Wajahat S. Khan

Hegseth: Iran is an energy rich country. instead, like so many other places, driven by a radical ideology, instead of investing in their people… they invested in missiles, and they invested in launchers and UAVS.

🤣🤣 One of the great responses to a reporter in history! JAPANESE REPORTER: Why didn't you tell Japan before the Iran war? PRESIDENT TRUMP: "Why didn't you tell ME about PEARL HARBOR?!" "You believe in surprise much more-so than US!"

As more facts emerge about Pakistan's recent strikes in Kabul, I think the following can be said with a reasonable degree of certainty: 1- While the Taliban's initial claims may have been exaggerated, it seems increasingly evident that a massive number of civilians in a rehab facility did indeed die as a result of the strike on Camp Phoenix. Irrespective of your views on this conflict, this is a horrific tragedy that objectively deserves condemnation and investigation, notwithstanding the broader context of & reasons for the war. 2- From the publicly available evidence - the footage of the explosion & the satellite imagery - it seems that the strike wasn't deliberate and the actual target struck was likely an ammunition depot or drone facility in Camp Phoenix, the secondary explosions from which caused the destruction of the rehab facility located nearby inside the camp. There are certainly legitimate questions about the Taliban placing vulnerable individuals right next to a weapons dump inside a military camp during war but they do not absolve Pakistan of its responsibility to take every possible measure to ensure such massive risk to civilian life is avoided in the pursuit of military objectives. I understand & agree with those who think the Taliban & TTP's ideological & militant irredentism is the primary cause of the current conflict. Am under no illusions about the necessity of fighting ruthless militant groups mowing down Pakistanis on a daily basis, whose attacks I've also lost friends & family to. However, it is completely legitimate for people to ask whether regularly incurred human costs of this scale justify the current strategy (whatever people currently believe it is, everyone has a somewhat different idea). Massacres like these, even if unintentional, will inevitably & understandably dilute the moral justifications for prosecuting this battle. Beyond concerns about the conduct of war, such questions become even more critical in the context of the current state of political polarization in Pakistan. We are already a very long way away from the political & societal consensus needed to effectively fight multiple insurgencies amid spiralling regional chaos. In 2014, we at least devised something resembling a plan that everyone was on board with. Today, there's no pretense of even working towards one, and people are expected to just trust where this is going. Hope there can be some sober reflection on this crisis among decisionmakers over the Eid ceasefire. The government & military should substantively engage the broader political leadership in the country on the war & counter-insurgency. They should also seriously consider the recent mediation offers from China & Russia & involve neighbouring countries to work towards a long-term regionally-grounded settlement. Prayers to the families of all civilians who lost their lives in Kabul, as well as those whose loved ones died in this week's attacks in Pakistan. Hope we can bring this horrific bloodletting to an end soon.

Imran Khan's phone call will be arranged on Eid Day with his children as done in the past as well. His children are welcome to visit Pakistan on their NICOP Cards as Pakistani citizens for which no visa is required. However they will fully comply with the laws of Pakistan during their stay.

GET READY FOR WAR A dangerous storm is gathering in the region. The Zionist agenda to destabilize the Gulf appears to be unfolding, as tensions rise and Muslim nations edge closer to conflict with one another following the attack on Iran’s gas infrastructure. What we are witnessing is not isolated but a broader strategy aimed at division and chaos. At the same time, the US intelligence chief has raised concerns about Pakistan’s alleged development of ICBMs capable of reaching American territory. Such narratives risk placing Pakistan in the crosshairs, further widening the area of confrontation. If this trajectory continues, it would take nothing short of a miracle to prevent a wider conflict between Iran and Gulf states. In his final message, Shaheed Ali Larijani warned the Muslim world with striking clarity: the moment has arrived to decide will we stand united against external aggression, or will we be drawn into fighting one another? That moment of decision is no longer distant. It is here.

Happy St. Patrick's Day, New York.