Track dialogue: India should avoid talks with Pakistan Raksha Anirveda 07 Jul 2026 The Pak Express Tribune last week published a column mentioning that India and Pakistan had engaged in a Track 1.5 dialogue involving former diplomats, retired military officials and politicians. They claimed it was held on the sidelines of the International Institute for Strategic Studies’ (IISS) annual […]
Another protest, a similar script The Statesman 07 Jun 2026 A successful film will always have a sequel, with directors hoping that the public responds in a similar manner as with the original. The same can be true for politics also. A sequel to the Anna Hazare protest is currently ongoing at Jantar Mantar led by the Cockroach Janta […]
US-Iran talks the Excelsior 07 Jun 2026 The US seeks everything in a hurry, unwilling to understand that others do not follow the same timetable. This desperation of the US is justified because every administration looks at its own term in office, ignoring long-term interests. This is Trump’s last tenure and about 18 months have already elapsed. If any […]
The ugly incident in Kishtwar The Excelsior 01 Jul 2026 The recent army-civil administration clash in Kishtwar could have been avoided had parties involved displayed maturity. A small incident, especially when egos of individuals are involved, can damage carefully built working relations between institutions. Kishtwar is a region prone to terrorist incidents and hence is essential that all government […]
Pakistan plays to its internal audience The Statesman 30 Jun 2026 Speaking as the co-chair at the Arria-formula meeting of the Security Council on ‘Bridging the Implementation Gap: Security Council Resolutions and the Maintenance of International Peace and Security,’ Pakistan’s permanent member to the UN, Asim Iftikhar Ahmad, raised Kashmir, as expected. He reiterated Pakistan’s standard cry for self-determination […]
The role of narratives in the Iran conflict Raksha Anirveda 25 Jun 2026 The US missile strike on the Shajareh Tayyebeh primary and girls’ elementary school in Minab in Southern Iran on the first day of the war on 28th Feb resulted in 168 casualties, predominantly schoolgirls between the ages of 7 and 12, while many more were wounded. […]
Has Trump scuppered Israel’s W Asia plans? The Statesman 23 Jun 2026 It was Netanyahu who pushed Trump into the Iran conflict promising multiple gains, including regime change, degradation of the IRGC and surrender of Iran with just a short and swift bombing campaign. He did this when talks in Geneva were progressing smoothly and Iran had almost agreed […]
Geography favours Iran The Excelsior 22 Jun 2026 US and Israel air strikes on Iran did cause damage to Iran’s military sites as also its research facilities. However, they failed to break Iran’s resolve nor did they push it to surrender. Talks are in progress and Iran is no longer bargaining from a position of weakness but one of […]
Exploiting artillery in future wars Raksha Anirveda 18 Jun 2026 Rockets, missiles and UAVs are playing an increasing role in ongoing conflicts. US and Israel exploited their airpower in Iran, as it lacked air defences. Iran responded with drones and missiles. The Ukraine conflict has been a learning curve, where nature of warfare has shifted from contact (with which it […]
Amidst powder kegs, will peace hold in West Asia The Statesman 16 Jun 2026 It has been after over 100 days that both, Trump and Iran, announced a peace deal, much to global relief. This was the umpteenth time that Trump mentioned it, only to be rebuked by Iran each time. Iran’s insistence on including Lebanon in the agreement […]