Views & Opinions
A full-time love, not a seasonal one: A Rabi-ul-Awwal reflection
Every year, I watch the same scene play out. Mosques fill happily. Seerat gatherings need no convincing. Naats are wept…
Writer
Qazi Jahanzeb Akhtar
20 articles
Views & Opinions
When generosity makes institutional failure easier to survive
Pakistan's ranking as the world's seventh most generous country deserves recognition, but it also reveals an…
Views & Opinions
Pakistan's renewed strategic relevance is the story behind Trump's praise
When Donald Trump described Pakistan's Chief of Army Staff, Field Marshal Asim Munir, as "a great guy" following their…
Views & Opinions
Hazrat Imam Hussain (AS): The moral boundary that power could not cross
History often remembers those who acquire power. Its deepest lessons, however, are preserved by those who refuse to…
Views & Opinions
Trust : The power that keeps rivals talking
A Moroccan proverb advises: "Think a thousand times before taking an action you cannot undo." The wisdom applies not…
Views & Opinions
When democracy listens less than it votes
Across much of the developing world, elections have become routine. Governments change, parties compete, and democratic…
Views & Opinions
Don't insult the crocodile while crossing the river
There is an old proverb: "Do not insult the crocodile while you are still crossing the river." It is usually read as…
Views & Opinions
28th May and the moment political determination became national sovereignty
There are moments when history does not unfold gradually, but compresses into decision. When time stops behaving as an…
Views & Opinions
Before visibility: The bureaucracy behind Trump-Xi diplomacy
In global politics, what is visible is rarely what is decisive. Summits between major powers, official statements, and…
Views & Opinions
Trump, Modi and the forgotten lessons of Shakkar Din of Pakistan
Modern power is no longer defined by whether communication is loud or silent. It is defined by how communication is…
Views & Opinions
10th May : A day of reaction and strategic responsibility
In structured systems, Newton's third law describes balance: every action produces a reaction. But in political…
Views & Opinions
Post-classification leadership: When political categories no longer hold
Political analysis often uses simple labels. Leaders are seen as people who provide direction and stability. Dealers…
Views & Opinions
The price of dependency: What the Iran-US confrontation reveals about sovereignty
There are moments in nature when a small animal confronts a much stronger predator. A cat may even challenge a lion…
Views & Opinions
Diplomacy, AI, and the rewriting of political reality
Diplomacy no longer unfolds in a single register. It now exists in negotiation rooms, media ecosystems, and a parallel…
Views & Opinions
Harmoze in the Strait of Hormuz: When slow disruption becomes systemic crisis
A single maritime chokepoint carries nearly one-fifth of the world's oil supply. Its importance is not revealed only…
Views & Opinions
Strategic resilience: Why Iran endures US pressure through faith, unity and discipline
Sanctions aim to weaken states, yet external pressure alone rarely determines a nation's fate. Some fracture under…
Views & Opinions
Strategic sovereignty: Power politics in a multipolar world
Sovereignty is a legal principle, but survival in the international system is determined by power. International law…
Views & Opinions
The discipline of Ramazan: Why fasting strengthens the other pillars of Islam
Every year in Ramazan, millions of Muslims reorganize their daily routines around fasting, prayer, and reflection. From…