Pakistan’s relationship with China has entered one of its most consequential phases in decades. At the conclusion of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s visit to Beijing, the wide-ranging joint statement issued by the two sides went beyond the familiar notes of goodwill. It placed the partnership inside a wider architecture of connectivity, technology, regional diplomacy and […]
Moment
More than a Moment
The crisis that had kept the world watching paused on Friday when Iran announced that passage for all commercial vessels through the Strait of Hormuz was open for the remainder of the Lebanon ceasefire. For weeks, that narrow waterway had stood at the centre of fears over disrupted oil flows, spiralling freight costs and another […]
Pakistan’s Quiet Reform Moment
Across key sectors, the country has been adopting reforms that focus on stability, institutional strengthening, and service delivery. These reforms may not always dominate headlines, yet they are laying the groundwork for long-term improvement. Rather than a dramatic overnight change, Pakistan is increasingly moving toward gradual, practical reform-an approach that has worked for many countries […]
Pakistan’s Moment
For much of the past two decades, US policy in South Asia rested on an assumption that was rarely questioned. India was the partner of consequence, and Pakistan, a problem to be managed. That framework has not disappeared, but recent months have definitely exposed its limits. In Washington, there is a growing recognition that old […]
Transparency Moment
Pakistan’s latest National Corruption Perception Survey finds a clear uptick in public optimism, with 66 per cent of respondents saying they paid no bribes this year. Over half believe the economy is stabilising, and more than 40 per cent report improvements, albeit marginal, in their purchasing power. These are not insignificant markers in a country […]
The Mamdani-Trump Moment
In an America accustomed to crisis-sized headlines and political theatrics, the quiet civility that unfolded inside the Oval Office this Friday felt almost like a glitch in the national storyline. President Donald Trump and New York’s mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani walked into their long-anticipated meeting after months of bruising rhetoric. Trump had cast Mamdani as too […]
Moment of Reckoning
Investors are back in Islamabad, and this time it feels real. The Saudi delegation, led by Deputy Investment Minister Ibrahim Al Mubarak, has not come to offer pleasantries. It has come to see whether Pakistan can finally deliver. Riyadh’s $5 billion commitment is on the table, alongside Europe’s review of GSP+ access and Malaysia’s push […]