Pakistan army chief Asim Munir arrives in Tehran for talks
Field Marshal Asim Munir lands in Tehran for the latest in a series of visits as Pakistan continues mediating between Iran and the United States.
South Asia
India’s No First Use pledge is a ‘diplomatic ruse’, Pakistan’s nuclear adviser says
Lt Gen (Retd) Mazhar Jamil, adviser to Pakistan's National Command Authority, tells an IISS London audience India's No First Use policy is a "diplomatic ruse" and defends Pakistan's response to the May 2025 crisis.
Afghan Taliban minister says Indians and Afghans share the same DNA
Afghan Taliban Agriculture Minister Mawlawi Ataullah Omari has said Indians and Afghans "share the same DNA", describing India as feeling "like our own country" during a visit to New Delhi aimed at strengthening trade and economic cooperation.
Political storm in India over Pakistan war deaths as Congress seeks Rajnath Singh’s resignation
India's opposition has intensified pressure on Prime Minister Narendra Modi's government, accusing it of concealing military casualties from the 2025 war with Pakistan and demanding Defence Minister Rajnath Singh's resignation.
Bangladesh’s J-10CE move could put India in a three-front airpower squeeze
Bangladesh’s reported interest in Chinese J-10CE jets could mark a new phase in South Asia’s airpower competition, placing fresh strategic pressure on India.
India debates while Pakistan mediates
Senior RSS and military remarks in India have reopened the question of dialogue with Pakistan, exposing the limits of New Delhi’s hardline public posture. At the same time, Islamabad is trying to show that its relevance now extends beyond India, through crisis diplomacy involving Iran, the US, the Gulf, China and multilateral finance.
Pakistan, Türkiye and Azerbaijan eye new Eurasian order
The Institute of Regional Studies hosted a seminar in Islamabad on Greater Eurasia, where speakers from Pakistan, Türkiye and Azerbaijan called for deeper connectivity, stronger trade corridors and closer strategic cooperation in a rapidly changing multipolar order.
U.S. shuts Peshawar consulate over Khyber Pakhtunkhwa security concerns
The United States has announced the phased closure of its Consulate General in Peshawar, with diplomatic engagement for Khyber Pakhtunkhwa now shifting to the US Embassy in Islamabad. The decision does not end US engagement with Pakistan, but it places renewed focus on KP’s security situation and the provincial government’s ability to reassure foreign missions.
Afghanistan could lose over 25,000 female teachers and health workers by 2030, UNICEF warns
UNICEF warns Afghanistan could lose 25,000+ female teachers and health workers by 2030, as restrictions on girls’ education and women’s work continue under Taliban rule.
The tragedy would be to celebrate Iqbal and ignore him
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.
