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By Uzma Ehtasham The faint but distinct contours of a diplomatic breakthrough are taking shape in the Middle East, and it is Pakistan that has stepped forward to offer its capital as the stage for a potential meeting between the United States and Iran. On Friday, the prime minister, Shehbaz Sharif, made clear what had been the subject of intense back-channel speculation: Pakistan stands ready to host meaningful, conditional talks between the two adversaries, and considers it an honor to do so. In a message posted to X, Sharif expressed Pakistan’s full support for efforts to bring an end to…

There is a certain irony that settles over the diplomatic quarters of Islamabad these days. It is the irony of the pariah suddenly finding himself indispensable; the irony of the nation long dismissed as a chaotic frontier state proving to be the only address capable of hosting a dialogue that could determine the fate of a region. As Pakistan prepares to facilitate talks between the United States and Iran this Friday, the architecture of power in West Asia is being quietly redrawn. It is a slow, painstaking process, one that relies less on the bluster of press releases and more…

In the swirling currents of global diplomacy, where alliances shift like desert sands, Pakistan has emerged as an unlikely beacon of mediation. The announcement that Islamabad will host high-stakes talks between the United States and Iran marks a seismic realignment in South Asia’s power dynamics. What began as a tentative overture has blossomed into a full-fledged diplomatic coup, positioning Pakistan not as a peripheral player, but as a pivotal hub for peace negotiations between two longstanding adversaries. This is no small feat for a nation long painted by its rivals as unstable or unreliable. Instead, it catapults Pakistan into the…

By Atiq Raja In our hyper-connected age, where algorithms dictate our scrolls and deadlines devour our days, it’s all too easy to wake up one morning and wonder: how did I end up here? The alarm blares, the commute swallows hours, emails avalanche, and by bedtime, we’re spent—reacting, surviving, drifting. Yet amid this frenzy, a simple practice beckons: living with intentionality. It’s not some lofty philosophy for monks or millionaires; it’s the art of pausing to ask, “Is this the life I truly want?” and then choosing accordingly. In a world that spins us like tops, intentionality is the quiet…

By Zahid Karani In the shadow of the towering Pamir mountains, where mistrust has long cast a chill over shared valleys, Uzbekistan and Tajikistan are quietly rewriting their story. Not with fanfare or grand treaties, but through the humdrum promise of trade—swapping goods, building factories, linking fates. At a conference in Tashkent this week, hosted by the International Institute for Central Asia, experts like Khurshed Asadov, deputy director of Uzbekistan’s Center for Economic Research and Reforms, sketched a vision that’s as pragmatic as it is tantalizing: bilateral trade could swell by another 30-40% if the neighbors simply prioritize each other’s…

By Asghar Ali Mubarak Pakistan’s bold diplomatic gambit in the shadow of escalating Iran-US tensions offers a rare glimmer of hope amid the rubble of ruptured alliances and missile strikes. As bombs fall and ultimatums fly, Islamabad is positioning itself not as a bystander but as a potential fulcrum for peace, ready to host talks between bitter adversaries if they consent. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has framed this as a point of national pride, underscoring Pakistan’s readiness to facilitate meaningful negotiations for a comprehensive settlement. In a region where diplomacy often feels like a relic, this fast-footed outreach—marked by frantic…

In the swirling currents of global diplomacy, where alliances shift like desert sands, Pakistan has emerged as an unlikely beacon of mediation. The announcement that Islamabad will host high-stakes talks between the United States and Iran marks a seismic realignment in South Asia’s power dynamics. What began as a tentative overture has blossomed into a full-fledged diplomatic coup, positioning Pakistan not as a peripheral player, but as a pivotal hub for peace negotiations between two longstanding adversaries. This is no small feat for a nation long painted by its rivals as unstable or unreliable. Instead, it catapults Pakistan into the…

By our correspondent NEW YORK: Crude oil prices recorded a sharp decline of up to 11% in the international market amid ongoing geopolitical uncertainty and fluctuating investor sentiment. Brent crude fell by $12 to settle at $100 per barrel, while WTI crude dropped by $10 to $88 per barrel. Meanwhile, the US stock market saw intense volatility, with the S&P 500 surging 240 points within minutes, adding nearly $20 trillion to market capitalisation. However, the gains were short-lived as reports denying Iran-related negotiations triggered a sudden reversal, causing the index to fall by 120 points and wiping out around $10…

America’s Middle East edifice is cracking, not under some existential Iranian onslaught, but through the hubris of its own architects. Picture the scene: the United States, once the unassailable sheriff of the region, now edging towards a retreat that mirrors the humiliating scramble from Kabul’s airport in 2021—dusty chaos, abandoned allies, and a superpower’s aura in tatters. This isn’t the plot of a Tom Clancy thriller; it’s the slow-motion unravelling of Washington’s security architecture, driven not by 16 US intelligence reports debunking Iranian threats (as a counterterrorism insider named Joe Kant has pointed out), but by the personal zeal of…