1,139 fatalities in 2025, placing it at the top of the Global Terrorism Index. This backgrounder by Irtija Ahmad examines how the Afghan Taliban’s return, cross-border safe havens, and abandoned US weaponry fueled this resurgence, refuting the narrative of self-inflicted instability.
Erosion of the Nuclear Taboo
American television journalist Tucker Carlson’s allegation that the Trump administration is only days away from launching a nuclear strike against Iran’s Pickaxe Mountain facility has brought the possibility of using nuclear weapons back into public political discourse. The allegation, though, has not been officially verified, which means it cannot be treated as an established military […]
Defence Diplomacy
When Saudi defence minister Prince Khalid bin Salman, Field Marshal Asim Munir and TĂĽrkiye’s intelligence chief Ibrahim Kalin sat down in Tehran on Monday with President Masoud Pezeshkian, Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi and Mohsen Rezaei, secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, they came as guarantors of the Kingdom’s security, three weeks after activating collective […]
When Rights Become a Shield
In late July 2024, as a march calling itself the “Baloch Raji Muchi” converged on Gwadar, the army issued an unusual warning. Alongside news that a soldier had been martyred and 16 others injured by a mob, it cautioned that “fake and doctored pictures and videos” were being circulated on social media to win sympathy […]
Iran’s Oil Money Runs Dry While The Uranium Question Stays Open
Energy intelligence firm Kpler projects that Iran’s crude and condensate revenue will reach zero by mid-December 2026, the first time in the country’s history, according to its 22 October analysis. At the same time, the International Atomic Energy Agency told the United Nations Security Council on 27 October that it has not verified Iran’s uranium […]
Afghan United Front Leads October Surge In Claimed Anti-Taliban Attacks
In October, the anti-Taliban resistance in Afghanistan more than doubled its attacks compared to September, with the Afghan United Front (AUF) claiming the most operations and two new groups entering the conflict at the end of the month. The resistance claimed 82 attacks, including improvised explosive device (IED) attacks, indirect fire, ambushes, and assassinations, reportedly […]
Afghan United Front leads October surge in claimed anti-Taliban attacks
In October, the anti-Taliban resistance in Afghanistan more than doubled its attacks from September, as the Afghan United Front (AUF) claimed the most attacks and two new groups entered the conflict at the end of the month. The anti-Taliban resistance claimed 82 attacks, consisting of improvised explosive device (IED) attacks, indirect fire, ambushes, and assassinations, […]