g PM-LED HUDDLE CALLS ON ALL PARTIES TO RESOLVE IRAN-ISRAEL CONFLICT THROUGH DIALOGUE DIPLOMACY A S PER UN CHARTER
g COMMITTEE CONDEMNS ISRAEL’S ACTS OF AGGRESSION AND REGRETS THESE MILITARY ATTACKS COINCIDED WITH A CONSTRUCTIVE IRAN-US NEGOTIATION PROCESS
g NSC CONCERNED ABOUT POTENTIAL FOR FURTHER ESCALATION AFTER ATTACKS ON IRANIAN NUCLEAR SITES WHICH VIOLATED IAEA RESOLUTIONS, INT ’L LAW AND THE UN CHARTER
AGENCIES S TA F F R E
Fordow, Natanz and Isfahan on June 22, which violated the reso utions of the International Atomic Energy Agency relevant international law and the UN Charter The committee members also reaffirmed Pakistan’s close engagement with relevant parties in the situation and endorsed the government’s readiness to continue efforts and initiatives aimed at promoting regional peace and stability N S C R E A F F I R M S I R A N ’ S R I G H T T O S E L F - D E F E N C E A F T E R U S AT TA C KS
FBR UNVEILS RS36B
Breakdown
In a strategic push toward nationwide digital inclusion Pakistan Telecommunication Company Limited (PTCL) Telco Integrators Pvt Ltd (TI), and Kacific Broadband Satellites Group have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to collaborate on extending high-speed satellite internet broadband and voice services across Pakistan
The three-way partnership is expected to revolutionize connectivity for remote and underserved regions by merging PTCL s vast fiber and submarine cable network, Telco Integrators’ operational and technical know-how and Kacific s cutting-edge satellite broadband technology
According to a news release issued Monday, the alliance aims to deliver scalable, cost-effective, and reliable broadband services across Pakistan’s geographically diverse landscape The collaboration is designed to meet the growing demand for integrated digital
infrastructure especially in areas that remain off-grid or out of range of traditional networks
PTCL, which operates Pakistan’s largest telecommunications infrastructure stretching from Khyber to Karachi and connecting to global networks through submarine cables will provide the backbone for this expansion Meanwhile, Telco Integrators will act as Kacific’s local service enabler, supporting the deployment and operation of satellite-based broadband and communication services
The partnership also plans to jointly market and distribute Kacific s services to telecom operators, enterprises, and small and medium-sized businesses (SMEs), broadening access to dependable internet throughout the country
“This partnership represents a major milestone in enhancing digital connectivity across Pakistan stated Aamer Ejaz, Group Vice President, Carrier Solutions Business at PTCL “We’re proud to help extend impactful services to previously unreachable re-
gions catalyzing digital inclusion and socio-economic progress Kacific CEO Christian Patouraux reinforced the company’s mission to ensure no one is left behind in the digital age “Together with PTCL and Telco Integrators we are well-positioned to bring transformative change through satellite-powered broadband he said Imtiaz Ahmed Laghari, CEO of Telco Integrators, highlighted the practical strength of the collaboration “Our role is to translate advanced satellite technology into ground-level solutions that improve accessibility and user satisfaction This partnership enables us to deliver high-performance internet services backed by localized support With more than half of Pakistan’s population still lacking reliable broadband access the alliance signals a shared commitment to narrowing the digital gap By
Iran hits US air base in Qatar in retaliation for attack on its nuclear sites: IRGC
Iran has launched a powerful and destructive missile attack on the Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar in response to the US striking its nuclear facilities the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps said in a statement The Islamic Republic of Iran relying on Almighty God and the faithful, proud people of Iran, will never leave any aggression against its territorial integrity, sovereignty, or national security unanswered ” the statement read Qatar has condemned Iran for attacking the US Al Udeid Air Base calling it a flagrant violation of Qatar s sovereignty and airspace We affirm that the state of Qatar reserves the right to respond directly, proportionate to the nature and scale of this blatant aggression and in accordance with international law Majed AlAnsari a spokesperson for the Qatari Foreign Ministry said in a statement Monday We are assured that Qatari air defenses thwarted the attack and successfully intercepted the Iranian missiles A statement clarifying the circumstances of the attack will be issued later by the Ministry of Defense Al-Ansari said Iranian officials gave Qatar advance notice of an attack before launching missiles toward a US military base in the country, according to a source familiar with the matter The coordination was intended to minimize casualties and preserve an off-ramp the source said A US official told CNN they are not aware of any US injuries or deaths in the reported attack on Al Udeid Air Base Qatar ’s Defense Ministry said Monday that its air defenses intercepted
an Iranian missile attack on the air base
Non-sheltered American planes were moved out of Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar last week according to a satellite image that was taken on June 19 that shows nearly empty tarmacs, CNN reported This means the planes were moved before Iran launched a missile attack on Al Udeid Monday in response to the US striking its nuclear facilities over the weekend
Two defense officials told CNN last week the planes were taken to other locations as part of the US military s effort to protect its assets and equipment in the Middle East amid the conflict between Iran and Israel Additionally all of the US Navy ships that had been forward-deployed at Naval Support Activity Bahrain the US Navy s base in the island country left port last week It’s not clear where the planes and ships went There was no Iranian attack detected at any US military base other than in Qatar a US military official has told Reuters There was no impact on the US AlUdeid airbase in Qatar, the official adds Iran will continue its retaliation in response to US attacks, a senior Iranian official told Reuters He added that Iran possesses the necessary rationality to pursue diplomacy but only after punishing the aggressor If the United States seeks negotiations, Israeli and US attacks must stop, he said
However, Qatar said that the security situation was "stable" "The Ministry of Interior confirms that the security situation in the country is stable and there is no cause for concern the government said in a statement
Iran had issued threats to retaliate after US bombers dropped 30 000pound bunker-busters on Iranian underground nuclear sites at the weekend joining Israel s air war against Tehran and President Donald Trump mooted the possibility of the Iranian government being toppled Two US officials told Reuters speaking on condition of anonymity the attack was carried out using short-range and medium-range ballistic missiles No Iranian attacks were detected at any US military base other than in Qatar, a US military official told Reuters The official added that there was no impact on the US Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar Meanwhile military sources said air defence systems were activated at the US Ain al-Asad Air Base in Iraq amid concerns over a potential attack
The main remaining US base in northeast Syria was on full alert and mobilised for possible attacks by Iran or Iran-aligned groups a Syrian security source told Reuters Known as Qasrak the base is one of two US military installations in Hasakah province, where American troops are stationed In addition, the US Ain al-Asad Air Base in Iraq activated its air defence system amid concerns over a potential attack
COMMENT
U N J A B S budget for the next fiscal year, totaling Rs5 33 trillion including a development program of Rs1 24 trillion seems to follow the familiar playbook of the PML-N, prioritizing image-building over substantial governance and social impact Despite the increased allocation for development which is 47% higher than the previous year the budget lacks a strategy for effective monitoring and implementation of development schemes Moreover, it does not include an independent socioeconomic impact assessment or audit of past expenditures
The development stimulus is substantial, with a focus on transformational planning, equity, innovation, and climate resilience However the allocation of funds raises questions about the government’s priorities The social sector has emerged as a major beneficiary, receiving 40% of the development funds, while infrastructure development gets a 27% share The production sector and governance sector have been allocated 13% and 11% respectively
A closer look at the budget reveals that it prioritizes short-term optics over long-term reforms and devolution of governance The government’s approach to development seems to be focused on flashy infrastructure projects and politically convenient handouts, rather than meaningful governance and social impact The lack of a comprehensive strategy for monitoring and evaluating the impact of development projects is a significant oversight
The PML-N s spending priorities are evident in the budget with a focus on stimulus public services and growth However the underlying philosophy seems to be driven by short-term political gains rather than long-term reforms It is likely that the government will embark on a publicity drive to showcase its development initiatives which may be mistaken for actual social impact outcomes
The people of Punjab deserve better governance and more effective development initiatives A budget that prioritizes socioeconomic impact and governance reforms is essential for achieving meaningful development outcomes Unfortunately, this budget seems to be more focused on projecting the chief minister as a reformer and champion of development rather than delivering tangible results
In conclusion, while the budget has increased allocations for various sectors, including education and health it lacks a comprehensive strategy for achieving meaningful governance and social impact The government needs to prioritize long-term reforms and devolution of governance to ensure that development initiatives are effective and sustainable
Dedicated to the legac y of late Hameed Nizami Arif Nizami (Late) Founding Editor
M A Niazi Editor Pakistan Today Babar Nizami Editor Profit
out of his whimsical and capricious nature He received a high mandate in the elections with the help of his much-celebrated mantra, Make America Great Again His idea was to focus on American internal matters rather than external ones But soon after his election to the presidential office he mishandled internal as well as external matters so recklessly that he did not manage to win the next election leaving his successor Joe Biden, to deal with the mess he had created The number of blunders he made during his first tenure requires a voluminous write-up; it cannot be concluded in just an article However we can superficially touch on them to have an idea of it
Trump soon after his anointment to the post started a tariff war with China Canada and the European Union and saw their retaliatory response within no time It seems that he has learned nothing from his past mistakes because he has repeated this action fairly recently He also messed up his relationship with his neighbors namely Mexico by shutting down the border with it His recent ambition to buy Greenland is not a new idea, but he tried its fulfilment in his first term, which led to frosty relations with Denmark
Next came his unilateral decision to withdraw from the Paris Agreement in 2017 despite being the largest contributor to carbon emissions which result in climate change and global warming In 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic, he announced that the US would withdraw from the membership of the WHO He also disregarded the precautionary regulations designed by WHO and other countries in utter
PA K I S TA N believes in Regional cooperation and always played a critical role for the development peace and stability of Region
However, Pakistan has been mired in a never-ending cycle of insecurity for decades, caught between the enduring threat of terrorism within its borders and antagonistic regional forces especially India Even while the state has achieved significant progress against militancy particularly after momentous achievements of Operation Zarb-e-Azb in 2014 and operation Radd-ul-Fasaad in 2017, lasting peace and stability are still elusive Hopefully, the ongoing operation Bunyan-unMarsoos would be effective to counter terrorism, mitigating internal security concerns addressing cyber warfare regional tensions and enhanced border security Active participation in regional organizations such as South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC), Economic Cooperation Organization (ECO) and Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) bolsters excellent diplomacy but also strategically imperative for Pakistan Pakistan remains among the nations most affected by terrorism Pakistan ranked second in the world according to the Global Terrorism Index 2025 with over 1099 people killed in terrorist attacks in 2024 In many areas, especially near the porous Afghan border, extremist organizations such as the Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), Jamaat-ulAhrar (JuA) Lashkar-e-Jhangvi IS-K group and Baloch Insurgent groups are still active A complete and enduring peace takes more than just kinetic power even while military operations like Zarb-eAzb and Radd-ul-Fasaad disrupted numerous extremist networks Better governance, regional cooperation, and socioeconomic development must all be coordinated Regarding international policy Pakistan’s ties with its major neighbors are still strained A significant freeze in relations with India has resulted from the long-standing Kashmir dispute especially since Article 370 was repealed in 2019 Trust has never been lower, trade is still halted, and diplomatic channels have deteriorated Moreover, the incident of Pahalgam resulted in four day war with
arch rival India Further, India has not stopped its nefarious machinations as Fitna-ul-Hindustan forces are fueling the sub-nationalist extremist elements to commit terrorist activities both on the physical and digital fronts On the western fronts relations with Afghanistan are still precarious though the positive reciprocity of deputing formal Ambassadors has been agreed upon by the Governments of both Pakistan and Afghanistan The number of cross-border assaults in Pakistan has increased since the Taliban took back power in 2021 and tensions between the two countries have increased due to concerns over border security and the presence of militant sanctuaries The missing component in this high-risk regional setting has been cooperation An organization that once held promise for promoting peace and unity, the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC), has been in a standstill since 2014 The organization is deadlocked and mostly irrelevant due to the rivalry between India and Pakistan However SAARC was established to tackle issues like underdevelopment trade deficits poverty and terrorism all of which are more urgent now than ever Notwithstanding, SAARC Regional Convention on Suppression of Terrorism is a crucial forum for legal cooperation and extradition process that need to be harnessed for better intelligence sharing and counterterrorism cooperation Other regional platforms are more promising where SAARC has fallen short Pakistan joined the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) as a full member in 2017 The SCO is a new organization that prioritizes economic integration counterterrorism and regional security Moreover its Regional Anti-Terrorist Structure (RATS) encourages member governments to cooperate against extremism and share intelligence Such strategies are crucial in a volatile region like South and Central Asia Furthermore, if not as partners, then at least as stakeholders in regional peace, the SCO provides a unique multilateral forum in which India and Pakistan can engage The Economic Cooperation Organization (ECO) which connects Pakistan to Iran Turkey and Central Asia, is another underdeveloped platform The ECO places a high priority on energy cooperation and economic connectivity Only about 8% of Pakistan’s entire foreign commerce in 2023 was with ECO nations a concerning percentage requiring more economic cooperation within the ECO region In addition to boosting the economy increasing regional trade creates long-term stakes in peace, which fortifies internal security and governance Moreover, bolstering regional development projects such as CPEC under China’s BRI will improve means of livelihood and deradicalization efforts generates economic opportunities in insurgency prone areas undercutting the appeal of terrorists and ethnonationalist groups through improving Governance Regional organizations are criticized for lacking
and repercussions In 2018, he withdrew from the JCPOA, better known as the Iran nuclear deal, signed by the Obama administration, and imposed a large number of sanctions on Iran In response Iran refused to comply with the deal and started enriching uranium to a level almost equal to the weapon-grade fissile requirement by 2020 This event s repercussions were so severe that today s developments in US-Iran relations have direct linkages to it Moreover in 2017 the US officially recognized Jerusalem as the capital of Israel and decided to establish its embassy there Through this move Trump outrightly ignored the disputed status of Jerusalem under the United Nations However, the act was denounced by the Palestinian Authority and other Arab countries In the same vein, to appease the Zionists he brokered a deal between Israel and Arab countries better known as the Abraham Accord The accord was primarily signed by the UAE Bahrain and Morocco It was in a quest to keepaway Russia, China, and Iran from forging economic and diplomatic relations with the Arab states On the South Asian front the United States under President Trump decided to leave Afghanistan for good leaving millions of Afghan people at the mercy of the Taliban This act also endangered the whole region, especially Pakistan, which had been battling ever-increasing terrorism at home
All these events contributed to his failure to win the 2021 elections Joe Biden in his place held sway for the next four years He had to bear the brunt of Trump s mishandling of internal and external matters However he failed to make it through the elections held recently in 2025, which led to Trump s return to power He won this election too by dint of his sharp rhetoric His infamous mantra of “Making America Great Again” did the magic this time around too He pledged that the United States would not be taking part in others wars and would stop the Russia-Ukraine war within a week of his power takeover He also gave an ultimatum to Hamas and Israel to reach an agree-
ment before he took charge He promised to impose high tariffs on countries like China, Canada, and the European Union Later on after taking charge of the presidential office he reneged on many promises he had made during his electoral campaign He failed to stop the war in Ukraine and Gaza His trade war, through imposing high tariffs, was met with the same retaliatory response from China, Canada, and the European Union Trump’s expansionist nature tried to include Canada as the 51st state of the United States He also aggravated the already fraught relationship with Mexico by changing the name of the Gulf of Mexico to the Gulf of America His irredentism did not stop here; he also tried to make Greenland a part of the US by buying it from the Danish government More recently he engaged in talks with Iran on the nuclear issue at the behest of Israel but after many rounds the negotiations failed sine die Israel deeming nuclear Iran a threat to its existence, asked Trump to help it destroy Iranian nuclear facilities There is no denying the fact that the Trump administration was complicit in Israeli strikes on Iranian nuclear sites which led to tit-for-tat attacks from Iran Trump while this piece is being written has insinuated that the US may join the war officially sooner rather than later In the upcoming days, the US will surely be part of the war, as Tehran is in no mood to go to the negotiation table after being attacked by Israel If such a thing happens, one question may arise: can the US afford another prolonged war of others being waged with its financial and military help?
For the believers of the America First doctrine who voted for Trump in the presidential election, this will be the most urgent of the questions For now, how long the war will last is out of anyone’s surmise but surely it will go to the extent that many upcoming presidents of the US will have to face its repercussions As far as Trump is concerned he believes in the adage, After me, the deluge
The writer is a freelance columnist
Heat without flame
Viral lies
Sajjad HuSSain
The US-China Perilous Dance over Taiwan
must be coupled with a demonstrable US and allied commitment to intervene militarily in defense of the island The goal is not to guarantee victory in a full-scale war but to make the initiation of conflict seem irrational to Beijing
M I
frames a question that haunts the Indo-Pacific and the world: Could the USA and China go to war over Taiwan and if so, who would prevail? His analysis centred on a potential Chinese blockade as the most probable catalyst for catastrophic escalation provides a crucial lens for understanding the complex interplay of military strategy, economic interdependence, political will and psychological brinksmanship that defines the Taiwan Strait dilemma Examining O’Hanlon’s arguments reveals a precarious strategic landscape where deterrence is paramount game theory illuminates perilous choices and the ultimate outcome hinges on factors far beyond mere military might O’Hanlon correctly identifies a People’s Republic of China (PRC) blockade of Taiwan as the most plausible “peaceful strategy trigger for wider conflict Unlike an overt invasion involving amphibious landings and massive air assaults fraught with immense risk and guaranteed to provoke a fierce international response, a blockade represents a coercive grey-zone tactic It aims to strangle Taiwan economically and psychologically forcing capitulation or negotiation on Beijing s terms while potentially allowing China to frame its actions as a limited, internal matter O Hanlon s prescription is clear: robust, multifaceted deterrence is the USA’s primary tool for preventing this scenario This deterrence strategy necessitates two interdependent pillars:
1 M I L I TA RY P R E PA R E D N E S S: Significantly enhancing Taiwan s indigenous defensive capabilities (asymmetric warfare, anti-access/area denial systems, and resilience) to raise the cost of any PRC aggression to prohibitive levels Crucially this
2 E C O N O M I C R E S I L I E N C E: Fortifying the economies of US regional allies (Japan, South Korea, Australia, the Philippines) against the inevitable shockwaves of a US-China economic conflict sparked by a Taiwan crisis This involves diversifying supply chains stockpiling critical resources and developing contingency plans to withstand prolonged sanctions, trade disruptions and financial instability The aim is to ensure that the alliance system can endure the economic pain of confronting China maintaining unity and pressure over the long haul
O Hanlon s distinction between peaceful and war strategies for both powers is analytically useful yet highlights the inherent subjectivity and danger of such categorizations China views a blockade as “peaceful” coercion, avoiding kinetic conflict Conversely the USA perceives supporting Taiwan militarily as a war strategy only in response to aggression while abandoning Taiwan constitutes its own peaceful capitulation This fundamental asymmetry in perspective where one side s “peaceful” pressure is the other side’s casus belli creates fertile ground for miscalculation Beijing might underestimate Washington s resolve believing its blockade falls below the threshold triggering a full US military response Washington might misread Beijing s intentions, viewing incremental pressure as a prelude to invasion rather than a standalone strategy This perceptual gap is a core vulnerability in the deterrence equation It is here that game theory as O Hanlon suggests
provides a powerful framework for understanding the strategic interactions The Taiwan Strait confrontation resembles a high-stakes iterated game oscillating between cooperation and defection:
Both the USA and China tacitly or explicitly cooperate to maintain the Status Quo (SQ) The USA adheres to its “One China” policy without abandoning Taiwan while China refrains from forceful reunification Compromise ambiguity and managed tensions prevail Both sides avoid the catastrophic costs of war
(M
China initiates a blockade (defection from SQ) the USA responds with military force and severe sanctions (defection) The result is direct conflict potentially escalating to a wider, even total war, with devastating consequences for all parties, including global economic collapse and potential nuclear brinkmanship The cyclical pattern O Hanlon observes tension threat détente reflects the players constantly reassessing their positions probing the other s resolve and calibrating their actions based on perceived costs and benefits within this game The shadow of the “Penalties” scenario looms large acting as a powerful disincentive against defection yet the temptation for one side to gain a decisive advantage by defecting while the other cooperates is ever-present This dynamic strongly parallels the Chicken game model Both powers speed towards the brink; the one perceived as more willing to “drive off the cliff” (escalate to war) forces the other to swerve (concede) Survival instincts should compel both to swerve
Preventing war over Taiwan demands not just militar y might, but a sophisticated, unwavering and credible strategy of deterrence that accounts for the volatile interplay of strategy, perception, economics and the unpredictable human element in the highest-stakes game of all The sur vival of the current international order may well depend on g etting this calculus
at the last moment, preserving the Status Quo However, the game hinges critically on credible perceptions of resolve If Beijing believes Washington will ultimately swerve (abandon Taiwan) it may press harder If Washington doubts Beijing s willingness to risk war deterrence weakens O Hanlon s analysis however confronts two critical uncertainties that could shatter the game theory assumptions and undermine deterrence: domestic political will and leadership volatility 1
RT: The Ukraine war serves as a sobering precedent Mobilizing sustained Western public and political will for significant economic sacrifice and military risk against Russia proved challenging Containing China a vastly larger economic and military power deeply integrated into global supply chains presents an exponentially greater challenge Would the American public support sending its sons and daughters to fight and endure severe economic hardship, for Taiwan?
O’Hanlon rightly implies that without strong sustained domestic backing US deterrence lacks credibility The difficulty in effectively isolating Russia raises profound doubts about the feasibility of doing so to China, making the economic resilience pillar of deterrence potentially shaky 2
The 2024 US Presidential election injects significant uncertainty Donald Trump s past statements and February 2025 refusal to commit to defending Taiwan coupled with accusations of Taiwan “stealing” chip jobs and suggestions it should pay for defence create deep anxiety in Taipei and signal potential unreliability to Beijing While analysts like Bonnie Glaser suggest Trump might still defend Taiwan if it was attacked, the ambiguity itself is corrosive to deterrence Deterrence relies on crystal-clear signalling of intent and capability Mixed messages transactional rhetoric and perceived isolationism undermine the “resolve necessary to convince Beijing that the USA will not swerve in the Chicken game This leadership variable adds an unpredictable layer to the strategic calculus, potentially emboldening Beijing if it perceives US commitment as wavering Therefore the path to preventing war as O Hanlon advocates lies in strengthening deterrence but this task is immensely complex It requires not only tangible military enhancements for Taiwan and regional allies but also:
com
Nukes or be bombed
TH E Al Jazeera bureau chief in Tehran Abdul Qader Fayez reports from informed sources in Tehran that Iran s clerical Leader Ali Khamenei, and his National Security Council have still not decided how to respond to the US attack on Iranian civilian nuclear facilities though they want the response to be appropriate to the damage done them Al Jazeera notes Fayez pointed out that this Iranian hesitation suggests a tendency to respond in a carefully considered strategic manner not based on momentary revenge, but rather on a more comprehensive approach that allows Tehran multiple options rather than drawing it into a specific tactical confrontation or a direct ill-considered reaction Fayez says that the Iranian elite is attempting to distinguish between Washington s attack and the ongoing Israeli escalation, especially since the US bombardment was unprecedented They also see the attack as a change in the rules of engagement potentially replacing the shadow wars of the Islamic Republic and the US of the past with open regionwide confrontation I would add that Iran is weak It has lost control of its own skies and so is as helpless as Lebanon and Syria before the Israeli Air Force (and the American) Iran still has some drones and hypersonic missiles that can penetrate Israeli defenses but although it is able to do some damage to Tel Aviv and Haifa it isn t anything the Israelis can t survive The weapons of the weak are guerrilla warfare, covert operations and terrorism The US and Israel do not have troops on Iranian soil so a guerrilla war against them is difficult to mount Moreover Iran has a return address and so cannot pursue classic guerrilla warfare Iran can hit bases in the Middle East that host US troops,
sponse would be purely symbolic and for the sake of Iranian domestic politics, with no military significance US troops in Iraq and Syria are particularly vulnerable to this sort of reprisal If Trump is speaking truly and the strikes really were a one-off then the direct US-Iran engagement could subside quickly Iran has no reason to want continued direct involvement with the US while it is facing a concerted Israeli campaign It should be noted that in his first term Trump bombed Syria then largely ignored the country except for the Obama-initiated defeat of ISIL in Raqqa He bombed Afghanistan and then more or less surrendered to the Taliban He bombed an Iranian general at Baghdad International Airport and watched Iran reply, but then went back to using economic sanctions Trump has a history of splashy one-off bombings with no follow-through and this episode could be just as transitory During the first Trump round of maximum pressure sanctions, Iran covertly set fires to petroleum tankers of the United Arab Emirates in the Gulf But Iran now has good relations with the Arab Gulf states and is unlikely to take the American strikes out on them There may however be attacks on other oil pipelines or tankers of states with bad relations with Iran Oil attacks would benefit Iran by raising the price of the petroleum it smuggles to China and by hurting the US and Israeli economies Terrorism is a possibility but there is a danger it would be traced back to Iran and it is bad for a country s reputation foreign relations, and economic affairs Regime change in Iran as a result of the US and Israeli attacks is unlikely Even Iranians in the opposition are likely to rally around the flag Some disgruntled ethnic minorities may attempt to take advantage of perceived state weakness but they are small and cannot disrupt the Persian Iranian Plateau, the regime stronghold If anything, the Israeli and US attacks may have extended the life of an oppressive government that is widely disliked inside the country but which can now claim to stand against powerful external foes dedicated to attacking and destroying the Iranian nation Israel s defeat of Egypt s Gamal Abdel Nasser in the 6 Day War of 1967 did not cause regime change in Egypt Likewise the defeat of Iraq in Kuwait in the Gulf War of 1990-1991 did not cause regime change in Baghdad In recent decades in the Mid-
dle East regimes have changed as the result of military defeat only when the enemy army has actually taken the capital as with the US conquest of Baghdad in 2003 That is a highly unlikely scenario for Iran The most likely outcome of the current struggle is that Iran will reply in some symbolic way to Trump s attack, but will attempt to avoid drawing the US into a wider war Of course, calibrating these things is difficult and either or both sides could overshoot leading to a big war I assess that as possible but unlikely Iran will engage in tit for tat missile and drone attacks with Israel until Israel runs out of missile interceptors and has to stand down Russia, China and Iran’s own factories will gradually replace Iran’s expended missiles and drones though as covertly as possible to avoid further Israeli strikes Iranian counter-intelligence will have to up its game considerably if the government is to survive, since it seems clear that the officer corps is penetrated If Russia or China wanted to begin giving Iran a security umbrella, which seems to me unlikely despite an apparent recent offer by Dmitry Medvedev the deputy chairman of the Security Council of Russia I think Tehran might be interested Tehran would be crazy not to purchase as many s400 Russian anti-aircraft batteries as Moscow would sell them, and given the successes of Chinese fighter jets in the recent Pakistan-India fighting it must be interested in those as well The Iranian leadership was overly confident in its asymmetrical deterrence (Hezbollah rockets) and its own missiles, which, while good for offense, have not helped with defense The hot war will end, but the Middle East arms race is with us for the foreseeable future and the opportunities for Russia and China should they want them to play a bigger role in the region have expanded America s credibility as a negotiator and mediator is completely ruined, since Trump hit Iran in the midst
likely to be attacked That treaties, religious principles, and inspections offer no real protection when a hegemon decides it’s time to strike
IN mid-June 2025 tensions in the Middle East took a sharp and dangerous turn On 13 June Israel launched a targeted airstrike inside Iranian territory Just days later, on 21–22 June, the United States joined in striking Iran s fortified nuclear facilities at Fordow, Natanz and Isfahan
The justification was predictable: prevent Iran from acquiring a nuclear bomb
But the deeper unintended effect was far more consequential These strikes did not dissuade nuclear ambitions, they rationalised them For Iran, and for many others watching, the lesson is becoming impossible to ignore: in the absence of nuclear deterrence no nation is safe
A STRIKE MEANT TO PREVENT WHAT IT MAY HAVE JUSTIFIED: Iran has no confirmed nuclear weapon It remains a party to the Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) and its Supreme Leader upholds a religious fatwa banning weapons of mass destruction And yet it was bombed twice by two nuclear-armed powers acting outside international authorisation US President Donald Trump praised the airstrikes as a “spectacular success,” claiming Iran’s nuclear sites had been “completely obliterated ” He later warned Tehran that many more targets were on the list
The message was clear: disarmament does not protect you compliance is not enough
This logic undermines decades of diplomatic effort It creates a world where restraint is punished and power, once again, becomes the only guarantee of sovereignty
PSYCHOLOGICAL WARFARE BY OTHER MEANS: Iran s nuclear program has long existed under scrutiny But what made these June strikes different was their psychological impact They exposed the limits of legal and moral arguments against nuclear arms Iran’s leaders who had once proudly cited religious and diplomatic justifications for restraint now face a stark reality: none of that stopped the bombs What does this teach other countries? That not having a bomb makes you more
The effect is contagious From the Middle East to South Asia and beyond regional powers are watching and reconsidering whether restraint is still a viable strategy
THE DOUBLE
Dr MuhaMMaD akraM zaheer
Worldwide dangers
A Bangladesh government-appointed commission investigating hundreds of disappearances by the security forces under ousted premier Sheikh Hasina on Monday warned that the same “culture of impunity” continues The Commission of Inquiry into Enforced Disappearances is probing abuses during the rule of Hasina whose government was accused of widespread human rights abuses That includes the extrajudicial killing of hundreds of political opponents and the unlawful abduction and disappearance of hundreds more The commission was established by interim leader Nobel Peace Prize winner Muhammad Yunus 84 who is facing
were
cised
disappearances
of
machinery that condoned normalized and often rewarded such crimes the commission said in a section of a report released by the interim government on Monday Alarmingly this culture of impunity continues even after the regime change on August 5, 2024 The commission has verified more than 250 cases of enforced disappearances spanning the 15 years that Hasina’s Awami League was in power Commission chief Moyeenul Islam Chowdhury said earlier this month that responsibility lay with individual officers who were involved in conducting enforced disappearances but not the armed forces as an institution Earlier this month, a joint statement by rights groups, including Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch, called on the security forces to “fully cooperate with the commission by guaranteeing unfettered and ongoing access to all detention centers and providing free access to records regarding those seized or detained HASINA ERA EX-ELECTION
CHIEF DETAINED
Meanwhile, a Bangladeshi court on Monday remanded in custody the former elections chief for his alleged role in rigging the vote in favour of Hasina KM Nurul Huda 77 was ordered to be detained for four days while questioning continues a day after a mob who smashed into his home and assaulted him eventually handed him over to the police On Sunday, the powerful Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) filed a case against Huda and other former election commissioners it accuses of rigging past polls in favour of Hasina Hours after the case was filed a mob stormed Huda s home in the capital Dhaka and dragged him onto the street They put a garland of shoes around his neck and beat him up before handing him over to the police
G aza death toll from Israeli attacks nears 56,000: health ministr y
GAZA/CAIR O AG E N C I E S
The health ministry in Gaza said the bodies of at least 39 killed people had been brought to hospitals and at least 317 people were wounded in Israeli attacks over the past 24-hour international media reported The figures bring the number of people killed in the territory since the start of Israel’s 20-month onslaught to 55 998 with at least 131 559 wounded Israeli attacks have killed at least 5 685 Palestinians and injured 19 518 since Israel broke a ceasefire with Hamas in March Three citizens were killed and others injured on Monday morning by Israeli warplanes’ gunfire and shelling in the northern and southern Gaza Strip Wafa reports Wafa correspondents reported citing medical sources that a citizen was killed as a result of direct Israeli airstrikes while waiting for aid southwest of Khan Younis and a number of people were injured The same sources added that rescue cres recovered the bodies of two martyrs were killed by Israeli warplanes in Jabalia, north of the Gaza Strip They noted that there is a severe
shortage of medicines and medical equipment at Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital in Deir al-Balah, central Gaza Strip, and the number of wounded exceeds the doctors’ capacity to treat them Medical sources in the Gaza Strip confirmed that the number of people who have arrived at hospitals waiting for food aid has reached 450 and more than 3 466 injured since the aid distribution centres began operating late last month At least 4 civilians killed, others injured in Israeli attacks in central, southern Gaza At least four citizens were killed and others injured in Israeli shelling of the central and southern Gaza Strip Wafa reports Medical sources at Al-Awda Hospital in Nuseirat, central Gaza, reported that they received two slain civilians and 35 injuries as a result of Israeli forces targeting gatherings of citizens waiting for aid on Salah al-Din Street south of Wadi Gaza
They added that 16 seriously injured people were shot and transferred to hospitals in the central Gaza Strip A citizen was killed when an Israeli helicopter bombed a house in Deir alBalah refugee camp Wafa s local sources reported that Israeli drones targeted tents for dis-
placed people in the Al-Mawasi area west of Khan Yunis south of the Gaza Strip, killing and wounding a number of citizens
Spain seeks immediate suspension of EU association agreement with Israel over HR violations in Gaza Spain s Foreign Minister Jose Manuel Albares told reporters he will ask the EU Council to approve an immediate suspension of the pact that governs the relationship between EU and Israel to protest against what he called human rights violations in Gaza Reuters reports He also said he would ask the council to approve a embargo on weapons sold to Israel and approve sanctions on individuals who are undermining the two-state solution Italy against suspending EU-Israel accord, foreign minister says Italy is against a suspension of the EU-Israel Association Agreement over alleged human rights violations in Gaza Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani said Reuters reports Our position is different from that of Spain,” Tajani said on the sidelines of a meeting with EU colleagues in Brussels referring to Spain’s support for a suspension of the deal Tajani said it was important to keep
Following new visa rules, US embassy in India asks students
US had required visa applicants to provide social media identifiers on immigrant and nonimmigrant visa application forms
vetting” of all student and exchange visitor applicants to identify those who bear hostile attitudes toward our citizens culture government institutions or founding principles , said the cable, which was dated June 18 and sent to US missions on Wednesday In a post on X today the US Embassy in India said Effective immediately all individuals applying for an F, M, or J nonimmigrant visa are requested to adjust the privacy settings on all of their social media accounts to public to facilitate vetting necessary to establish their identity and admissibility to the US under US law It added that since 2019, the
We use all available information in our visa screening and vetting to identify visa applicants who are inadmissible to the US, including those who pose a threat to US national security F and M are different student visa types, while the J visa is a nonimmigrant visa for individuals approved to participate in exchange visitor programmes in the US On May 27 the Trump administration ordered its missions abroad to stop scheduling new appointments for student and exchange visitor visa applicants saying the State Department was set to expand social media vetting of foreign students US Secretary of State Marco Rubio had said updated guidance would be released once a review was completed The June 18 dated cable which was sent by Rubio and sent to all US diplomatic missions directed officers to look for applicants who demonstrate a history of political activism, especially when it is associated with violence or with the views and activities described above, you must consider the likelihood they would continue such activity in the US”
The cable which was first reported by Free Press also authorised the consular officers to ask the applicants to make all of their social media accounts public Remind the applicant that limited access to online presence could be construed as an effort to evade or hide certain activity, the cable said The move follows the administration’s enhanced vetting measures last month for visa applicants looking to travel to Harvard University for any purpose in what a separate State Department cable said would serve as a pilot programme for wider expanded screening
The Palestinian Commission for Detainees and Ex-Detainees Affairs has warned of a dangerous escalation in Israel s ongoing policy of denying legal access to Palestinian prisoners, Wafa reports The commission held the occupation authorities fully responsible for the lack of transparency surrounding human rights violations inside Israeli
ACT Alliance concerned about ‘Conflict of Interest’ in Senate’s panel on Illegal Tobacco Trade
annually evades over Rs 300 billion, and the market share of illegal cigarettes has now grown to 56%
emerging media reports indicating that two out of three members of a recently formed Senate Sub-Committee on illegal tobacco trade may themselves have direct commercial links to the tobacco industry The civil society platform which advocates for economic fairness in Pak-
the Senate to look into the matter and take steps to preserve the neutrality and credibility of the parliamentary process
The Sub-Committee in question was constituted under the Senate Standing Committee on Commerce on May 6, 2025, and was tasked with addressing the critical issue of illegal trade in the tobacco sector, a matter with significant fiscal implications for Pakistan According to recent reports the illegal cigarette industry
2,400
The Capital Development Islamabad s Solid Waste Management Department has been commended for its efficient waste disposal during the recent Eidul Adha The department disposed of a huge 2,400 tons of waste from urban and rural areas, according to a statement released by the Capital Development Authority (CDA) This achievement was highlighted during a review meeting chaired by Acting CDA Chairman Talat Mahmood at CDA Headquarters on June 23, 2025 The meeting, attended by senior CDA officials including the Member Finance Member Environment and DG Environment expressed satisfaction with the department s performance Discussions focused on future enhancements, including the develop-
“We greatly appreciate that the Senate has taken up the issue of illegal tobacco trade with seriousness said Mubashir Akram National Convenor of ACT Alliance Pakistan However, the recent reports about potential conflicts of interest within the Sub-Committee are deeply concerning Suppose individuals whose close families are directly linked to the tobacco business are sitting on a body meant to investigate and address the abuses of that very industry In that case, the questions about the neutrality and credibility of the SubCommittee arise ” Urging a review of the decision ACT Alliance Pakistan emphasized that public trust in parliamentary oversight depends on the perception of impartiality and institutional integrity This is not about politics or personalities It is about ensuring that the parliamentary process remains
free from undue influence, Akram said If we are serious about confronting tax evasion and illegal trade, then we must begin with clean and conflict-free governance structures ” Akram further emphasized the economic urgency of the issue saying that each year the illegal cigarette trade alone costs the national exchequer hundreds of billions of rupees in lost tax revenue Legal, tax-paying businesses are suffocating under the weight of unfair competition Meanwhile those breaking the law grow stronger Parliament s role should be to strengthen enforcement and discourage the scourge of illegal trade in all forms ” The ACT Alliance has long advocated for year-round enforcement against illegal trade in key sectors and has consistently supported initiatives by the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) and other institutions aimed at modernizing taxation, increasing transparency, and reducing the influence of shadow economies
ment of modern landfill sites and exploring waste-to-energy initiatives Mahmood directed the department to further refine waste management strategies for both urban and rural areas He emphasized the importance of studying national and international best practices, as instructed by CDA Chairman Muhammad Ali Randhawa to modernize the department s operations
Mahmood stated that the CDA under the guidance of Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi and the leadership of Chairman Randhawa who also serves as Chief Commissioner Islamabad and DG Civil Defense, is committed to transforming Islamabad into a clean, green, and environmentally friendly model city He added that these efforts are already yielding positive outcomes
KARACHI
attended by several local trade leaders including Mohammad Zada President of Bisham Traders Federation, Anwaruddin, President of Lower Dir Traders Federation, and others These leaders unanimously opposed the
sales
arguing that it was a burden on local businesses and a violation of the region’s
constitutional status Prior to the jirga traders organized a protest rally in Mingora where participants displayed banners with slogans such as Sales tax rejected Restore the constitutional status of Malakand Division, and Withdraw the cruel tax The protesters voiced their anger against the government’s decision, claiming it unfairly targeted Malakand’s business community At the jirga, President Abdur Rahim announced that all commercial and business centers in Swat Buner Dir Chitral Bajaur Shangla and Malakand districts would remain closed on June 25 as part of the strike He also warned that if the government did not reverse the sales tax decision, a more intense protest, including a wheel-jam strike, would follow Abdur Rahim further criticized Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb for their lack of awareness regarding the special constitutional status of Malakand Division He pointed out that the Sartaj Aziz Commission report did not address Malakand s status and under the guise of FATA reforms, the region s identity was undermined He accused the government of favoring Punjabi industrialists while imposing taxes that harm local
initiatives for social welfare, including 100% birth registration in the province and increased funding for people with disabilities He also
The Auditor General of Pakistan (AGP) has identified financial irregularities exceeding Rs1 trillion in the Punjab government’s accounts
of financial mismanagement amounting to Rs10 6 billion It also flags 45 mis-procurement cases worth Rs43 billion and 12 cases involving unauthorised retention of consolidated fund receipts in commercial banks and non-interest bearing accounts by autonomous bodies, amounting to Rs988 billion Additionally, the audit outlines 24 human resource-related irregularities of Rs8 2 billion and seven performance-related issues of Rs3 6 billion The AGP reported that it pointed out recoverable amounts of Rs25 46 billion out of which Rs2 2 billion was recovered between February 2024 and January 2025 The report highlights weak internal controls across financial management, procurement, contract handling, HR recruitment, payroll, asset management and budget execution It recommends investigations into fraud cases recovery of overpayments disciplinary action against involved officials and compliance with Punjab Procurement Rules 2014 The report also urges the provincial government to stop retaining consolidated fund receipts in commercial banks conduct merit-based
