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Business Recorder
12-07-2025
- Politics
- Business Recorder
‘South Asia currently lingers below threshold of stability'
ISLAMABAD: Former chairman Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee (CJCSC) General Zubair Mahmood Hayat (retd) has cautioned that South Asia currently lingers below the threshold of stability. He underscored that the region is trapped in a complex security quagmire, aggravated by the absence of crisis management mechanisms, regional security frameworks, and meaningful exchanges across multiple domains. In its latest edition of the Thought Leaders Forum (TLF), the Institute of Strategic Studies Islamabad (ISSI) hosted General Zubair Mahmood Hayat (retd), as the distinguished speaker on Friday. General Hayat (retd) raised pertinent questions about the nature of peace and concluded that true peace cannot be imposed, bought, or externally driven — it must be earned through justice, trust, and sovereign equality. He warned that the doomsday clock for South Asia now stands at 30 seconds to midnight, highlighting the destabilising impact of India's evolving strategic posture, ideological shift, and military build-up. He called attention to India's grand strategic delusions, the shift from 'Doval' to 'Modi doctrine', and the resulting 'reverse deterrence' where Pakistan's resolve has only strengthened. General Hayat (retd) noted that while Kashmir has long been recognised as a nuclear flashpoint in South Asia, the 2025 crisis has now brought water also into the equation—underscoring that South Asia stands at a critical juncture. He urged Pakistan to use this moment to revamp internally, seize emerging global opportunities, and navigate future threats with clarity and strength. The session focused on the theme 'Peace and Stability in South Asia and Beyond.' Ambassador Sohail Mahmood, DG ISSI in his welcome remarks, highlighted the rapid transformation of the global order, marked by intensified great power competition, militarisation, erosion of multilateralism, and the rise of non-traditional security threats. Focusing on the recent crisis in South Asia, Ambassador Sohail Mahmood drew attention to India's baseless allegations against Pakistan following a terrorist incident in Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK), and the ensuing conflict dynamics that nearly escalated into full-scale war in May 2025. He noted that Pakistan effectively countered Indian aggression with a calibrated and resolute response, while maintaining diplomatic composure. Emphasising the urgent need for crisis communication, ceasefire stabilisation, and eventual dispute resolution, he underscored the broader regional fragilities—including stalled SAARC cooperation, regional securitisation, and unresolved disputes like Kashmir. Ambassador Sohail Mahmood further stressed that Pakistan must sustain robust defence preparedness and proactive diplomacy to navigate this complex strategic landscape and foster lasting peace in South Asia and beyond. Copyright Business Recorder, 2025
Business Recorder
01-07-2025
- Politics
- Business Recorder
India attempting to use water as weapon against Pakistan: Dar
ISLAMABAD: Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar on Monday accused India of attempting to use water as a weapon against Pakistan, condemning New Delhi's suspension of the Indus Waters Treaty (IWT) as an act of water terrorism. Speaking at the 52nd anniversary of the Institute of Strategic Studies Islamabad (ISSI) – a local think tank dedicated to research and analysis on foreign policy, security, and strategic affairs – Dar warned that Pakistan would not tolerate any infringement on its sovereignty or territorial integrity. He described India's unilateral suspension of the treaty as a threat to the lives of 240 million Pakistanis who rely on the shared river system. 'India cannot impose its will on Pakistan and must reconsider its policies,' he said, adding that any unilateral move to suspend the treaty would be unacceptable and counterproductive. Dar also accused India of aggression under the guise of false-flag operations, referencing the 2019 Pulwama attack as well as the recent Pahalgam incident, and said Pakistan had responded swiftly and effectively. Reaffirming Pakistan's commitment to upholding its rights under international agreements, he said, 'India wants to use water as a weapon, but Pakistan stands firm in protecting its interests.' On the longstanding Jammu and Kashmir dispute, Dar reiterated Pakistan's call for a peaceful resolution, describing the issue as a globally-recognised conflict critical to regional stability. He accused India of gross violations of international law in the region. Addressing broader regional issues, Dar welcomed the recent ceasefire agreement between Iran and Israel and reaffirmed Pakistan's support for Iran's legal position. He called for dialogue to resolve concerns surrounding Iran's nuclear programme. He also condemned ongoing atrocities in Gaza, expressing Pakistan's deep concern over the worsening humanitarian crisis in the Palestinian territory. Highlighting the challenges and opportunities in a multi-polar world, Dar pointed to the peaceful rise of China, Russia's resurgence, and the growing influence of Middle Powers and the Global South. He outlined Pakistan's regional diplomacy efforts, highlighting trilateral frameworks involving China, Afghanistan, and Bangladesh. He reaffirmed Pakistan's commitment to geo-economics, international law, and multilateralism through the United Nations, stating, 'We aim to be the voice of the voiceless and the power of the powerless.' ISSI Director General Sohail Mahmood, a former ambassador, welcomed attendees and praised the unified civil and military response to Indian actions following the Pahalgam incident. He emphasised the importance of preparedness, internal security, and sustained diplomatic efforts. Copyright Business Recorder, 2025
Business Recorder
30-06-2025
- Business
- Business Recorder
Dar urges India to rethink hostile policies that threaten regional peace, stability
Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar has urged India to rethink its present hostile and misguided policies that threaten peace and undermine security in South Asia. Speaking at an event held to commemorate the 52nd anniversary of the Institute for Strategic Studies (ISSI), the minister said that amid the global turbulence and transformation, 'Pakistan is charting a forward-looking course as a confident and self-assured nation - resolutely safeguarding its sovereignty and territorial integrity and shouldering its obligations as a responsible member of the international community'. He said that Pakistan values the efforts of all friendly countries, including the U.S., KSA, UAE, and Türkiye that resulted in preventing further escalation between India and Pakistan and putting the ceasefire in place. 'Going forward, it is essential to consolidate the ceasefire, institute a reliable crisis management mechanism, and develop confidence building measures that would help stabilise the regional security situation,' the foreign minister said. Dar added that the outcome of the 4-day war with India once again underscored the reality that India can neither intimidate nor coerce Pakistan. 'New Delhi must, therefore, rethink its present hubristic and misguided policies that threaten peace and undermine security in South Asia.' Meanwhile, the minister said that Pakistan also believes that time has come to re-imagine regional cooperation in South Asia and in our extended neighbourhood. 'The negative impulses of dominance and hegemony have long stymied this process and made SAARC dysfunctional. Our region instead needs a positive spirit of solidarity, mutually-beneficial collaboration, and shared prosperity,' he said. On Afghanistan, the deputy PM said that in recent months, Pakistan has purposefully made efforts to reset Pakistan-Afghanistan relations on a positive trajectory. He said both the countries have agreed to upgrade the diplomatic representation to Ambassadorial level and extend CPEC to Afghanistan. 'If the Interim Afghan Government works with complete sincerity and wholeheartedly, the fruits of our economic cooperation, efforts for regional integration, and connectivity would be enormous. Not only the people of Afghanistan will benefit tremendously but also the dividends of shared prosperity would extend to Central Asia and beyond.' The ISSI was founded in1973 and has evolved into one of Pakistan's foremost strategic think-tanks. It is known for generating quality research, promoting thought leadership, and fostering inclusive dialogue among diverse stakeholders.
Yahoo
14-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Varda's W-3 capsule lands successfully in South Australia
The company partnered with the US Air Force to test an advanced inertial measurement unit to advance scientific understanding of the high-hypersonic reentry environment. EL SEGUNDO, Calif., May 14, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Varda Space Industries, which is building infrastructure and enabling fundamental science for a thriving orbital economy, has successfully reentered the W-3 capsule, which landed at the Koonibba Test Range, operated by Southern Launch, at 19:07 Pacific Daylight Time. W-3 is Varda's third successful mission and comes just 11 weeks after the previous successful mission. W-3 carried an advanced inertial measurement unit developed in collaboration with the U.S. Air Force and Innovative Scientific Solutions Incorporated (ISSI). The Prometheus program, a partnership between Varda and the U.S. Air Force, addresses a national security need to accelerate the ability to conduct novel science and technology experiments in the extreme reentry environment through a low-cost, high cadence flight testbed. The W-3 capsule, developed by Varda, reentered Earth's atmosphere at speeds exceeding Mach 25. This extreme environment offers researchers valuable data to enhance hypersonic navigation, expand orbital economy applications, and support U.S. national security objectives in low Earth orbit. "Varda's reentry capsule represents a game-changing opportunity for both government and commercial partners to test and validate cutting-edge hypersonic and reentry components and technologies," said Dave McFarland, Varda's Vice President of Hypersonic and Reentry Test. "The W-3 mission will provide unprecedented data to advance next-generation space and defense capabilities and continue to provide hypersonic environments to the reentry test community." Varda is the only company routinely launching and reentering autonomous manufacturing capsules through the high-hypersonic environment. Through regular, reliable launch and return, Varda aims to continue to increase cadence and offer a novel, low-cost approach to iterative hypersonic science and technology experimentation. The W-3 capsule launched March 14 from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California and is the second capsule to land at the Koonibba Test Range. Varda's first mission, W-1, was the first-ever commercial reentry on US soil when it landed in Utah in 2024. Distribution Unlimited; Approved for Public Release. Public Affairs Release Number AFRL-2025-1794 About Varda Varda Space Industries is making reentry as common as launch. We are building the infrastructure for a thriving orbital economy, from in-orbit pharmaceutical processing to reliable and economical reentry capsules. The company operates out of El Segundo, California with office and industrial production space. Follow Varda on X (@vardaspace), Instagram (@vardaspaceindustries), and LinkedIn. For Media Inquiries: media@ View original content to download multimedia: SOURCE Varda Space Industries Inc.
Business Recorder
08-05-2025
- Business
- Business Recorder
Regional stability: Strategic partnership with China termed ‘central pillar'
ISLAMABAD: The Centre for Afghanistan, Middle East and Africa (CAMEA) at the Institute of Strategic Studies Islamabad (ISSI), in collaboration with the Friedrich Ebert Stiftung (FES), Pakistan office, hosted a one-day International Conference, titled 'Pakistan and the Region: Enhancing Regional Connectivity, Addressing Non-Traditional Threats, and Countering Terrorism.' Speakers at the inaugural session included Ambassador Sohail Mahmood, Director General ISSI, Arno Kirchhof, Charge d'Affaires, Embassy of the Federal Republic of Germany, Islamabad. Senator Mushahid Hussain Sayed was the chief guest on the occasion. DG ISSU Ambassador Sohail Mahmood, in his remarks, noted that the world was witnessing profound turbulence and rapid transformation in the global order. In the changing milieu, Pakistan's evolving strategic approach now places emphasis on two key shifts: adopting a comprehensive security framework that prioritises economic and human well-being, and pivoting to geo-economics while navigating the complexities of geo-politics. This approach is increasingly shaping Pakistan's regional and international policy outlook and is already delivering encouraging outcomes. He reaffirmed Pakistan's solid and enduring strategic partnership with China as a central pillar of regional stability. He was of the view that Pakistan's engagement with Afghanistan has seen renewed momentum in recent months, with high-level exchanges and growing dialogue across security, trade, and people-to-people domains. However, cross-border terrorism remains the most pressing challenge, impacting both Pakistan's internal security and broader regional stability. Furthermore, he stressed that the region faces growing threats, including the regrouping of terrorist outfits. At the same time, climate change has become an urgent, lived reality. Peace, economic integration, environmental sustainability, and human security are deeply interconnected, making regional cooperation not optional but essential. Ambassador Sohail Mahmood also dwelt on the heightened tensions between India and Pakistan, which have now turned into a live conflict. In the aftermath of the Pahalgam attack, he noted, India rushed to blame Pakistan without holding any worthwhile investigations and providing any credible evidence. It then followed up with a slew of measures, including putting the Indus Waters Treaty (IWT) in abeyance. This action was legally untenable, while the threat of not letting a drop of water go to Pakistan was morally reprehensible. In the dark of the night of 6-7 May, in an unprovoked attack and what has been described as a blatant act of war, India has violated Pakistan's sovereignty targeting several places in Pakistan and AJK. India's act of aggression resulted in the martyrdom of civilians, including women and children. Pakistan has strongly condemned India's cowardly action, which is in flagrant violation of the UN Charter, international law, and the established norms of inter-state relations. Pakistan has stated that it reserves the right to respond appropriately in accordance with Article 51 of the UN Charter and as enshrined in international law. Senator Mushahid Hussain Sayed, in his remarks, stated that there is a lot of cultural compatibility between the region and that there is emerging regional connectivity under projects like CPEC under the BRI. This region is the centre of gravity for regional connectivity. He further said that organizations are emerging which promote this kind of connectivity, and an example is the ECO. There is also an initiation of several projects like TAPI, IPI and other railway projects. On the other hand, non-traditional security challenges continue to pose difficulties, which include climate change, population growth, and religious extremism, in some cases sponsored by the state, remain a serious challenge. While talking about the midnight aggression by India, he said that it was unprovoked and India has tried to link Pakistan with the incident in Pahalgam without any proof, as has also been stated by the international media. Blaming Pakistan has been their previous pattern; however, some redlines were crossed and Pakistan was giving befitting response. Pakistani civilians have been attacked, resulting in the martyrdom of many and injuring several others. He also cautioned about the RSS ideology/mindset, which was another form of non-traditional security threat in the region. Arno Kirchhof emphasised that this conference serves a vital purpose in exploring how nations can address security risks and work towards achieving peace through dialogues that focus on key regional security issues, such as stability, climate change, regional connectivity, humanitarian challenges, and countering terrorism. He noted that the world is in a reflective period, with countries like Germany still seeking solutions to these complex challenges. Copyright Business Recorder, 2025
