March 2025 – Maj Gen Harsha Kakar (Retd.)

March 31, 2025

Making foreign meddling a domestic poll weapon The Statesman 01 Apr 2025

Making foreign meddling a domestic poll weapon The Statesman 01 Apr 2025Vanessa Lloyd, chair of the security and intelligence threats to elections taskforce, mentioned recently at a press conference that India, Russia, Pakistan, Iran and China can subvert their national elections through sophisticated disinformation campaigns. The number of countries listed by her imply that Canadian elections have global significance however […]

March 27, 2025

Pakistan has few options The Excelsior 28 Mar 2025

Pakistan has few options The Excelsior 28 Mar 2025The last few weeks have witnessed a spurt of incidents involving various groups, battling Pak security forces, including the Baloch Freedom Fighters. Over 2000 attacks, including terrorist strikes and suicide bombings, have occurred in different parts of the country in the past year. After every incident, the Pak army announces success, on […]

March 24, 2025

The PLA is not China’s armed force but CCP’s ETv Bharat 25 Mar 2025

The PLA is not China’s armed force but CCP’s ETv Bharat 25 Mar 2025Every nation has an armed force to defend itself from perceived threats, both external and internal. The expenditure to raise, sustain and maintain these forces flows from the national exchequer, paid for by the tax payer. Hence, the armed forces are subservient to elected authority, pay allegiance […]

March 24, 2025

Many complications in Ukraine peace talks The Statesman 25 Mar 2025

Many complications in Ukraine peace talks The Statesman 25 Mar 2025Ignoring Europe and Ukraine, Trump spoke to Putin to determine a way forward for ending the three-year old conflict. The US handout read ‘the leaders agreed that the movement to peace will begin with an energy and infrastructure ceasefire.’ Talks on a ‘maritime ceasefire, full ceasefire and permanent peace’ will […]

March 21, 2025

Neutralizing Iran The Excelsior 22 Mar 2025

Neutralizing Iran The Excelsior 22 Mar 2025Iran has been at the forefront of most global conflicts in either directly or indirectly in recent years. It is a member of the Russia-China-Iran-North Korea alliance in Eurasia, supporting Russia in its war with Ukraine by providing drones. It is Iranian proxies, Hezbollah and Hamas, battling its arch enemy Israel, resulting in upheaval […]

March 17, 2025

Army as first responder The Statesman 18 Mar 2025

Army as first responder The Statesman 18 Mar 2025Photographs of residents of Wayanad in Jul-Aug 2024 lining up to cheer members of the army’s rescue team as it withdrew after successfully completing its daunting rescue task, post the landslides, dominated social media as also news networks. It was an emotional send-off from a community which lost many family members but […]

March 17, 2025

How Trump is erasing the idea of globalization ETv Bharat 17 Mar 2025

How Trump is erasing the idea of globalization ETv Bharat 17 Mar 2025We believed that we live in an era of globalization, where there is an interdependence of economies and an integration of cultures. As technology developed it made the world more interconnected than ever before. Economically strong nations funded programs in weaker ones seeking to support humanity as also […]

March 15, 2025

India China relations remain opaque The Excelsior 16 Mar 2025

India China relations remain opaque The Excelsior 16 Mar 2025Addressing his annual press conference in Beijing last Friday, the Chinese foreign minister, Wang Yi, on being questioned on Indo-China ties, mentioned, ‘We should never allow bilateral relations to be defined by the boundary question or specific differences to affect the overall picture of our bilateral ties.’ He added, ‘China always […]

March 11, 2025

Zelensky flip leaves Europe in cold The Statesman 11 Mar 2025

Zelensky flip leaves Europe in cold The Statesman 11 Mar 2025Post the disaster at the White House, Zelensky arrived in London to a warm welcome and support from European nations. Added was the presence of Canada’s Justin Trudeau. The welcome was largely because Europe and Canada have also faced a hostile Trump administration. A clear case of birds of a […]

March 7, 2025

The spectacle in Washington was expected The Excelsior 07 Mar 2025

The spectacle in Washington was expected The Excelsior 07 Mar 2025Differences in US-Ukraine as also US-Europe relations was evident since Trump entered the White House. The first signal was in the UN General Assembly where resolutions marking the Ukraine war were passed. The US voted, alongside Russia, against the Ukrainian resolution accusing Moscow of initiating the attack in 2022. Washington […]