Author: Sardar Sheheryar Khan

Azad Jammu-Kashmir is in a dilemma. The days leading up to June 9, 2026, the day that JAAC had selected for its big protest, saw some of the most disturbing scenes in recent region history. In the town of Rawalakot, gunmen affiliated with the banned Joint Awami Action Committee fired upon police officers in a pre-planned and coordinated attack, according to police. There were four police officers who were martyred and 20 others injured in the fierce clashes. Men were shot by the men who attacked CMH Rawalakot hospital. It was no act of civil disobedience. A peaceful protest was not…

On May 20, 2026, the Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA) in The Hague upheld its earlier ruling affirming the continued validity of the Indus Waters Treaty (IWT) and declaring that India cannot unilaterally suspend it. India’s response was in defiance as New Delhi rejected the ruling outright, calling the Court of Arbitration “illegally constituted” and its awards “null and void.” This is not merely a bilateral water dispute. It is a test of whether international law has any meaning when one of its signatories decides to play by its own rules. Pakistan’s position is legally sound, historically grounded, and morally defensible. India’s behaviour,…

On May 17, 2026, Qatar’s Foreign Ministry confirmed a phone call between Qatari Prime Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al-Thani and Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif. The topic was Iran. Specifically, it was Pakistan’s ongoing effort to broker a ceasefire between the United States and Iran. The call came at one of the most fragile moments of 2026. Reports had just emerged of a phone call between Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and U.S. President Donald Trump, reportedly about the possibility of restarting military operations against Iran. The ceasefire, already described as being on “life support,” looked like it could shatter at…

Pakistan Navy provided humanitarian assistance to the crew of MV Gautam. The Indian offshore tug and supply vessel became stranded in the Arabian Sea. The ship sailed from Oman toward India, as it suffered a critical technical fault. Seven crew members were on board. Six were Indian nationals. One was Indonesian. The vessel lost essential systems and could not continue its journey. Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre in Mumbai sent a distress call. Pakistani authorities received the request. Pakistan Navy coordinated with Pakistan Maritime Security Agency and the agency deployed PMSS Kashmir. The ship reached the location. Crew members received food…

The United States and Iran continue to find themselves suspended in air well into late April of 2026. A temporary two-week truce, negotiated in early April following a joint attack by American and Israeli forces on nuclear and military targets within Iran at the end of February, has been extended, but there is a sense of tension rather than peace. Peace talks held under the mediation of Pakistan in Islamabad become gridlocked on basic points, a timetable for putting the nuclear program to sleep, opening up the Strait of Hormuz, and easing harsh sanctions. Herein lies the latest episode of…