During the short-lived Pakistan-India war on May 7-10, 2025, triggered by the April 22 jihadi terror attack at Pahalgam in Jammu and Kashmir, former mujahideen leader and chief of Hezb-e-Islami Afghanistan Gulbuddin Hekmatyar wrote a long article in which he outlined the Islamist position on the interests of the Islamic Ummah in such situations.[1] The article, titled “Our Country And […]

On May 3, Hindukush Ghag, a website associated with the General Directorate of Intelligence (GDI) of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (IEA, i.e., the Afghan Taliban), said that the Shi’ite Afghan politician Mohammad Mohaqiq’s recent visit to Iran was meant to create proxy groups in Balochistan.[1] A delegation of anti-Taliban opposition leaders visited Iran during the last week of April […]

While the Trump administration may appear focused on trade, tariffs, and maximising economic gains, recent moves suggest otherwise. Steps taken in the last 100 days indicate that the United States (US)-China competition—particularly in the maritime domain—is now an indispensable part of any Washington agenda. On 9 April 2025, the Trump administration issued an executive order to revive the US domestic […]

On April 22, an attack occurred in the Baisaran Valley, located in the mountainous region of Kashmir in the western part of the Indian subcontinent, sparking a brief military conflict between New Delhi and Islamabad. India received support from Russia, while Pakistan was aided by the United States and China. Recent tensions in South Asia are part of a turbulent […]

In a significant diplomatic development, India’s External Affairs Minister Dr S. Jaishankar held a telephonic conversation with the interim Foreign Minister of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (IEA) Amir Khan Muttaqi, on May 15. Coming on the heels of Operation Sindoor – India’s retaliatory strikes against terrorist infrastructure in Pakistan in response to the Pahalgam attack – the EAM reiterated […]

The 2025 White Paper China’s National Security in the New Eraappears to be a major turn in how the People’s Republic of China envisions its security matrix. Released by the State Council Information Office on 12 May 2025, this document outlines a sweeping redefinition of national security. Moving far beyond the traditional confines of military defence, the White Paper introduces […]

On May 21, 2025, the people of Khuzdar woke to one of the most heinous acts of terrorism in Pakistan’s recent memory. A suicide bomber rammed an explosives-laden vehicle into a school bus carrying children to a military-run educational institution. The attack killed at least five people, including three innocent children, and injured over fifty others. For Pakistan, this was […]

A strong opposition to Türkiye in India over the last several weeks has caught the eye of many in the region and abroad. According to reports, Türkiye supporting Pakistan in the last India-Pakistan conflict triggered a number of actions, including stopping business trade, issuing warnings for tourists, and launching joint political steps. There is more at stake than diplomatic friction. […]

The problems Central Asian migrant workers pose for Russia have long caused many in Russia to want them to leave, but the challenges these same people represent for their own countries have not drawn the same attention. Many assume that payments sent home by migrant workers and the positive effects of emigration on Central Asian overpopulation and unemployment make migrant […]

India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi has redefined the dynamics of bilateral relations with Pakistan. In this, he has unveiled a strategic framework for his approach to countering terrorism coming from the Pakistani deep state, including the Army and the spy agency Inter Services Intelligence (ISI). The new strategy is anchored in three vectors: political, military, and psychological[1]. Each of these […]