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Ayesha Siddiqa

Ayesha Siddiqa

Indian Express

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A pat on the back from Donald Trump won’t fix Pakistan’s fragile ties with the US

Trump’s gratitude towards Pakistan for apprehending ISKP terrorist Sharifullah is seen as recognition of the Pakistani military’s role in...

latest 10

ThePrint

Ayesha Siddiqa

Asim Munir’s London trips are predictable—discuss geopolitics, dodge Pakistani protesters

The more interesting aspect of Munir’s UK visits, especially since he took over as commander, pertains to his inability to engage with British...

26.02.2025 10

ThePrint

Ayesha Siddiqa

Asim Munir is reversing Bajwa’s India appeasement policy. Militancy is coming back to Kashmir

The Kashmir Day event in Pakistan was organised to help militant groups popularise themselves among their constituents by signaling that the State had...

14.02.2025 4

ThePrint

Ayesha Siddiqa

Pakistan’s TTP threat is now out of control—Taliban can’t help, public doesn’t trust military

The frequency of TTP attacks in Pakistan has increased—from 267 in 2021 to 365 in 2022—and the militant group has also been systematically going...

22.01.2025 10

ThePrint

Ayesha Siddiqa

Imran Khan’s incarceration isn’t the final death knell. He won’t surrender to the regime

Imran Khan’s self-confidence is not misplaced as his support base is unwilling to believe in his complicity in any corruption case.

20.01.2025 5

ThePrint

Ayesha Siddiqa

US sanctions on Pakistan have lost their bite. They can’t do much to stop defence planning

There is a lot of hue and cry within Pakistan’s strategic circles regarding Washington’s tilt toward India because of the Indo-Pacific strategy.

23.12.2024 9

ThePrint

Ayesha Siddiqa

Imran Khan wants to break Islamabad political deadlock with dead bodies

Islamabad is under siege from within. The government is struggling to protect its mandate and push back the incarcerated former PM Imran Khan and...

27.11.2024 6

ThePrint

Ayesha Siddiqa

Pakistan is suddenly resisting China’s security pressure. Is Trump the reason?

Islamabad and Rawalpindi do not want to create an impression of subservience to Chinese power, especially when the administration in the United...

15.11.2024 2

ThePrint

Ayesha Siddiqa

Pakistan’s Parliament just signed its suicide note. New law gives army chief even more power

This added power for COAS Asim Munir isn’t very good for the ruling PML-N coalition. A more confident army chief could easily abandon the...

06.11.2024 6

ThePrint

Ayesha Siddiqa

Army wins tussle with the judges. Pakistan changes rules for selecting Chief Justice

Re-organising of legislative-judiciary relations was required but what makes it so scandalous is the way it was carried out, including temporary...

28.10.2024 7

ThePrint

Ayesha Siddiqa

Nawaz Sharif gave a message to India during Jaishankar visit—He has establishment’s backing

With the confidence of having its Chinese friends on the table, it was a good decision by Pakistan to get India's External Affairs Minister S...

23.10.2024 2

ThePrint

Ayesha Siddiqa

As Pakistan gears up for SCO meet, China is giving it sleepless nights—not India

If people in Islamabad are having sleepless nights before SCO meet, it’s because of the China delegation, which must be extremely unhappy with...

14.10.2024 10

ThePrint

Ayesha Siddiqa

Pashtuns in KP are becoming less tolerant of Pakistan Army & state. It brings a heavy cost

Even though over 20% of Pakistan's military is Pashtun and they are well represented in the bureaucracy, the gap between the Punjab-dominated state...

17.09.2024 10

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Ayesha Siddiqa

Netflix IC-814 show is too gentle on ISI. Pakistani agency is still protecting Masood Azhar

In early 2000s, I saw a vehicle with speakers inviting people in Lahore to attend a gathering where Masood Azhar and other freed terrorists after...

07.09.2024 10

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Ayesha Siddiqa

With Faiz Hameed’s arrest, Pakistan army has punished one of their own. It’s a warning

The arrest is a signal to the military fraternity—especially retired and serving officers, who supported Imran Khan and stood against the current...

13.08.2024 5

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Ayesha Siddiqa

Pakistan must act now to prevent Kurram’s sectarian violence from engulfing the country

The snakes nurtured by the Pakistani state have returned to bite it. Kurram clash between Shia and Sunni tribal groups can spread to other parts of...

07.08.2024 3

ThePrint

Ayesha Siddiqa