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The Arab World will always be infinitely closer to Pakistan than to India. Not even a discussion. Don't mistake episodic disagreements (eg. on Yemen) with structural and immovable bonds based on history, religion and culture.

I agree that foreign support for Assad will continue and probably increase. I also cannot see any form of Western-led intervention in Syria, particularly in what remains of the Obama Administration's tenure. However, I think attrition is genuinely hollowing out Assad's capability and that...

I'm curious what your broad reading of the Syrian situation is in a few different dimensions: current momentum on the ground, Assad's ability to survive, foreign support for him and, more specifically, how you see Israeli dealings with a post-Assad Syria and a new Middle East where Arabs...

Breathtaking. Eid Mubarak by the way brother, hope you had a good one. :)

Might not AKP do a coalition with a party, such as the MHP, that might accept constitutional change?

Back on topic (kind of anyway). I wonder when Chinese-GCC cooperation will extend to the military realm. Clearly the Chinese are starting to translate their economic power into military advancement (as a collective and on individual platforms), so I wonder how the GCC will begin to express its...

Agree with everything you've outlined above. Just to add: a Shia who opposes Iran and its hegemony is dearer to me than a Sunni who allies with Iran and furthers its cause. In Lebanon, I can name plenty of Shia who fit into that category, and I have nothing but respect for them.

I wouldn't worry about it bro. Most of these people are fickle and can't distinguish between strategic disagreements and tactical ones; thankfully the leaderships of Saudi Arabia and Pakistan are in absolute coordination right on a strategic level, and there's no change in that. Pakistan has its...

China-Pakistani-KSA relations, over the next decade, are one to watch.

I'm not Pakistani, but as someone who loves it and wants the best for it, very happy over the evolving Sino-Pakistani relationship and this latest influx of Chinese investment in Pakistan -- a country that has, for very long, been the country of wasted opportunities. God bless Pakistan and its...

You do know the previous Defence Minister was... Salman bin Abdul-Aziz, who now is the King of Saudi Arabia.

Some Pakistanis are being very dramatic about this whole issue. One overreaction is sparking another one. People are seriously discussing Saudi Arabia and UAE kicking out Pakistanis because a Minister of State for Foreign Affairs (no, he's not the Foreign Minister) tweeted a little rant? Or...

Sorry to burst your bubble, but you guys are turning this into a far bigger issue than it is. And no, the person involved was not the foreign minister.

Iranian fanboys go on and on about how GCC states don't attack Israel. Funny coming from the people whose every major geopolitical gain came off the back of the "Great Satan's" interventions in the Middle East. Had Bush not taken out Saddam in the west and the Taliban in the east, you'd be lame...

Hoping this is a turning point in how the Arab World sees itself, and the start of a new network of alliances to push against Iran and their dogs in the region. Hopefully Pakistan and Turkey are active participants/supporters too. Could also pave the way for broader and sophisticated...

That's like saying the US is weak because it had Poland as part of its coalition to invade Iraq in 2003. Come on man, bit of respect for adult conversation.

I think the title of the above article is misleading, as they didn't really agree to do anything. It's evident Saudi Arabia wants something done, while the Obama Administration has completely different priorities and isn't willing to take an assertive policy.

Got to love the description of Syrian rebels as being 'rats' for digging tunnels. Coming from those who are too cowardly to take on the Sunni Muslim world blatantly and openly, but instead have to fight like, for lack of a better term, 'rats' against the disempowered and forsaken in failed...

The Foreign Office is making the diplomatic and correct response. But I can't help that feel that Pakistan will ultimately have to make a decisive and apparent strategic choice between the Gulf States and Turkey on one hand, and Iran on the other. Of course, Nawaz leans towards the former, but...

Could you shed a bit more light on that? The whole idea of a Saudi pivot towards Qatar-Turkey at the expense of UAE-Egypt seems to be popular, but I'd appreciate your take on it.