Author: admin

China’s latest move to impose sanctions on 20 American defence companies and 10 individuals over the United States’ $11.1 billion arms sale to Taiwan is a stark reminder of how deeply Taiwan sits at the centre of Beijing’s strategic red lines. The announcement, which came after Washington approved what is described as the largest such package in history, underscores the enduring tension at the heart of US–China relations, where military support for Taiwan collides with China’s uncompromising view of its territorial claims. According to Beijing, the sanctions target companies and executives directly involved in supplying arms to Taiwan. Measures include…

By Syed Shamim Akhtar Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif’s recent address at the University of Azad Jammu and Kashmir in Muzaffarabad was a vivid reminder of the enduring intensity of the Kashmir dispute and the aspirations that continue to shape Pakistan’s political narrative. Speaking at a ceremony distributing laptops on merit, he invoked the vision of the country’s founding fathers, Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah and Allama Iqbal, framing the pursuit of Kashmir’s freedom as a core national aspiration, inseparable from Pakistan’s identity and destiny. In his remarks, the Prime Minister portrayed the people of Azad Kashmir as exemplars of sacrifice…

By Asghar Ali Mubarak The year 2025 has emerged as a watershed in Pakistan’s diplomatic history, a period in which Islamabad has, according to the American journal Foreign Policy, positioned itself as the “diplomatic winner of the region.” This remarkable transformation is credited to a combination of strategic foresight, deft military diplomacy, and the careful orchestration of political and economic engagement, all of which have altered Pakistan’s standing on the global stage. The analysis divides Pakistan’s recent diplomatic trajectory into two distinct phases: before May 2025, when the country faced a series of regional and international challenges, and after May,…

By Atiq Raja Venice is not simply a destination on a map; it is an experience, a city suspended between the realms of reality and romance. Rising delicately from the waters of the Adriatic, the city presents a vision unlike any other: a labyrinth of more than a hundred islands, stitched together by elegant bridges and crisscrossed by winding canals that have borne witness to over a thousand years of human endeavor. To walk through Venice is to step into a place where time slows, where every reflection on water hints at stories both whispered and grand, and where the…

News Desk NEW DEHLI: India’s defence minister, Rajnath Singh, has come under criticism after quoting a line from a feature film while presenting it as a historical anecdote linked to former prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee’s visit to Pakistan. The remarks, made at a public event in India, quickly drew attention when observers noted that the line attributed to Vajpayee did not originate from the 1999 Lahore visit but from a dramatized dialogue in a biographical film made years later. Video clips circulating online show members of the audience reacting with visible amusement as the comment was delivered. Indian media…

By Imtiaz Hussian LARKANA: First Lady and Member of National Assembly Aseefa Bhutto Zardari paid a solemn visit to Garhi Khuda Bakhsh, where she paid her respects to her late mother, former prime minister Benazir Bhutto, along with other members of the Bhutto family. During her visit, Aseefa Bhutto lingered at the mausoleum of Benazir Bhutto, laying floral tributes and reciting prayers in her memory, highlighting the enduring legacy of a political family that has long been at the forefront of Pakistan’s democratic movement. She also paid homage to her grandfather and former prime minister Shaheed Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, acknowledging…

By Uzma Ehtasham A recent investigation by the American journal Geo Politics has cast a troubling spotlight on the unintended consequences of US military assistance in Afghanistan. The report asserts that a significant volume of American-supplied weapons, initially intended to strengthen Afghan security forces, is finding its way into the hands of the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), a militant group increasingly referred to in security circles as “Fitna-e-Khawarij.” These arms are now reportedly being used to mount a sustained campaign of violence against Pakistan, targeting both civilians and security personnel, particularly in the volatile region of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. The implications of…

By Atiq Raja For much of its early history, Pakistan International Airlines was more than a commercial carrier. It was a statement of ambition, competence and confidence from a young country finding its place in the world. PIA trained other airlines, pioneered routes across Asia, Africa and Europe, and built a reputation for professionalism that once made it a model for the region. That legacy still resonates emotionally with Pakistanis. Yet sentiment alone cannot obscure a hard truth: the airline, as presently structured, has been economically unsustainable for years. In this context, privatization is not an ideological preference or a…

By Asghar Ali Mubarak Pakistan was described as the hard-won outcome of Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah’s relentless struggle and the unparalleled sacrifices of its martyrs at a gathering in Rawalpindi held to mark the martyrdom anniversary of Mazhar Ali Mubarak, who was killed in a terrorist attack in 2013. The event, attended by religious scholars, community members and families affected by terrorism, served both as a moment of remembrance and as a reaffirmation of national resolve against violent extremism. Speakers repeatedly stressed that the sacrifices of Pakistan’s armed forces and ordinary citizens in the long and painful struggle against terrorism…