i was Khan’s biggest critic when he was in power. if and when he returns, i will again hold his feet to fire. but what amazes me, nay terribly disappoints me, is the approach of the so-called liberal intelligentsia, selecting facts, dissing Khan and the PTI> completely ignoring the elephant in the room: the army. that’s problem number 1. the 2nd is the succession principle: how do we/should we move from one to another govt in the 21st century? monarchy? Roman praetorian guard? violence? or a legal-constitutional-electoral mechanism?>

if the situation escalates further, Israel will not begin with a ground invasion immediately. that’s where some of its advantage is blunted. it will soften targets through (a) precision strikes on Hezbollah positions and (b) punishment strikes in Hezbollah strongholds.> >it has been collecting precise intel on tgts. it won't get to everything but it will be able to degrade much. the US will help it provide with anti-missiles umbrella to limit damage from Hezbollah missile strikes. the ground incursion, when it comes will be shallow and leapfrog>

following the Lebanon pager story for hours. much remains unknown but some things one can talk about. 1, things don’t JUST go BOOM. they are made to go BOOM. in other words, unless they are RIGGED, they remain innocent.> >2. while i despise the Zionazis, to know the enemy it’s imp to know his capabilities. Israel is a past master at covert-intel ops. 3. if anyone has any doubt, please look at their precise ops against Hezbollah, Hamas and Iranians in Beirut, Lebanon, Syria and Tehran.>

expectedly, there’s much brouhaha in this space so i decided to wait. first, the attack on Imran Khan is condemnable. it shows that digital, psychological troll violence and abuse has now entered the physical realm. that must be stopped here and now.> >second, it is a matter of much relief that those injured in the unfortunate/condemnable incident, including the former PM, are out of danger. prayers for the man who lost his life, considering that he was at the wrong place and at the wrong time. violence is just irrational.>

i have ALWAYS opposed mil parades anywhere, from PMA to 23rd March to wherever. they are useless, cut into training time, are just ceremonial, symbolise strict hierarchy and are no indication of combat effectiveness. if you don't believe me, look at Russian mil in #Ukraine #Aesop moral: do NOT waste your time doing ceremonial things. focus on real training; and when you are training, train as you will fight. focus on avoiding casualties; don't celebrate them. wrapping own in the flag and wreaths is NEVER good. it is bullshit leadership.

am surprised that IK's supporters should bemoan what they think Gen Bajwa did. they lament about how B could dictate to the PM. that's disingenuous. do they really believe, flying in the face of all evidence, that Bajwa did not actively arrange for Khan to form the govt in 2018?> >did they write at the time that army has no business manipulating results or arranging civilian govts? no, they did not (neither did many others who are now unhappy with army's interference). personally, i have been (and remain) opposed to army's experimentation for decades.>

i don't like predictions, esp., in Byzantium politics. if IK had completed his tenure, in a free/fair election, the PMLN would have won. NOW, in a free/fair election, Khan will win. whether elections are free/fair is another debate. fate vs freedom; agency vs structural bind!> i know, at this point, it isn't helpful to talk about IK; for years i have been critical of his approaches; still am. but, rightly or wrongly, he has caught people's imagination. make no mistake. even more, he has wrested space from the army on the issue of sovereignty, a first.>

in all the discussions about #Afghanistan and Pakistan's independence, we seem to have forgotten about Occupied and Illegally Annexed Kashmir. this is what is happening: school teachers are told that if they don't hoist the Indian flag tomorrow, they will lose their jobs> #IOJK >shopkeepers have been directed to not shut down tomorrow or their shops will be seized. we've already seen how the #Indian police & #army have been breaking into peoples' shops & forcibly opening them. @POTUS talks about democracy and democratic values. here's a test case. #IOJK

so, lemme come to something really funny, since Indians have become really bleeding-heart concerned about Uighur Muslims. This is, of course, notwithstanding how they kill Muslims in occupied J&K and elsewhere in India.> >Libs of all hues, including (actually esp.,) in Pakistan, have suddenly embraced the Uighur cause. a few things are of course being conveniently forgotten here: one, Kashmir is a disputed and occupied territory, as per both UNSC Resolutions as well as bilateral arrangements>

India's #VikramLander failure is being debated here depending on which angle one is taking: consider.
1, as a scientific/tech achievement, final-phase failure aside, it is a big leap and shows #ISRO in a good light; 2, it also shows that #India is producing an impressive array> > of scientists and engineers; that should be a matter of concern for us; 3, space is one of the frontiers in future wars, which will be tech-, and capital-intensive, not labour-intensive; 4, we should take serious stock of the education we are imparting and whether we can keep>