FORMER US diplomat Zalmay Khalilzad has once again found himself in the limelight—not for thoughtful diplomacy, but for speculative commentary on Pakistan’s nuclear capability.

His recent tweet has attempted to cast shadows over Islamabad’s nuclear doctrine and says more about his imagination than about Pakistan’s carefully crafted policy of strategic restraint. Coming from a former envoy whose diplomatic career is remembered more for missteps than milestones, the remarks appear designed to stir drama rather than contribute to serious policy debate.

Khalilzad’s suggestion of some hidden “classified annex” related to Pakistan-KSA defence pact is as fanciful as it is irresponsible. It smacks of a Cold War mindset, where suspicion often stood in for evidence. But international security is not a novel and foreign policy is not written on X’s threads. Pakistan’s........

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