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Muhammad Amir Rana

Muhammad Amir Rana

Dawn

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Assessing Pakistan’s trust

Assessing Pakistan’s trust

The US views Pakistan’s efforts to modernise its missile programme with caution.

23.03.2026 100

Dawn

Muhammad Amir Rana

Between hedging & clarity

Pakistan’s real leverage lies in maintaining open communication channels with Iran.

15.03.2026 100

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Muhammad Amir Rana

Debating war and policy

The war in the Gulf has overshadowed Pakistan’s confrontation with Afghanistan.

08.03.2026 100

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Muhammad Amir Rana

Lessons from the Taliban

Pakistan must use all means to eliminate terrorist networks operating from Afghan soil.

01.03.2026 350

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Muhammad Amir Rana

Strategic confusion

There is a perception that, more than a backlash from the masses over unpopular decisions, the establishment is apprehensive of the historical factor.

22.02.2026 300

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Muhammad Amir Rana

Pakistan’s US test

Perhaps we need a new approach towards Afghanistan, one that is not aligned with any camp.

15.02.2026 200

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Muhammad Amir Rana

Missing introspection

Viewing Balochistan’s issues through a single prism gives no room to diverse perspectives.

08.02.2026 100

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Muhammad Amir Rana

Pakistan’s Trump test

By aligning itself closely with a Trump-endorsed defence equation, it has risked the balance in its relationship with China.

01.02.2026 100

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Muhammad Amir Rana

Staying relevant

If Pakistan had a strong economy and stable systems, would it make the same choices?

25.01.2026 100

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Muhammad Amir Rana

Resistance network in Iran

The recent internal resistance has emboldened separatist elements in Arab and Kurdish regions.

18.01.2026 100

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Muhammad Amir Rana

‘Good night and good luck’

Political and media landscapes are witnessing their own version of McCarthyism.

11.01.2026 150

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Muhammad Amir Rana

Terrorism data deficit

In the absence of authentic official data, research groups rely heavily on open sources.

04.01.2026 150

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Muhammad Amir Rana

MENA partnerships

Pakistan’s role suits the architects of the new Middle East.

28.12.2025 150

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Muhammad Amir Rana

Fatwas & narrative war

The state’s will is essential to eliminating ambiguities surrounding terrorist narratives.

21.12.2025 90

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Muhammad Amir Rana

New internal security order

Will centralising and standardising security structures lead to more capable institutions?

21.12.2025 100

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Muhammad Amir Rana

New internal security order

Will centralisation and standardisation of security structures lead to more capable institutions?

07.12.2025 200

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Muhammad Amir Rana

Silence which speaks

Quetta’s people move through life in silence, and that silence is the city’s greatest tragedy.

30.11.2025 150

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Muhammad Amir Rana

A tale of two cities

PAKISTAN’S internal security threats continue to escalate in complexity and lethality, even as state institutions attempt varied approaches to...

24.11.2025 250

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Muhammad Amir Rana

Terrorism’s strategic space

When state priorities shift, terrorists exploit the resulting vacuums and disruptions.

16.11.2025 200

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Muhammad Amir Rana

Revisiting the hard approach

State institutions must not lose their composure in their display of muscle.

09.11.2025 100

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Muhammad Amir Rana

Why the Taliban turned hostile

The Taliban have turned even more hostile towards Pakistan than previous Afghan regimes.

02.11.2025 200

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Muhammad Amir Rana

An ideological shift?

The deeper challenge lies in confronting ideological legacies.

26.10.2025 150

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Muhammad Amir Rana

Another Doha pact

The Taliban perceive the world as something that must learn to accommodate them.

19.10.2025 250

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Muhammad Amir Rana

Extremism: the unfinished war

The state now intends to eliminate the threat through coercive means, whatever the cost.

12.10.2025 250

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Muhammad Amir Rana

Unfulfilled promises

Had the government made progress on earlier demands in AJK, the region might have been spared unrest.

05.10.2025 150

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Muhammad Amir Rana

Shaping of Pak-US ties

The specifics of Pakistan’s emerging role are unclear.

28.09.2025 200

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Muhammad Amir Rana

A reunion with limits

The future of renewed Pak-Saudi ties lies in standing together during difficult times.

21.09.2025 100

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Muhammad Amir Rana

Pak-US-China triangle

Pakistan has managed to navigate a turbulent international order with surprising resilience.

14.09.2025 250

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Muhammad Amir Rana

Project Taliban 2.0 failing

The Taliban have ruled Afghanistan for four years but have failed to earn international goodwill.

31.08.2025 200

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Muhammad Amir Rana

A big test ahead

Maintaining an exclusive relationship with both China and the US is a delicate task.

24.08.2025 150

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Muhammad Amir Rana

Counterterrorism synergy

Pakistan’s national security planners often fail to adopt long-term, strategic perspectives.

17.08.2025 200

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Muhammad Amir Rana

The drone challenge

The appearance of drone technology in militant hands has complicated the battlefield equation.

10.08.2025 100

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Muhammad Amir Rana

Errors in counterterrorism

The most effective strategies are those that are adaptive, locally grounded and responsive to evolving realities on the ground.

03.08.2025 200

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Muhammad Amir Rana

Taming militancy

Pakistan’s militancy landscape is changing rapidly, but credible initiatives are needed.

27.07.2025 200

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Muhammad Amir Rana

Witch hunts, state silence

We are trapped in a situation that many other nations have faced but overcame — collectively.

20.07.2025 200

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Muhammad Amir Rana

A new Pakistan

The current geopolitical environment is shifting in Pakistan’s favour.

13.07.2025 250

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Muhammad Amir Rana

Irony of history

How much leverage does Russia truly have over the Taliban that it has formally recognised?

06.07.2025 200

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Muhammad Amir Rana

Punjab’s belated Countering Violent Extremism Act step

Legislation alone cannot address the problem of extremism in Pakistan.

29.06.2025 50

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Muhammad Amir Rana

Punjab’s belated CVE step

Legislation alone cannot address the problem of extremism in Pakistan.

29.06.2025 100

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Muhammad Amir Rana

Pakistan’s FATF story

Pakistan’s journey with FATF reflects its growing adaptation to international standards.

22.06.2025 150

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Muhammad Amir Rana

Crisis management balance

Since Gen Zia’s regime, Pakistan-Iran relations have gone through several rough patches.

15.06.2025 100

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Muhammad Amir Rana

IS-K in Balochistan

Can the militant group’s entry reshape the dynamics of conflict in the province?

01.06.2025 250

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Muhammad Amir Rana

Faith, fear, fragility

The circle of religious bigotry is tightening and beginning to suffocate the majority itself.

25.05.2025 150

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Muhammad Amir Rana

Time for a Saarc summit

Saarc has historically served as a platform to facilitate engagement between India and Pakistan.

18.05.2025 150

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Muhammad Amir Rana

Space for peace diplomacy

The nature of the long-simmering India-Pakistan tensions is such that a new approach is needed.

11.05.2025 150

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Muhammad Amir Rana

Unsung icons of peace

Civil society must rediscover its moral anchors — figures who inspire and connect with people.

04.05.2025 100

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Muhammad Amir Rana

In search of a peace lobby

The role of these peace advocates can be particularly critical during periods of relative calm.

27.04.2025 100

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Muhammad Amir Rana

Failure of Afghan policy

The Taliban are stoking anti-Pakistan sentiment within Afghanistan.

20.04.2025 100

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Muhammad Amir Rana

Another layer of control

It is important for the government to dispel the impression that superior security institutions are encroaching on the domain of the civilian security...

13.04.2025 80

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Muhammad Amir Rana

Neighbourly cooperation

Given the presence of militants in the border areas, securing regional cooperation is essential.

30.03.2025 70

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Muhammad Amir Rana