Author: Kainat Rajput

Dar Renews Push Against India’s Suspended Indus Waters Treaty Move

Kainat Rajput
Delegates at the OIC Contact Group meeting on Jammu and Kashmir during the UN General Assembly session

More than a year after India put the Indus Waters Treaty in abeyance, Pakistan is still fighting the decision on every front it can find, legal, diplomatic, and now at the UN. On Wednesday, Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar told an OIC gathering in New York that India cannot pick and choose when its treaty obligations apply, and he leaned heavily on a recent arbitration ruling to back that up. It’s not a new argument from Dar. But the timing, right as the treaty’s legal status has been formally tested and…

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Kohat Terrorist Attack Explained: Why the UNSC Response Matters

Kainat Rajput
Security forces standing guard near the Kohat Police Lines mosque after the terrorist attack

A Quick Summary of the Terrorist Attack in Kohat A suicide bombing followed by an armed assault struck the Old Police Lines complex in Kohat on September 18, killing dozens of worshippers and police officers. Days later, the UN Security Council issued a formal statement condemning the violence and demanding that the people responsible be held accountable. This explainer breaks down what happened, why the UN Security Council chose to respond so firmly, and what the statement could mean for counter-terrorism cooperation involving Pakistan going forward. How the Kohat Terror…

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How Trump and New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani Became Unlikely Allies

Kainat Rajput
Zohran Mamdani welcoming Donald Trump outside Gracie Mansion in New York

Few political relationships in recent memory have shifted as sharply as the one between President Donald Trump and New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani. What started as open hostility on the campaign trail has, in less than a year, turned into a working partnership built around practical city concerns. Monday’s meeting at Gracie Mansion, where Trump called Mamdani a potential “great mayor,” is only the latest sign of that shift. Understanding how the two men got here says as much about political pragmatism as it does about New York’s specific…

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A Bike, a Disguise, and a Silver Medal — Fariba Hashimi’s Long Way Home

Kainat Rajput
Fariba Hashimi celebrating her Asian Games silver medal finish

The Race Itself Was the Easy Part Fariba Hashimi crossed second in the women’s road race at the Asian Games near Nagoya, Japan, on the Shinshiro Cycling Road Course. On paper, that’s a clean line — start, finish, silver. In practice, almost nothing about her path there has been clean. She raced without a mechanic. One person from the Afghan federation came along, and his job was driving the car. Compare that to the support teams other national squads bring, and the gap becomes obvious. She still finished second.  Training…

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Imran Khan’s Sisters Challenge Detention Orders in Lahore High Court

Kainat Rajput
Imran Khan's three sisters detention case filed in Lahore High Court

Summary A petition has been filed in the Lahore High Court challenging the detention of Imran Khan’s three sisters, Aleema Khan, Dr Uzma Khan and Noreen Niazi. All three were ordered detained for 30 days under the Maintenance of Public Order Ordinance, in what their family calls an unlawful crackdown timed to PTI’s upcoming protest march. Background Aleema Khan was the first to be detained, picked up on Sunday while travelling with her driver for what her family describes as personal work. Her petition states there was no public gathering…

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Lahore Police Move to Dismantle Stolen Phone Networks Behind IMEI Tampering

Kainat Rajput
Technician's workbench with tools used to tamper with a phone's IMEI number in Lahore

New Push to Break the IMEI Tampering Trade LAHORE: A fresh enforcement drive is underway against the network of shops and technicians who alter IMEI numbers to keep stolen mobile phones in circulation. Police say the goal is not just to catch pickpockets, but to choke off the resale chain that makes phone theft worthwhile in the first place. The directive was issued at a city-level meeting focused squarely on organised theft and how it has adapted to evade existing checks. Background: Why Stolen Phones Keep Reappearing A stolen phone…

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Behind the Pakistan-Afghanistan Airstrikes: A Conflict That Keeps Repeating

Kainat Rajput
Map-style view of the Pakistan-Afghanistan border region affected by recent military strikes

Summary Monday’s airstrikes on militant hideouts in Kunar and Paktika are not an isolated event. They are the latest chapter in a cycle of cross-border strikes and retaliation between Pakistan and Afghanistan that has played out repeatedly since February 2026. Understanding the pattern helps explain why another round of violence was, in many ways, expected. Background The current phase of hostilities traces back to February 2026, when Pakistani airstrikes on Afghan territory triggered retaliatory attacks from Afghan forces. By June, Pakistan launched a further ground operation and calibrated strikes along…

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Xi Jinping to Visit US This Week for Talks With Trump

Kainat Rajput
Chinese President Xi Jinping and US President Donald Trump shaking hands at a bilateral meeting

Summary Xi lands in Washington for a state visit built around trade, technology and security disputes between the two countries. Trump is expected to greet him personally on arrival, an unusual gesture that signals how much weight both sides are putting on the meeting. Background The visit has been in the works since October 2025, when Trump and Xi met at the Busan Summit and Trump floated the idea of a return trip to Beijing followed by a US visit for Xi. Trump made good on the first half in…

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Oil Prices Fall to Lowest in a Week as Iran Diplomacy Hopes Rise

Kainat Rajput
Oil pumpjack silhouetted against a sunset sky as oil prices fall

Oil prices fall to their lowest level in more than a week on Monday. Traders are pricing in hopes that diplomacy around the Iran war could gain ground this week. A United Nations meeting in New York is raising expectations of renewed talks between Washington and Tehran. Brent crude futures dropped to around $101.71 a barrel, down over 2 percent from Friday’s close. US West Texas Intermediate crude slipped to near $98.15 a barrel, also down more than 2 percent. Both benchmarks touched their weakest levels since September 10. Background:…

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What’s Behind the Detention of Imran Khan’s Sisters, and What Happens Next

Kainat Rajput
PTI supporters and family members of Imran Khan gathered near a police vehicle in Lahore

Three of Imran Khan’s sisters spent this week in a Lahore jail cell, not over a criminal charge, but under a public-order law dating back to 1960. Here’s a plain-language look at how that happened, why the timing matters, and what it could mean for PTI’s planned march on Islamabad. Summary Between Sunday and Monday, Punjab Police detained Aleema Khan, Uzma Khan, and Noreen Niazi under Section 3 of the Maintenance of Public Order (MPO) Ordinance. All three are now held at Kot Lakhpat Jail for a 30-day period. The…

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