From bhikshus of Ashokan 3rd century BC and medieval Sufis to Oxfam, Omidyar and Soros now, non-State actors have any real power only when they work in conjunction with a real State, asserts Shekhar Gupta.
A Pakistani national, Avesh Khan, was apprehended by the Border Security Force (BSF) in Rajasthan's Barmer district after crossing the India-Pakistan border and handed over to the police for questioning.
Hangors are effectively 'dead-on-arrival' with Pakistanis saddled with deadweights that displace around 3,000 tons. Last time it was near Vishakhapatnam. This time, barnacles will clog the Hangors in Karachi port itself, points out Dr Abhishek Puri.
Police in Jammu and Kashmir have dismantled a Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) module, arresting five individuals, including a Pakistani terrorist who had been on the run for 16 years. The operation exposed a network spanning multiple states and involving forged documents and identities.
India has strongly condemned Pakistan's military airstrikes against Afghanistan, citing significant civilian casualties, and criticised its 'trade and transit terrorism' against Afghan traders, calling these actions blatant violations of international law and UN norms.
Gwadar is viewed as a critical pearl in China's maritime strategy as it would give a permanent logistical footprint near an important choke point - the Strait of Hormuz and the oil rich Persian Gulf, explains Commodore Venugopal Menon (retd).
It is an unusual choice to depute a retired general for the funeral of a revered religious figure but a thoughtful one in an attempt to inject verve into the bilateral relationship and restore the equilibrium in India's West Asian policies, notes Ambassador M K Bhadrakumar.
An Mi-17 helicopter of the Pakistan Army Aviation crashed near Muzaffarabad in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir, killing all personnel on board. The military attributed the accident to a technical fault during take-off, and a board of inquiry has been ordered. Top Pakistani leaders expressed condolences.
The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has taken over the case of an interstate Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) terror module and secured custody of five arrested terrorists, including two Pakistani nationals, for questioning.
Iran's soccer team arrived in the United States for the first time at this World Cup on Sunday, landing at Los Angeles International Airport and holding a press conference on the same day that a peace deal between the two nations was announced.
India has strongly protested to the United States after three merchant ships with Indian crew members were attacked by the American military off the coast of Oman, resulting in the deaths of three Indian nationals.
If Trump wants peace with Iran, Pakistan will offer to help. If Trump seeks Pakistan's aid to spy on Iran, then too Munir will not hesitate to chip in. At the same time, the ISI will not hesitate to tip off Iran now and then, points out M R Narayan Swamy.
Northern Army Commander Lieutenant General Pratik Sharma reviewed the ongoing anti-terrorist operation 'Sheruwali' in the Rajouri district of Jammu and Kashmir, focusing on operational dynamics and inter-agency synergy.
Afghans have deep self-respect and are the last people to put up with humiliation. Is it any surprise that relations between Afghanistan and Pakistan have touched an all-time low and the two countries are now at war? asks M R Narayan Swamy.
Srinagar police have dismantled a major interstate Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) module, arresting five individuals, including two Pakistani terrorists who had been operating for 16 years. The operation uncovered a network providing logistical and financial support to LeT terrorists across multiple states.
Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) terrorist Abdullah, alias Abu Hureira, who was tasked with establishing bases outside Jammu and Kashmir, adopted various professions, including share trading, to blend in with the local population. He was recently arrested along with other members of his network.
Lashkar-e-Taiba terrorist Umer Harris, also known as 'Khargosh', is believed to be in Saudi Arabia after escaping India using a forged passport. An investigation into the inter-state LeT terror module has exposed systemic loopholes and raised concerns about passport issuance processes.
Jammu and Kashmir police have dismantled an interstate Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) terror module, arresting five individuals, including a fugitive who had been on the run for 16 years. The operation involved multiple agencies and uncovered a network providing logistical and financial support to terrorists.
Jammu and Kashmir Police, in coordination with central intelligence agencies, have detained several people from Haryana and Rajasthan for allegedly facilitating the acquisition of fraudulent identities, including passports, by terrorists linked to Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT). The investigation uncovered an interstate module providing logistical support to terrorists by creating fake documents.
Frankly, was it really necessary in the middle of a fratricidal war for External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar to travel to Abu Dhabi for a one-on-one with the sheikh on April 12?Or, for National Security Advisor Ajit Doval to follow up on April 26? Or, for PM Narendra Modi to follow through today? There are no easy answers, notes Ambassador M K Bhadrakumar.
China has confirmed providing on-site technical support to Pakistan during last year's conflict with India, according to official media reports.
A cricket fan was initially denied entry to the Sheffield Shield final for wearing a 'Free Imran Khan' T-shirt, but Cricket Australia later reversed its decision, classifying it as a humanitarian issue.
There are enough people at the top decision-making level in Tehran who are still willing to negotiate, provided Trump can create the right setting for the negotiation to acquire a dynamic of its own, points out Ambassador M K Bhadrakumar.
Pakistan is playing a key role in facilitating talks between the US and Iran, but the future of these negotiations remains uncertain. Despite ongoing diplomatic efforts, no dates have been set for a second round of discussions.
Pakistan's Chief of Defence Forces Field Marshal Asim Munir held talks with Iranian leaders in Tehran to help resolve the conflict between the US and Iran, following a recent ceasefire agreement.
Chaffing under public ridicule in the US as well as internationally for having 'lost' the war, Trump is under immense pressure to do something, cautions Ambassador M K Bhadrakumar.
A Pakistan minister refuted social media reports about the conclusion of the operation against Afghan Taliban, stating that the operation is continuing with full intensity.
Uncertainty surrounds the planned second round of peace talks between the US and Iran in Islamabad, as both sides engage in brinkmanship. Despite Pakistan's security preparations, Iran has yet to confirm its attendance, citing a lack of seriousness from the US in pursuing diplomacy and violations of the ceasefire.
'As far as I'm concerned, how effective the Rafale was or frankly, how effective other systems were -- to me, the proof of the pudding is the destroyed and disabled airfields on the Pakistani side'
Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma has accused Congress leader Gaurav Gogoi of being a key player in an anti-India network and his wife of being a Pakistani agent, leaving it to the 'people's court' to decide on Gogoi's activities against the country.
'There is no substantive basis for Bangladesh-Pakistan relations. The only real link they can have is mischief, with Pakistan's intelligence agency using Bangladesh to create trouble along our eastern borders.'
At least seven police personnel were killed in an improvised explosive device (IED) blast targeting a police vehicle in northwest Pakistan. The banned Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) claimed responsibility for the attack in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa's Lakki Marwat district.
A senior Pakistani official has affirmed Pakistan's commitment to supporting Saudi Arabia, even before assistance is explicitly requested, amidst ongoing conflict in West Asia. This pledge underscores the close ties between the two nations and Pakistan's role in regional stability.
The question is whether the clocks allow enough time for two deeply mistrustful sides to get there, and whether the surface calm holds long enough for the paddling to produce something before the ceasefire ends on April 22, notes Prem Panicker in his must read blog on the Iran War.
At least seven police personnel were killed in an improvised explosive device (IED) blast targeting a police vehicle in northwest Pakistan, local police said.
The Indian National Congress has strongly condemned the air strike by Pakistan that hit a hospital in Kabul, Afghanistan, resulting in a high number of casualties. The party calls for global rejection of such acts of barbarism and expresses solidarity with the Afghan people.
'A close look at the time-lines tells you that exactly as the back-channel negotiations were in their most crucial stage, "somebody" was planning the 26/11 attacks in Mumbai,' says Shekhar Gupta questioning Khurshid Mahmud Kasuri's account of a peace deal with India.
If the Iranian regime needs to be punished for promoting quasi-terrorist outfits like Hezbollah and Hamas, then what about Pakistan which has spent decades exporting terror around the world, killing thousands, particularly in Afghanistan and India? asks M R Narayan Swamy.
'TTP has vowed to take revenge for the attacks that Pakistan is carrying out against Afghanistan.' 'To diminish this threat, Pakistan is hitting Afghanistan hard.'
'If this region destabilises, then we are not far away. This region should not destabilise.'
