Pakistan’s Nobel Pitch for Trump; Taliban Supports India on Kashmir – Flattery Not Our Way

Ambassador Ahmad noted that Pakistan’s military continues to dominate its foreign policy, often at odds with civilian leadership and public sentiment, especially over support for Trump’s Gaza plan. He described Pakistan as a “schizophrenic state,” divided between its army’s ambitions and its people’s outrage over perceived betrayal of the Palestinians.

On India’s engagement with the Taliban, Ahmad called it a strategic necessity, not an endorsement of their ideology. He emphasized that Afghanistan is crucial to India’s long-term interests and argued that rebuilding ties can help foster social and developmental progress, including women’s rights, through gradual engagement.

Concluding the conversation, Barkha Dutt observed that India’s pragmatic diplomacy marks a new phase in regional realignment, where moral idealism must coexist with national security needs and ground realities.