Author: Nazish Mehmood

The Middle East has now plunged back into a state of dangerous uncertainty with reports that Iran has launched a second wave of missiles and drones against the United Arab Emirates and the Emirati air defenses have succeeded in intercepting the second wave. The incident, after a previous interception reported on April 8, has cost the region the feeling that it was returning to a pattern of confrontation when many had thought that it was heading out of it. To a section of the globe, which exports about a third of all seaborne oil in the world, and to which…

When it comes to the digital finance environment, where a, once, experimental approach is no longer considered experimental but rather foundational, the fact that Pakistan decided to make its virtual assets regulatory software operational is a significant change, however, no longer experimental but rather foundational approach. The nation is sending signal that it will not be a 2023 stragglers in the globalized digital economy. Over the years, the crypto environment in Pakistan resided in a grey area. Though it was not formally regulated, the take up was tremendous. As of the recent years blockchain analytics firm Chainalysis reports that Pakistan…

The latest Iranian missile and drone attack on the United Arab Emirates has gained Pakistan some strong backing again concerning Islamabad long-standing diplomatic policy: Pakistan supports peace, stability, and respect of ceasefires, although it refuses to become a member of any aggressive bloc politics. When the world has revived some uncertainty over the Middle East, the reaction of Pakistan has presented the country as a moderate and authoritative actor whose voice is still heard in the opposing capitals. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif explicitly criticized the attack in a public statement, saying, “Pakistan viciously condemns the missile and drone attacks on…

The events related to the US-Iran conflict in the recent past, as well as the high-profile diplomatic efforts associated with Islamabad, are timely, as the world diplomacy becomes more and more dispersed and responsive. Pakistan, with the report of Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi meeting with the military leadership, including Asim Munir, is again at the centre of a developing regional diplomatic process. What is slowly turning out to be increasingly apparent is that Pakistan is not merely a host of diplomatic relations. It is being actively entrusted with the role of a stable, neutral, and organized platform, in which…

In the shifting geometry of global power politics, some states react to crises and a few quietly shape how crises are managed. Pakistan belongs to the latter category. Positioned at the crossroads of South Asia, Central Asia, the Middle East, and the wider Eurasian arc, Pakistan has repeatedly emerged not as a peripheral observer of international diplomacy, but as a functional bridge at moments when strategic communication between rival powers has broken down. The current discourse on Pakistan’s potential mediating role between Washington and Tehran is therefore not an anomaly; it is a continuation of a deeper historical pattern embedded…

In recent weeks, discussions about Iran’s potential military moves have focused almost exclusively on the Strait of Hormuz. Analysts and media outlets have repeatedly warned that a closure of this vital maritime chokepoint could paralyze global oil supplies. While this is certainly a serious threat, the real danger may lie elsewhere – in Iran’s ability to target the broader oil and gas infrastructure of its neighbours in the Persian Gulf. The logic behind this is simple. Iran has long been aware that mere threats can sometimes slow down American or international interventions. But if Tehran were to escalate from threats…

In recent years, a worrying trend has emerged in India’s education landscape. Under Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government, the number of Indian students heading abroad for higher education has dropped sharply by 31%. According to official statistics from the Bureau of Immigration, this number dropped from 908,000 in 2023 to only 626,000 in 2025. This is a serious concern regarding the educational and diplomatic policies of India. Being a person who firmly believes in the concept of global education and how it can shape young minds and achieve a faster pace of a nation, I am sure that it is…

India has just announced a new trade agreement with the United States, and the Modi government is loudly celebrating it. It is reported to have been a big strategic win, a milestone in strengthening friendship, and a clear indication that India is now at the global trade table. On the face of it, the rhetoric is powerful and persuasive. However, when you get past the headlines and the glorification, the merger begins to look a lot less impressive. What is being offered as a victory is rather a one-sided compromise with diplomatic wording.The main problem is that there is a…