As Pakistan is making earnest efforts for a take off, hostile forces both at home and abroad have suddenly become active to obstruct its steady march on the road to peace, progress and prosperity.

In a curious coincidence, the country’s western borders heated up at a time when Afghan Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi was visiting New Delhi and the religious-politico entity Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP) initiated a violent long march towards Islamabad to protest against an issue that is fast moving towards some sort of resolution in accordance with an agreement brokered by President Donald Trump and subscribed by almost all major players including Hamas.

Pakistan is at a cross-roads and facing a tricky situation as on the one hand it risks losing balance in its relations with major powers (as I explained in an article titled ‘Will Pakistan succeed in its strategic balancing act’, which appeared in this newspaper on October 13) and on the other hand self-centered internal elements and anti-Pakistan external forces are at play to destabilize the country and harm its economic interests.

It is a matter of pride for people of Pakistan that prudent policies of the incumbent civil and military leadership have produced desired results as with the exception of a few countries, which have their own designs and agendas against Pakistan, the image and stature of the country has increased tremendously in the eyes of almost the entire globe. For the first time in history, Pakistan and its leadership are showered with praise by a President of the United States and this is not without reasons. Pakistan’s defence capability, as demonstrated during the short but memorable war with India in May 2025, brought laurels from the entire world including President Donald Trump. As against this, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi is getting........

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