TT Islamabad Bureau

Zohran Mamdani is not Pakistani, yet he has stirred a rare warmth in Pakistan. His comfort with Urdu and Hindustani, his visible Muslim identity and his wider South Asian cultural ease have made him feel less like a distant foreign politician and more like someone many Pakistanis instinctively understand.

Speaking to The Thursday Times in Islamabad, Caitlin Doornbos described her visit to Pakistan as warm and memorable, praising the curiosity and openness of local people while cautioning that no reporter covering a high-intensity conflict can confidently predict where the talks will lead.

On the 88th death anniversary of Allama Iqbal, it is worth asking not only what he meant to the making of Pakistan, but what his ideas demand of the country now. As Islamabad tries to keep open channels between Iran and the United States, Iqbal’s poetry feels less like memory and more like instruction.

Pakistan’s Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar and Egypt’s Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty have stressed the importance of dialogue and continued engagement in a high-level call on regional tensions, as Islamabad expands consultations with key Arab powers.

China has renewed its backing for Pakistan’s diplomatic role in facilitating engagement between Washington and Tehran, with Ambassador Jiang Zaidong conveying Beijing’s “full support” during a meeting with Ishaq Dar as the next phase of talks approaches a decisive moment.