South Asia Times - SAT, Islamabad (2025)

16/10/2025

Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar held a meeting today with Lord Aamer Sarfaraz of Kensington and the UK’s former Chief of the General Staff, General Sir Patrick Sanders.

Discussions focused on the enduring Pakistan–UK partnership, with emphasis on strengthening parliamentary engagement, people-to-people ties, and collaboration across diverse sectors, including security and defence cooperation.

The DPM and FM appreciated Lord Sarfaraz and General Sanders for their continued efforts in advancing and deepening Pakistan–UK bilateral relations.

(Pakistan, United Kingdom, Ishaq Dar, Lord Aamer Sarfaraz, General Sir Patrick Sanders, Pakistan–UK Relations, Bilateral Cooperation, Security Partnership, Defence Collaboration, Parliamentary Engagement)

16/10/2025

For decades, cross-border attacks and territorial disputes have strained Pakistan–Afghanistan relations, turning the frontier into a recurring source of tension and mistrust.

(Pakistan, Afghanistan, Border Tensions, Cross-Border Clashes, Durand Line,Diplomatic Strains, Regional Security, Western Border, Historical Disputes)

16/10/2025

The recent Pakistan–Afghanistan border clashes are not a sudden flare-up but the culmination of a seven-decade-long conflict rooted in history, ideology, and betrayal. From Kabul’s refusal to recognize the Durand Line to its sponsorship of anti-Pakistan mil!tancy and India’s growing foothold in post-2021 Afghanistan, this analysis traces how old fault lines are once again pushing the region toward instability and confrontation.

Key Takeaways:

• The Pakistan–T@liban conflict is rooted in Afghanistan’s decades-long refusal to recognize the Durand Line and its “Pashtunistan” ambitions.

• Since the 1950s, Pakistan has faced Kabul-backed subversion and border hostilities, well before the post-9/11 era.

• The rise of the T T P turned ideological affinity into open conflict, with militants using Afghan sanctuaries to wage war on Pakistan.

• After 2021, the Taliban’s victory and India’s quiet re-entry into Kabul reignited regional power struggles and cross-border militancy.

• The current ceasefire is fragile; without curbing extremism and respecting Pakistan’s sovereignty, the T@liban risk pushing Afghanistan back into isolation and chaos.

(Pakistan–Taliban conflict, Durand Line, Pashtunistan, cross-border tensions, Afghanistan–Pakistan border, Taliban regime,ceasefire, South Asia security, terrorism, regional geopolitics, border tensions, Afghan–Pak relations)

15/10/2025

Pakistan’s National Climate Change Policy (NCCP) serves as a comprehensive framework addressing the country’s acute climate vulnerabilities—ranging from melting glaciers and floods to droughts and rising sea levels. Originally introduced in 2012 and revised in 2021, the policy combines adaptation and mitigation strategies across water management, forestry, biodiversity, energy, and urban development. It emphasizes community engagement, especially women and indigenous groups, and aligns national priorities with international climate goals. However, the major challenge lies in implementation gaps—weak institutional capacity, funding shortages, and poor inter-agency coordination. For Pakistan to transform climate vulnerability into resilience, the NCCP must be backed by political will, transparency, and sustained collaboration with global partners.

Key Takeaways:

1. Comprehensive Framework:

NCCP (2012, revised 2021) includes 120+ initiatives for climate mitigation and adaptation.

2. Water Resource Management:

Focus on rainwater harvesting, advanced irrigation, and improved storage facilities to secure agricultural stability.

3. Forestry & Biodiversity:

Promotes afforestation, conservation, and community-led ecosystem protection, especially involving indigenous populations.

4. Disaster Preparedness:

Proposes flood management, glacier monitoring, early warning systems, and resilient infrastructure.

5. Implementation Gaps:

Faces hurdles like weak institutions, limited funds, bureaucratic inefficiencies, and poor federal–provincial coordination.

6. Socio-Economic Inclusion:

Recognizes climate’s disproportionate impact on marginalized groups; integrates gender-sensitive and poverty-alleviation approaches.

7. Clean Energy Transition:

Encourages renewable energy (hydro, solar, wind), carbon taxes, and clean fossil fuel technologies.

8. Urban & Transport Reforms:

Promotes sustainable city planning, public transport, fuel efficiency, and waste management.

9. Global Alignment:

Syncs with IPCC guidelines and seeks international financing and cooperation for effective climate action.

( NCCP, IPCC, Climate action, Pakistan Climate Action )

15/10/2025

Sharm el-Sheikh Summit 2025: A Turning Point for Peace?

The Sharm el-Sheikh Summit of 13th October 2025 may be remembered as a defining moment in modern diplomacy, where unlikely partners and months of quiet negotiations finally produced a breakthrough in the G@za conflict.

Held in Egypt’s Red Sea resort, the summit brought together over 20 world leaders from the United States, Pakistan, Egypt, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, and Europe, united by one goal: to end the viOlence and establish a framework for lasting peace in the Middle East.

A landmark ceasefire between Isr@£l and H@mas, mediated by President Donald Trump and President El-Sisi, formed the core of the talks. Trump personally thanked Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Field Marshal Asim Munir for Pakistan’s discreet but crucial role, highlighting Islamabad’s growing diplomatic influence beyond South Asia.

For the first time in two years, the guns in G@za fell silent. Whether the accords endure or not, the summit stands as a reminder that diplomacy, even in fragile moments, can still deliver peace.

(Sharm el-Sheikh Summit 2025, ceasefire, Isr@£l-H@mas peace, Pakistan diplomacy, Shehbaz Sharif, Asim Munir, Donald Trump, Egypt mediation, Middle East peace, global diplomacy)

14/10/2025

Once celebrated as the “paradise on Earth,” Kashmir embodies a 4,500-year-old civilizational heritage shaped by mythology, linguistics, and spiritual diversity. Today, India’s prolonged occupation and post-2019 policies threaten to erase not just its political autonomy but also its cultural soul, Kashmiriyat, the ethos of coexistence that defined the valley for millennia.

Key takeaways:

• The name Kashmir carries ancient mythological roots, from Rishi Kashyap draining the lake Sati-Sar to Prophet Suleiman (AS) commanding jinn Kashyap, both traditions honoring the valley’s divine creation.

• Linguistic and historical evolution traces the term to Kashyap Mar, Kasheer, and Kashir, with Greek, Chinese, and Tibetan travelers offering variations that reflected the valley’s global cultural resonance.

• Geological studies confirm ancient legends: Kashmir was once submerged under a vast lake, whose remnants, the Karewas, still nourish its agriculture and geography.

• Across centuries, the valley thrived as a confluence of Hindu, Buddhist, Persian, and Islamic civilizations, giving birth to Kashmiriyat, a unique blend of tolerance, mysticism, and humanism.

• India’s occupation, especially post-abrogation of Article 370 in 2019, has endangered this pluralistic legacy through land seizures, demographic manipulation, and Hindutva-driven settlement policies.

• The erasure of Kashmiriyat signifies not just cultural genocide but the extinction of one of the world’s oldest living civilizations, a moral crisis demanding global awareness and action.

Read Full Piece on our Website

(Kashmir, Kashmiriyat, Article 370, cultural heritage, Indian occupation, Saba Ghulam Nabi, South Asia Times, Kashyap, mythology, etymology, identity, Hindutva agenda)

14/10/2025

From wooden stilt houses to stone temples, from colonial facades to glass mosques, the architecture of Indonesia and Malaysia tells the story of adaptation, identity, and faith across time.
A region where every building is a conversation — between people, place, and the past.

14/10/2025

Today's editorial at SAT website explores how disinformation has become a major threat to South Asia, exploiting deep-rooted social, religious, and political divides. Digital platforms, once tools for democratic expression, are now amplifying hate, fear, and violence. From mob lynchings in India to blasphemy-fueled killings in Pakistan and communal riots in Sri Lanka, the region faces real-world consequences of online falsehoods. While governments and social media platforms struggle to respond, the most sustainable solution lies in fostering media literacy, critical thinking, and informed citizenry.

Key Takeaways

1. Disinformation Exploits Existing Fault Lines: Religious, ethnic, and political divides in South Asia make societies highly vulnerable to manipulation.

2. Digital Platforms as Accelerants: WhatsApp, Facebook, and other social media tools can spread falsehoods faster than fact-checking efforts can counter them.

3. Real-World Consequences: Online rumors have triggered mob violence, blasphemy-related killings, and communal riots across the region.

4. Limitations of Government Action: Cybercrime laws and internet shutdowns are often reactive or misused, failing to address the root problem.

5. Need for Citizen-Centric Solutions: Promoting digital literacy, critical thinking, and fact-checking at the grassroots level is essential for long-term resilience.

6. Disinformation as a Threat to Democracy: Beyond social unrest, false information erodes trust in institutions and the democratic process itself.

13/10/2025

Behind India’s glossy GDP growth narrative lies a society grappling with hunger, joblessness, and extreme inequality. The economic model that fuels corporate wealth has left millions struggling for basic survival, widening the gap between progress and dignity. What appears as prosperity on paper conceals a growing humanitarian and democratic crisis within.

Key takeaways:

• Over 800 million Indians depend on subsidized rations, and millions cannot afford two meals a day, exposing the fragility behind India’s “fastest-growing economy” image.

• Around 450 million educated youth remain unemployed as automation, privatization, and corporate-led growth displace human labour and shrink opportunities.

• The top 1% control over 40% of national wealth, while the bottom 50% hold just 6%, reflecting a deepening nexus of state power and private capital.

• Public debt nearing 90% of GDP has led to austerity, reduced welfare spending, and increased dependency on foreign lenders.

• Prof. Chandra concludes that unless India shifts its focus from religious polarization to equitable development, the nation’s democracy risks hollowing from within.

Read Full Piece on our Website.

(India economy, inequality, unemployment, poverty, crony capitalism, GDP illusion, social justice, economic disparity, hunger crisis, democratic erosion)

13/10/2025

Trump Offers to Mediate as Pakistan–Afghanistan Border Tensions Flare

US President Donald Trump on Monday offered to mediate between Pakistan and Afghanistan after deadly weekend clashes along the border. The fighting, which began late Saturday and lasted into Sunday, left 23 Pakistani troops martyred, while Pakistan’s response killed around 200 Taliban and allied militants, according to the ISPR.

Speaking aboard Air Force One en route to Israel, Trump said he was “good at making peace,” linking the border crisis to his broader claims of resolving multiple global conflicts. His remarks came as Tel Aviv and Hamas prepared for the first phase of a hostage–prisoner exchange under his proposed Gaza peace plan.

12/10/2025

Last night, Afghan Taliban forces opened fire along the Pakistan border. Firing was reported across multiple areas in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan. According to security sources, unprovoked fire from Afghan forces prompted a swift response from the Pakistan Army.

Afghan forces fired at locations including Angoor Adda, Bajaur, Kurram, Dir, Chitral, and Zhob district.

Pakistan Army posts, remaining alert and vigilant, responded effectively, neutralizing several positions along the border, with exchanges of fire continuing throughout the night.

(Afghanistan, Pakistan, Cross-Border Firing, Pak Army, Vigilance, Border Security, Tensions, Defense)

$Britain’s two-century-long “divide and rule” strategy fractured India along religious, ethnic, and class lines, making t...$

11/10/2025

Britain’s two-century-long “divide and rule” strategy fractured India along religious, ethnic, and class lines, making the 1947 Partition inevitable. Policies like the Partition of Bengal (1905) and separate electorates (1909) institutionalized communal identities, leaving deep social scars. The result was one of the largest human tragedies in history, millions displaced, hundreds of thousands killed, and a legacy of mistrust that still shapes South Asia’s politics today.

Key takeaways:

• The British transformed India’s cultural diversity into rigid divisions after 1857, branding Muslims as “disloyal” and privileging Hindus in administration, fueling communal polarization.

• The 1905 Partition of Bengal and 1909 Morley-Minto Reforms formalized religious politics through separate electorates, embedding identity-based competition into the political system.

• The “martial races” theory divided ethnic groups, glorifying some (Sikhs, Rajputs) while excluding others (Bengalis), deepening stereotypes and regional inequality.

• A Western-educated elite loyal to the Raj widened class divides, creating barriers between colonial collaborators and the wider population.

• By 1947, decades of engineered distrust between Congress and the Muslim League made unity impossible, and Partition’s bloodshed the tragic outcome of a deliberate colonial design.

(Divide and Rule, British Raj, Partition of Bengal, Morley-Minto Reforms, Communal Politics, Colonial Legacy, South Asia, Hindu-Muslim Divide, Martial Races Theory, Partition of India, Colonial Strategy, Postcolonial Politics)

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