Farrukh K. Pitafi

A U.S. official tells the reporters on the flight home from Islamabad that no members of the negotiating team stayed behind, including Jared Kushner, Steve Witkoff or any members of the technical teams.

Regardless of the immediate results of the Islamabad Talks, let me tell you about the second-order effects of how they were covered. International media coverage was notably constructive, even generous. Thank you for that. The Indian response, from the foreign minister down to the ongoing media coverage, was bitter, sneering and relentlessly derisive. Don't shoot the messenger. I am just telling you what happens now. This was a moment that called for grace and magnanimity. Our Indian friends dropped the ball so visibly that ordinary people noticed. You can have all the diplomatic and economic muscle in the world. It counts for nothing when the world watched you sneer at a peace effort on live television. Everyone knows how this works. When something important is underway and one side tries to wreck it, people do not rally behind the wrecker. They turn against him. That is not theory. That is human instinct. One of my favorite Hollywood/Bollywood/literary tropes. People root for the guys who stand for humanity not death, peace and above everything else for their interests particularly their pocketbooks and mental peace. After the May war I had suggested that India should do something about the mindless hate-mongering in its media because it was hurting Indian interests. It did nothing. It doubled down. But now that the hostility seems to touch their own partnerships and broader goodwill, expect more vocal rejection of India's narrative and geopolitics. And it will sting. I have spoken to people of many nationalities about it. They all agreed it was in extreme poor taste. India will regret this. Bookmark this post if you can. You will have to come back to check if it tracks.

毎日見る度に寝相が変わってる娘達 これは見飽きないwwwwwwwwww

China open to Taiwanese TV and imports after opposition visit ft.trib.al/lhCrBJK

Singapore’s Foreign Minister on why he cannot accept negotiating with Iran for safe passage of ships. Definitely worth listening to:

Islamabad process?

The lush green awakening after the snow in Saudi Arabia 🇸🇦

Is ko Pakistani nationality deni bnti hai🤣🤣🤣

@furhatalpur میری بنائی ہوئی چائے پہ تو وہ خود نہ رکیں، جے ڈی سے کیسے امید کرتیں؟

شاید آپ ناشتہ نہیں تو چائے کے لئیے روک ہی لیتے

A YouTuber recorded the speed of light with a 2 billion FPS camera

Reminds me of special effects used to show magic in old movies.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio at UFC in Miami tonight as diplomatic negotiations with Iran fail (Julia Demaree Nikhinson/AFP via Getty)

Sure but how?

Gor in the US, Jaishankar in the UAE. If India lobbied for the collapse of the talks then congratulations. People around the world will spend more nervous, distressing days ahead. All I know is blessed are the peacemakers.

President Trump and his Sec of State are at a UFC fight in Miami. Per pool note: Rubio and Gor (Sergio Gor, the US ambassador to India) joined POTUS to chat before the most recent fight. The secretary of state talked animatedly with his hands for a couple of minutes before both men left POTUS, who is now watching another fight.

Safe journey to our worthy guests. Please take the best memories of Pakistan back with you.

As talks remain inconclusive, my heart goes out to the people of Iran and to the people of the world, who are insulated from political decisions and asked for none of this.

My freaked-out wife just woke me up in a state of shock. They are leaving without concluding. Talks have failed. I swear it was as if she thought I could do something about it. My poor wife! Married a hapless mortal. Not that I wouldn't want to. I wish I could.