Balochistan, Pakistan’s largest province in terms of area has been rocked by multiple massive attacks recently. These attacks by Baloch insurgents, especially the attack on the Jaffar Express by the Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) have raised a very valid question: Is the Pakistani Army really in control of Balochistan? This train hijacking left dozens dead and triggered a 30-hour military […]

On March 8, 2025, six members of the Ahmadi community were arrested by the Khawaja Ajmer Nagri Police Station in the Surjani Town of Karachi city, after being taken into “protective custody” following threats from a sectarian group, Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP). On the previous day, at least 25 members of the Ahmadi community, including children, had been taken into “protective […]

On March 11 Baloch fighters surprised the Pakistan army by not only launching a massive operation in which Jaffar Express was hijacked in broad daylight and its 440 passengers held hostage for 36 hours in the Bolan Pass area of Balochistan. In spite of this, Director General [DG] of Pakistan army’s media wing Inter Services Public Relations Pakistan army stoutly […]

Since its inception in 1947, Pakistan has oscillated between fragile civilian governments and outright military rule, a pattern that has entrenched the military as the true arbiter of power. The illusion of democracy in Pakistan has often been little more than a façade, with civilian leaders serving as puppets to the whims of Rawalpindi’s General Headquarters (GHQ), the nerve center […]

Nestled in the heart of Peshawar, Namak Mandi is a treasure trove of Pakistan’s untapped gemstone wealth, pulsating with the energy of traders, artisans, and buyers who have kept the ancient tradition of gemstone trade alive for generations. Despite its immense potential, the industry has largely remained informal, functioning within a $300 million shadow economy. However, a transformation is on […]

The long-drawn out armed secessionist movement in Balochistan (Pakistan’s largest and poorest province) is evolving into more dangerous and sophisticated forms, posing a significant challenge to the country’s stability. In a daring and novel attack last Tuesday, the Baloch Liberation Army (BLA) hijacked the Quetta-Peshawar Jaffar Express, carrying nearly 400 passengers, near a series of mountain tunnels 160 km from […]

“The bickering nation”. This one sentence aptly describes the current state of Pakistan, where the two major terrorist/insurgent formations – the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), an umbrella group of 56 terrorist outfits, and the Baloch insurgents – have created havoc. A third terrorist group – the Islamic State – is also on a rampage. Meanwhile, the political landscape is turbulent, while […]

Pakistan’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Munir Akram, says Islamabad will submit a complaint to the UN against the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (IEA) and India for “supporting terrorism.” In an interview with Pakistani media, Akram alleged that IEA was involved in the attack on the Jaffar Express train. He claimed, “There is evidence against the Taliban government [Islamic […]

“The Islamic Emirate has control over the entire geography of the country, and there is no unauthorized activity here, nor is it allowed,” said Fitrat. The Islamic Emirate’s spokesman Hamdullah Fitrat said Wednesday that the recent remarks to the United Nations Security Council by Pakistan’s envoy to the UN on Afghanistan not being able to control Daesh was “baseless” and […]

TTP was responsible for the largest increase in deaths, which rose by 90 per cent to 558 deaths, as per the Global Terrorism Index 2025. Pakistan is facing a growing threat of home-grown militancy, with the country recording the second-largest increase in terrorism deaths globally in 2024. The steep rise – 45 per cent increase – was largedly attributed to […]