South Asia Times - SAT

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The Pakistan–Saudi Arabia Strategic Mutual Defense Agreement (SMDA) is a landmark in regional geopolitics, transforming ...
18/09/2025

The Pakistan–Saudi Arabia Strategic Mutual Defense Agreement (SMDA) is a landmark in regional geopolitics, transforming decades of informal ties into an institutionalized alliance. Built on mutual defense clauses, intelligence sharing, joint exercises, and economic integration through Gwadar and the Aramco refinery project, the pact fuses military strength with strategic investments.

Its nuclear ambiguity amplifies deterrence, while its strategic effects stretch from India and Afghanistan to Isr@el, altering calculations across the Middle East and South Asia. For Riyadh, it secures autonomy from Western dependence; for Islamabad, it delivers economic relief, elevated status, and renewed legitimacy.

(Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, SMDA, defense pact, strategic alliance, mutual defense, deterrence, Gwadar, Aramco refinery, CPEC, regional security, Riyadh, strategic balance, geopolitics)

Pakistan and Saudi Arabia have signed a Strategic Mutual Defense Agreement in Riyadh during PM Shehbaz Sharif’s state vi...
18/09/2025

Pakistan and Saudi Arabia have signed a Strategic Mutual Defense Agreement in Riyadh during PM Shehbaz Sharif’s state visit. The pact declares any on either country will be treated as an attack on both, deepening defense cooperation and joint deterrence. The agreement reflects long-standing discussions and institutionalizes years of strategic partnership between the two nations. With regional tensions rising, this move underscores their shared commitment to peace and stability.

(Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Strategic Mutual Defense Agreement, Shehbaz Sharif, Riyadh, defense cooperation, joint deterrence, regional security, peace, stability, partnership)

Today, September 17, Pakistan and Saudi Arabia signed a historic joint defence pact, marking a new era of regional secur...
17/09/2025

Today, September 17, Pakistan and Saudi Arabia signed a historic joint defence pact, marking a new era of regional security cooperation.

Under the agreement, Pakistan will reportedly take the lead in providing security for Makkah, Madina, and across the Kingdom, a significant step that underscores mutual trust and the depth of bilateral ties.

This marks not only a strengthening of strategic partnership but also a historic shift in regional defence collaboration, with Pakistan at the forefront of safeguarding the heart of the Muslim world.

(Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Joint Defence Pact, Defence Cooperation, Strategic Partnership, Regional Security, Makkah, Madina, Muslim World, Bilateral Ties, Historic Agreement, Defence Collaboration, Geopolitics.)

What used to be rare is now routine. Pakistan is witnessing floods, glacier melts, and deadly cloudbursts more frequentl...
17/09/2025

What used to be rare is now routine. Pakistan is witnessing floods, glacier melts, and deadly cloudbursts more frequently. These disasters, intensified by climate change, weak planning, and deforestation, have caused massive human and economic losses. Despite contributing less than 1% to global emissions, Pakistan bears the brunt of environmental catastrophes, highlighting the urgent need for climate-resilient infrastructure, global support, and integration of climate security into national policy.

Key Takeaways:

• Pakistan contributes less than 1% of global emissions yet ranks among the top 10 most climate-vulnerable nations (Oxfam).

• 2022 floods submerged one-third of the country, affected 33 million people, killed 1,700+, and caused $30bn+ in damages (UN).

• August 2025 cloudbursts in KPK (Buner, Swat, Bajaur) killed 300+, washing away homes, villages, roads, and bridges.

• Pakistan’s vulnerability worsened by deforestation, weak planning, lack of early warning systems, and unfulfilled global climate finance commitments.

• Climate change threatens national stability, human security, and economic survival, displacing millions and disrupting livelihoods.

• Solutions include climate-resilient infrastructure, stronger cooperation with regional and global NGOs, climate justice under “Loss and Damage,” and integrating climate threats into Pakistan’s national security strategy.

(Pakistan, climate change, floods, cloudbursts, KPK, Gilgit-Baltistan, AJK, infrastructure, early warning systems, climate finance, humanitarian aid, national security)

Deputy PM & FM Ishaq Dar held a telephonic conversation with German FM Johann Wadephul, reaffirming momentum in Pakistan...
17/09/2025

Deputy PM & FM Ishaq Dar held a telephonic conversation with German FM Johann Wadephul, reaffirming momentum in Pakistan–Germany ties. With €3.6B trade in 2023, Germany is Pakistan’s top EU partner. They discussed trade, investment, climate resilience, workforce mobility, and regional issues including Afghanistan and the Middle East. Both will meet at the 79th UNGA to advance initiatives under Pakistan’s Europe outreach and Germany’s Indo-Pacific strategy.

(Pakistan, Germany, Ishaq Dar, Johann Wadephul, trade, investment, climate resilience, workforce mobility, Afghanistan, Middle East, 79th UNGA, Europe outreach, Indo-Pacific strategy)

As said by Joseph Nye, “In the information age, it is not just whose army wins but whose story wins”, India has weaponiz...
17/09/2025

As said by Joseph Nye, “In the information age, it is not just whose army wins but whose story wins”, India has weaponized cinema to rewrite war history, distort the Kashmir dispute, fuel Islamophobia, and malign Pakistan. Under BJP–RSS influence, Bollywood has turned into a propaganda tool shaping perceptions at home and abroad.

Blockbusters like Uri, Fighter, Mission Majnu, Gadar 2 glorify Indian wars and demonize Pakistan.

Kashmir’s reality is twisted — Article 370 labels AJK as “POK” and justifies Aug 5, 2019 actions.

The Kerala Story spreads Islamophobia, portraying Muslims as manipulators and extremists.

BJP endorses these films with tax breaks, political support, and mass promotion.

India’s access to OTT platforms like Netflix, Amazon Prime, and Disney+ allows this propaganda to reach global audiences.

Pakistani cinema (Ghazi, Parwaaz Hai Junoon, Khel Khel Mein) responds, but greater state-backed investment is needed to compete in the narrative war.

(India, Bollywood, BJP, RSS, cinema, information warfare, narrative, Kashmir, Article 370, AJK, POK, media manipulation, Pakistan, entertainment industry, OTT platforms, propaganda films, Indo-Pak relations, soft power, global audience)

PM Shehbaz Sharif begins a state visit to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia at the invitation of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Sal...
17/09/2025

PM Shehbaz Sharif begins a state visit to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia at the invitation of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. Accompanied by senior Cabinet members, he will meet the Crown Prince to review the full spectrum of bilateral ties and exchange views on key regional and global developments.

The visit is expected to bring new agreements in trade, investment, energy cooperation, and labor mobility. Rooted in faith, values, and mutual trust, Pakistan and Saudi Arabia aim to strengthen their historic partnership while aligning with Saudi Vision 2030 and Pakistan’s economic reform agenda.

(Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Shehbaz Sharif, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, state visit, bilateral meeting, trade, investment, energy cooperation, labor mobility, economic reform, historic partnership, mutual trust, strategic ties, collaboration)

From the Arab Spring to Sri Lanka’s Aragalaya, uprisings have toppled rulers and raised global hopes, but rarely produce...
16/09/2025

From the Arab Spring to Sri Lanka’s Aragalaya, uprisings have toppled rulers and raised global hopes, but rarely produced systemic reform. In the absence of strong institutions, revolutions often end in elite capture, military dominance, or state collapse, leaving citizens facing the same injustices under new leadership.

Street protests can remove dictators but struggle to build governance, creating vacuums filled by militaries or entrenched elites.

Case studies from Egypt, Libya, Syria, Sri Lanka, and Nepal show a cycle of hope, collapse, and elite recycling with little real change for citizens.

External actors exploit unrest, as seen in Ukraine and Georgia’s “Color Revolutions,” where outcomes reflect geopolitics more than people’s demands.

Revolutions usually end in elite capture (Egypt, Sri Lanka, Nepal) or collapse (Libya, Syria), exposing weak institutions as the true fault line.

The real illusion is mistaking regime change for reform; lasting progress requires building courts, bureaucracies, and political cultures that outlive the street.

(21st century uprisings, economic collapse, Arab Spring, Egypt, Libya, Syria, Sri Lanka Aragalaya, Nepal revolution, IMF austerity, Ukraine Orange Revolution, Georgia Rose Revolution, weak institutions, governance, free courts, generational change)

Deputy PM & FM Ishaq Dar, in an interview with Al Jazeera during the emergency Arab-Islamic summit, called out the failu...
16/09/2025

Deputy PM & FM Ishaq Dar, in an interview with Al Jazeera during the emergency Arab-Islamic summit, called out the failures of the UN system, highlighting P a l e s t i n e and Kashmir as proof of a collapsing global order that leaves Muslim nations unprotected. He linked the I s r a e l strike on Qatar with systemic inaction, urging the Muslim world to move beyond statements and chart an Islamic security roadmap, including the proposal of a collective defensive force.

Dar underscored Pakistan’s hard power, reminding that it is the only n u c l e a r Muslim state with strong armed forces, and laid down clear red lines: any breach of the Indus Waters Treaty by India will be treated as w a r, while attacks from Afghan soil will invite decisive responses. Stressing dialogue but warning of firm action, he framed Pakistan as a guarantor of sovereignty and a voice for Islamic unity in an era of fractured multilateralism.

(Deputy PM Ishaq Dar, Al Jazeera interview, emergency Arab-Islamic summit, UN system failure, Kashmir, collapsing global order, I s r a e l strike on Qatar, Islamic security roadmap, Pakistan’s hard power, n u c l e a r Muslim state, Indus Waters Treaty red line, dialogue and deterrence, sovereignty, fractured multilateralism)

President Asif Ali Zardari, on his 10-day visit to China, continued his engagements in Shanghai along with First Lady As...
16/09/2025

President Asif Ali Zardari, on his 10-day visit to China, continued his engagements in Shanghai along with First Lady Aseefa Bhutto Zardari and Bilawal Bhutto Zardari. He met Ms. Hao, Vice President of the China Africa Chamber of Commerce, who proposed creating a similar chamber with Pakistan, an idea he welcomed with full support.

The President also visited the Memorial of the First CPC National Congress, paying tribute to China’s historic journey and appreciating President Xi Jinping’s leadership in strengthening the all-weather Pak-China friendship. At Shanghai Electric, he witnessed the signing of an MoU for Thar’s first coal gasification and fertiliser project, marking a milestone in Pakistan’s energy and agriculture cooperation with China.

(Pak-China friendship, President Asif Ali Zardari, 10-day visit, Shanghai engagements, China Africa Chamber of Commerce, CPC Memorial, President Xi Jinping, all-weather partnership, Shanghai Electric, MoU signing, Thar coal gasification, fertiliser project, agriculture cooperation, historic ties, mutual trust)

On 14 Sept, Deputy PM/FM Ishaq Dar attended the Arab-Islamic Summit preparatory meeting in Doha, engaging key leaders fo...
15/09/2025

On 14 Sept, Deputy PM/FM Ishaq Dar attended the Arab-Islamic Summit preparatory meeting in Doha, engaging key leaders for unity against ongoing aggr3ssion.

In meetings with OIC SG Hissein Taha, Iranian FM Abbas Araghchi, Malaysia’s FM Mohamad Hasan, Bangladesh’s Md Touhid Hossain & Uzbekistan’s FM Bakhtiyor Saidov, both sides condemned the str!kes as violations of sovereignty & international law, reaffirmed unwavering support for P@lestine, and stressed the Arab League & OIC’s role in forging a unified Islamic response.

Dar’s engagements underscored Pakistan’s active role in mobilizing the OIC, strengthening pan-Islamic solidarity, and pressing for a united stand against aggr3ssion while upholding the just cause of P@lestine.

(Ishaq Dar, Deputy PM/FM, Arab-Islamic Summit, Doha, OIC, Arab League, Hissein Brahim Taha, Abbas Araghchi, Mohamad Hasan, Md Touhid Hossain, Bakhtiyor Saidov, sovereignty violations, international law, pan-Islamic solidarity)

Over two decades, Pakistan has endured T T P vi0lence, resurging after the T@liban’s 2021 takeover in Afghanistan. In 20...
15/09/2025

Over two decades, Pakistan has endured T T P vi0lence, resurging after the T@liban’s 2021 takeover in Afghanistan. In 2024 alone, 785 att@cks claimed 1,950 lives, with KP and Balochistan worst hit as the group operated from Afghan sanctuaries using abandoned NATO weap0nry. T T P frames its fight as divinely mandated j!had while blending religious goals with Pashtun nationalism to seek legitimacy in border regions.

Pakistan launched Azm-e-Istehkam and labeled T T P “Fitna al-Khawar!j.” Leading Deobandi scholar M***i Taqi Usmani and JUI-F reject rebellion as haram, while Barelvi scholar Dr. Tahir-ul-Qadri calls su!cide att@cks acts of kufr, and Ahl-e-Hadith scholars stress obedience to the state. In 2018, 1,800 ulema jointly declared t£rrorism against Pakistan un-Islamic.

This united religious front has delegitimized T T P, denying it mainstream support and isolating it to the fringes of Pakistan’s religious and political landscape.

(Pakistan, Afghanistan, KP, Balochistan, NATO, Azm-e-Istehkam, Fitna al-Khawar!j, M***i Taqi Usmani, JUI-F, Dr. Tahir-ul-Qadri, Barelvi, Ahl-e-Hadith, 2018 fatwa, ulema, counter-terr0r!sm, religious consensus, extremism, national security)

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