International

The world’s largest democracy, in its own words

Since July, a protest movement has tested how free India's institutions really are. The record the state has filed under oath keeps colliding with the one its own evidence shows.

Force comes first and the explanation follows, filed under oath — MICHAEL MCCALL FOR THE THURSDAY TIMES
Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, and Turkiye's military chiefs hold urgent talks in Riyadh under the Makkah Defence Alliance. — FILE

Boris Johnson has lost it on Imran Khan

Pakistan's courts are already ordering what Johnson demands. The man who slashed Britain's aid to Pakistan now wants to use "our leverage" to overrule its courts. Everything else in his Daily Mail column is wrong, half-told or left out.

He can't tell Sussex from Surrey, a spy chief from an army chief, or a hospital order from house arrest. Pakistan's judges don't need his help. — FILE

Pakistan’s Saudi commitment: deployed, declared, undefined

"Pakistan stands with the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia diplomatically and physically," the Pakistan military spokesman said this week, pausing to underline the second word himself. "We will go to any extent."

Pakistan has committed to defending Saudi Arabia to any extent. What that obliges has never been written down. — ILLUSTRATION/THE THURSDAY TIMES

BRICS in New Delhi: Some skipped it, others skipped dinner

High-profile absences and early departures cast a shadow over Narendra Modi's showcase BRICS gathering in New Delhi. Brazil's Lula skipped it entirely, Saudi Arabia's crown prince never attended, the UAE's Crown Prince left before dinner, and Xi Jinping disappeared before the evening began.

High-profile absences and early departures cast a shadow over Narendra Modi's showcase BRICS gathering in New Delhi. — FILE

Pakistan requests $10bn US exchange stabilisation facility, Reuters

Pakistan has formally requested a rare $10 billion exchange stabilisation facility from the United States, according to Reuters. The proposed arrangement could strengthen the country's foreign exchange reserves, support the rupee and mark a significant step forward in bilateral economic relations.

Pakistan has requested a rare $10 billion US exchange stabilisation facility that could bolster foreign exchange reserves, reduce pressure on the rupee and deepen economic cooperation between Islamabad and Washington. — FILE/THE WHITE HOUSE
US President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the White House as reports emerged of a profanity-laden phone call between the two leaders on 1 June 2026 threatening the US-Iran deal.— FILE/THE WHITE HOUSE

Field Marshal Munir played a central role in US-Iran mediation, New York Times

The New York Times reported that Field Marshal Asim Munir played a central role in US-Iran mediation and his overnight Tehran visit was an intensification of shuttle diplomacy. The Thursday Times traces how Pakistan's army chief built the trust of both Washington and Tehran, one visit at a time.

Field Marshal Asim Munir meets US President Donald Trump alongside Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif at the White House in September 2025, a relationship that would later place Pakistan at the centre of US-Iran peace mediation. — FILE/THE WHITE HOUSE

پاکستان نیوی نے بھارتی درخواست پر بحیرہ عرب میں پھنسے بھارتی جہاز کو ریسکیو کیاپاکستان نیوی نے بھارتی درخواست پر بحیرہ عرب میں پھنسے بھارتی جہاز کو ریسکیو کیا، دی ہندو

پاکستان نیوی نے بھارتی درخواست پر بحیرہ عرب میں پھنسے بھارتی جہاز ”ایم وی گوتم“ کے عملہ کو انسانی بنیادوں پر فوری و تکنیکی امداد فراہم کی۔ پاکستان نیوی نے گزشتہ ماہ بھی بحیرہ عرب میں ایک تجارتی جہاز کے 18 رکنی عملہ کو ریسکیو کیا۔

Pakistan Navy provided humanitarian assistance to the stranded crew of Indian vessel MV Gautam in the Arabian Sea after a distress request from Mumbai, supplying food, medical aid and technical support to six Indian nationals and one Indonesian national. — MONTAGE/THE THURSDAY TIMES

Trump wants to go to Pakistan. That’s why Vance has to stay home

Donald Trump has long favoured high-profile diplomacy and may want to fly in himself if Pakistan offers the chance for a final deal or landmark announcement, meaning JD Vance would likely need to stay home in Washington or return from Islamabad first.

The White House’s changing signals on JD Vance’s Pakistan trip may reflect more than diplomacy, with security planning and the prospect of a Trump visit shaping the uncertainty. — MONTAGE/THE THURSDAY TIMES