Author: KASWAR KLASRA

Balochistan terrorism remains a major security challenge, but Pakistan’s armed forces continue sustained counterterrorism operations across the province. Field Marshal Asim Munir says foreign-sponsored proxies are attempting to destabilise Balochistan and create a wedge between the state and its people. Pakistan’s Army, political leadership and Balochistan’s people are presenting security, youth empowerment and economic development as pillars of the province’s future. Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir looked composed, confident and determined in his commando uniform as he sat alongside Balochistan Chief Minister Sarfraz Bugti, a well-educated and widely respected political leader of the province. The scene itself carried unusual political…

1. FROM THE EDITOR’S DESK Pakistan’s moment is arriving—but so is the test The most consequential geopolitical development for Pakistan today may not be happening in Islamabad alone. It is unfolding across a widening arc stretching from the Gulf to Syria, Iran, Afghanistan and Southeast Asia. Pakistan is increasingly positioned at the intersection of competing strategic blocs. On one side is Washington, which is now threatening unprecedented economic pressure on Iran. On another are Saudi Arabia and Türkiye, with whom Pakistan signed the landmark Makkah Joint Defence Agreement earlier this month. Tehran remains an important neighbour and diplomatic interlocutor.…

Prince Harry return to UK comes as Britain faces major questions over its post-Brexit identity, domestic political instability and declining influence on the international stage. Harry’s military service in Afghanistan and his leadership of the Invictus Games could give him unusual credibility in veterans’ diplomacy, humanitarian affairs and international soft power. While there is no evidence of an official royal or government role, Harry’s return could eventually provide King Charles III with another potentially valuable instrument of Britain’s global influence. Prince Harry and Meghan Markle are returning to Britain after six years in the United States, bringing their children, Prince…

Trump Kim Jong Un meeting is being quietly pursued by President Trump as he seeks to revive direct nuclear diplomacy with North Korea. Washington’s decision to reduce major U.S.-South Korea military exercises signals a significant shift in Trump’s strategy toward the Korean Peninsula. Kim Jong Un enters potential negotiations from a stronger position, with an expanded nuclear arsenal and deeper military ties with China and Russia. WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump is quietly reopening one of the most consequential diplomatic channels of his first presidency, sending indirect messages to North Korean leader Kim Jong Un that he wants to meet…

Trump Warns Oman: Trump’s Oman threat reflects growing U.S. suspicion of Muscat’s engagement with Iran and its role around the Strait of Hormuz. The Houthi escalation around Bab al-Mandeb is creating a second maritime pressure point alongside Hormuz. Saudi Arabia, Pakistan and Türkiye’s emerging defense cooperation could become an important pillar of a broader regional response to the Houthi threat. President Donald Trump’s extraordinary threat to bomb Oman is not simply another outburst in the increasingly volatile U.S.-Iran confrontation. It reflects a much deeper strategic collision over who controls the diplomatic and maritime architecture around the Strait of Hormuz —…

Iranian pilots: Tehran says three missing Iranian airmen are being held by Qatar, while Doha categorically denies detaining them. Strait of Hormuz: The pilots’ mystery has emerged amid stalled U.S.-Iran diplomacy over reopening the vital maritime chokepoint. Regional war: The wider conflict has disrupted Gulf security, energy markets and shipping while drawing the Houthis and Red Sea into the crisis. Nearly six months after the United States and Israel launched their war against Iran, the fate of three Iranian pilots has emerged as one of the conflict’s most intriguing mysteries. Their aircraft were shot down near Qatar in the opening…

Saudi-led maritime coalition brings together representatives of 39 countries to strengthen security across the Red Sea and other strategic sea routes. Makkah defence pact: The coalition follows the Saudi-Pakistan-Türkiye defence agreement, creating a broader regional security architecture. Houthi attacks: The initiative emerged in response to threats against commercial shipping and sends a clear message to actors seeking to disrupt international maritime trade. JEDDAH, August 15, 2026 — Saudi Arabia is moving to establish a new multinational maritime security architecture linking the Red Sea, Gulf of Aden and other strategic waterways, with representatives of 39 countries taking part in the coalition’s…

Iranian plot to assassinate Trump: Turkish intelligence found no evidence that Iranian proxies had established an operational assassination plot against President Donald Trump during the NATO summit in Ankara. U.S. intelligence warnings nevertheless prompted the Secret Service to secretly move Trump to another aircraft before his departure from Türkiye. Turkish officials said Ankara had already deployed comprehensive, foolproof security measures and treated every NATO delegate, including Trump, as a special guest. WASHINGTON — Turkish intelligence agencies found no evidence that Iranian proxies had established an operational plot to assassinate President Donald Trump during the NATO summit in Ankara, according to…

Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum has propelled Dubai into a top-tier global hub with GDP per capita (PPP) exceeding $87,000, zero personal income tax, and an unmatched business-friendly framework. Comprehensive economic growth supported by world-class infrastructure, the Golden Visa framework, and the Dubai Economic Agenda (D33) targeting AED 32 trillion in economic output. Systemic transformation of education through Knowledge and Human Development Authority (KHDA) standards, the 1 Million Arab Coders initiative, and the Digital School reaching refugee populations. Expansive humanitarian outreach via the Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Global Initiatives (MBRGI), directing billions in aid to Gaza, Sudan, Africa,…

Trump Iran war ammunition shortages have exposed critical gaps in U.S. military readiness. The Pentagon is forcing rapid defense production, reshaping the military-industrial complex. The Iran conflict is acting as a catalyst for long-term U.S. strategic and industrial reform. WASHINGTON — The Trump administration has launched an urgent and far-reaching push to accelerate weapons production, as the ongoing Iran war exposes critical vulnerabilities in America’s military stockpiles and defense industrial base. What began as a battlefield necessity is rapidly transforming into a structural overhaul of how the United States prepares for and sustains modern warfare. At the center of…