We are witnessing the rule-based order collapse in real time. It ain’t a pretty sight.

Multiple and simultaneous conflicts across the globe are telling the same story: military might is what matters the most. This harsh reality had been obfuscated under the blanket of international rules, treaties and conventions. Missiles and bombs have blown away this veneer and now the world stands exposed to the exercise of naked power.

Russia-Ukraine war, Israel-Iran conflict, Israeli genocide of Palestinians, and Pakistan’s vanquishing of India in the four-day hostilities, all these mega and mini wars are a reminder that the old ways of living, thriving and surviving in the international system are fast getting outdated. This new normal, so to speak, shall be internalized swiftly by all countries who face threats to their sovereignty.

More so Pakistan.

The conflict with India has showcased Pakistan’s military prowess but this is not a one-off event. The hiking of the defence budget, and a greater focus on acquiring the latest weaponry is now an accepted fact. Israeli belligerence in the Middle East, and open support from the United States and various other western nations, has further lowered the threshold of acceptability for unilateral aggression against a weaker state. In such an age of war, experts say, the best........

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