Author: Uzma Ehtasham

By Uzma EhtashamThe world held its breath, and then, unexpectedly, exhaled. Just days after President Donald Trump’s chilling threat to “obliterate” Iranian civilization, followed by Iranian missile strikes on Saudi Arabia and Kuwait, a third world war seemed not merely possible but imminent. Fear gripped every capital. Markets convulsed. The language of diplomacy gave way to the grammar of annihilation. And yet, from the brink, a step back was coaxed – not by Washington or Tehran, but by Islamabad. It is a measure of our disoriented times that a nation often caricatured as unstable has emerged as the unexpected architect…

By Uzma Ehtasham The warning issued by Kristalina Georgieva, the head of the International Monetary Fund, should not be read as a routine projection but as a stark diagnosis of a global economy already strained to its limits. Even if hostilities involving Iran were to subside swiftly, the economic aftershocks, she cautioned, would linger, feeding inflationary pressures and dampening growth across continents. What had once been a cautiously optimistic outlook for global expansion has now been overtaken by a far more sobering reality: every plausible trajectory points towards higher prices and slower recovery. This is not merely a matter of…

By Uzma Ehtasham A meeting chaired by Shehbaz Sharif has produced a policy response that will be familiar to many Pakistanis, even if it remains contentious: the early closure of markets across most of the country. Announced as a measure of energy conservation and fiscal prudence, the decision requires bazaars, shopping centers, and department stores to close by 8pm, while restaurants, bakeries, and wedding venues must end operations by 10pm. The restrictions, already in effect since 7 April, cover all provinces and territories except Sindh, where consultations are still underway. On the surface, the logic of the policy is clear.…

By Uzma Ehtasham KARACHI: Leaders and lawmakers from across the world, including the United States, have acknowledged Pakistan’s role in facilitating a two-week ceasefire between Washington and Tehran, reached just hours before President Donald Trump’s deadline. The UK High Commissioner to Pakistan, Jane Marriott, thanked Pakistan for its “quiet, effective, diplomatic role” in securing the ceasefire, while New Zealand’s Foreign Minister Winston Peters also welcomed the announcements from the US and Iran. “We are grateful for the work of Pakistan, and others such as Turkiye and Egypt, to seek a solution to the crisis,” he wrote on X, pledging New…

By Uzma Ehtasham The world now teeters at a juncture few could have imagined in the post-Cold War era, where a single miscalculation risks cascading into a catastrophe of unimaginable proportions. In recent days, the rhetoric emanating from former US President Donald Trump towards Iran has sounded less like the measured deliberations of a statesman and more like the impetuous declarations of a man driven by personal vendettas, willing to place global stability on the altar of his own grievances. Social media has become the theatre for these pronouncements, where threats to destroy Iran’s power plants and bridges are issued…

By Uzma Ehtasham For a government that insists it will not leave its people alone in difficult times, there is rather too much solitude to go around. The prime minister, Shehbaz Sharif, convened a review of public relief measures this week, during which attention turned to petroleum stockpiles. Disbursements, he announced, had begun for public transport and freight vehicles. The economically vulnerable, he said, would receive relief swiftly. However, the gap between such assurances and the lived reality of ordinary Pakistanis grows ever more unbridgeable with each passing day. Consider the arithmetic of abandonment. First came an increase of 55…

Foreign Office remained tight-lipped on a fresh peace initiative, while the army chief engaged in high-level talks with international and Iranian envoys, signalling cautious momentum in the unfolding diplomatic process By Uzma Ehtasham ISLAMABAD: Iran and the United States received a plan ‘Mesaaq-e-Islamabad’ drafted by Pakistan to halt ongoing hostilities, offering a potential pathway to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, according to a source familiar with the matter. The proposal, shared with both capitals late on Sunday, outlined a two-tier approach that began with an immediate ceasefire and envisaged a broader, comprehensive settlement to follow. The source described ‘Mesaaq-e-Islamabad’ as…

By Uzma Ehtasham KARACHI: Indonesia brought the curtain down on its three-day pitch to the Pakistani travel industry on Sunday, declaring its presence at the 2026 Pakistan Travel Mart a clear success, as tour operators reported surging demand for everything from Bali’s surf breaks to Yogyakarta’s ancient temples. The delegation, led by the Indonesian consulate in Karachi, worked the floor of the Karachi Expo Centre from 3 to 5 April, pressing flesh and swapping brochures with dozens of local agents hungry for fresh outbound destinations. By the time the last exhibitor began dismantling their stands, officials said the effort had…

Foreign Office remained tight-lipped on a fresh peace initiative, while the army chief engaged in high-level talks with international and Iranian envoys, signalling cautious momentum in the unfolding diplomatic process By Uzma Ehtasham ISLAMABAD: Iran and the United States received a plan ‘Mesaaq-e-Islamabad’ drafted by Pakistan to halt ongoing hostilities, offering a potential pathway to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, according to a source familiar with the matter. The proposal, shared with both capitals late on Sunday, outlined a two-tier approach that began with an immediate ceasefire and envisaged a broader, comprehensive settlement to follow. The source described ‘Mesaaq-e-Islamabad’ as…

By Uzma Ehtasham There is a peculiar kind of theater to South Asian diplomacy, a shadow-play of suspicions and slights where every debt repayment is read as a betrayal and every trade deal as a realignment of civilizations. Last week, Pakistan’s foreign ministry did something that, in a saner world, would be entirely unremarkable. It confirmed the return of a $2bn deposit to the United Arab Emirates. The money, held under commercial agreements, was maturing. The State Bank of Pakistan was simply paying it back, as any borrower eventually must. The spokespeople spoke of fraternal ties, of trade and defence,…