Afghanistan’s neighbors, along with Russia, are sustaining ties with its Taliban government under an “understanding” that they will grant it formal recognition simultaneously if certain conditions are met, a regional diplomat said Thursday. Asif Durrani, Pakistan’s special representative on Afghanistan, told an international seminar that the regionally developed approach has helped sustain the crisis-hit country economically. “There is an understanding […]

With the conclusion of the BRICS + extraordinary meeting hosted by South Africa on the conflicts in West Asia, it has been clear that India will continue its alignment with the West and Israel. While most of the members reiterated how Israel’s settler colonialism is the root cause of the conflict, external affairs minister S. Jaishankar stood firm on blaming […]

Map Courtesy : A.G. NOORANI, The Truth About 1962 (frontline.thehindu.com) November 21 of 1962 was the day China had declared unilateral ceasefire. The war that commenced on Oct 20 had ended exactly in a month. This article recalls the admittedly historic, unprecedented, and unconditional offer of peace and compromise by a victor in war, and spurned by India, a Himalayan […]

Top diplomats of Arab and majority-Muslim countries met with their Chinese counterpart in Beijing on Monday to gather support in calling for a ceasefire in Gaza, where more than 13,000 Palestinians have been killed, Indonesian Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi said. Retno also condemned what she said was an Israeli attack on an Indonesian-run hospital in the Israeli-occupied Palestinian enclave that, […]

Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) stands as a stark reminder of the persistent challenges that not only threaten Pakistan but also have broader implications for regional security. Emerging in the early 2000s as a response to Pakistani military operations in the tribal areas bordering Afghanistan, the TTP has evolved into a multifaceted and potent force. This article delves into the intricate layers […]

Indo-Islamic architecture refers to the Islamic architecture of the Indian subcontinent, particularly in the region of the present-day states of India, Pakistan and Bangladesh. (1) Although Islam had already gained a foothold on the west coast and far northwest of the subcontinent by the early Middle Ages, the current phase of Indo-Islamic construction began with the subjugation of the Northern […]

SFJ’s Pannun was target, reports FT; India takes US inputs seriously, being examined, says MEA THE UNITED States “thwarted a conspiracy to assassinate” Khalistan separatist Gurpatwant Singh Pannun on American soil and “issued a warning to India’s government over concerns it was involved in the plot,” UK-based daily Financial Times has reported, citing multiple sources. This comes two months after […]

Tens of thousands of supporters from Pakistan’s main religious political party rallied in the eastern city of Lahore on Sunday against Israel’s bombing of Palestinians in Gaza and what it said is the world’s failure to protect Gazans. Amid anti-Israeli and anti-American slogans the emotionally charged crowd also called for jihad, or holy war. Earlier this month, Jamaat-e-Islami held massive […]

The Taliban’s acting commerce minister said he had asked Pakistan to help return the assets of expelled Afghans and discussed ways to overcome Afghanistan’s stalled banking sector transactions during a four-day visit to Islamabad this week. Acting minister Nooruddin Azizi’s arrival in the Pakistani capital marked the first public visit by a senior Taliban official since Pakistan announced its policy […]

Pakistan security forces killed four militants in a shootout during an overnight raid in the country’s northwest near the border with Afghanistan, the military said Sunday. A military statement said security forces conducted an intelligence-based operation in the Khaisoor area of North Waziristan district, where they exchanged fire with militants. It said troops seized weapons and ammunition from the militants’ […]