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Kamran Yousaf

Kamran Yousaf

The Express Tribune

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Pakistan's new Afghan doctrine

For years, Pakistan exercised restraint in dealing with the authorities in Afghanistan. It relied on backchannel diplomacy, intelligence sharing and...

01.03.2026 30

The Express Tribune

Kamran Yousaf

Delhi's dilemma, Islamabad's moment

The outcome of Bangladesh's latest general elections has not only reshaped Dhaka's domestic political landscape but also triggered a...

16.02.2026 70

The Express Tribune

Kamran Yousaf

How Pakistan is winning back Bangladesh

Just days before the start of the T20 World Cup, a brief statement on the Pakistan government's official X handle sent shockwaves through the...

10.02.2026 40

The Express Tribune

Kamran Yousaf

Is this China's moment?

It is hard to miss the optics. Western leaders, once at the forefront of efforts to "contain" China, are now lining up to engage Beijing, openly and...

03.02.2026 40

The Express Tribune

Kamran Yousaf

Why Pakistan joined Trump's Board of Peace

Last week, on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum in Davos, around 20 countries, including Pakistan, signed up for President Donald Trump's...

27.01.2026 90

The Express Tribune

Kamran Yousaf

Trump's Iran pause and the new Middle East reality

Last week, amid widespread protests in Iran, US President Donald Trump openly urged Iranian protesters to continue their campaign and take over...

20.01.2026 60

The Express Tribune

Kamran Yousaf

Will China remain a spectator?

In a meme circulating on social media, President Donald Trump is shown delivering his message for the New Year: "peace on earth." The punchline...

13.01.2026 50

The Express Tribune

Kamran Yousaf

Pakistan's talent flight: an unpopular view

According to the latest official data, more than 800,000 Pakistanis left the country in the past year alone, seeking jobs, education or permanent...

06.01.2026 100

The Express Tribune

Kamran Yousaf

Trump's 'gift' to Pakistan

The most significant headline for Pakistan in 2025 is undoubtedly the unexpected reset in relations with the United States. Few in Islamabad or across...

23.12.2025 60

The Express Tribune

Kamran Yousaf

The untold story of Faiz

One fine Islamabad afternoon in the spring of 2021, I received a call from a source. He said he needed to see me urgently. I had prior commitments,...

16.12.2025 30

The Express Tribune

Kamran Yousaf

Islamabad, Kabul on collision course

Diplomatic efforts may still be underway to seek rapprochement between Pakistan and the Taliban regime, but prospects are very slim. Tensions have...

02.12.2025 60

The Express Tribune

Kamran Yousaf

Pakistan's Gaza gamble

On Nov 17, the UNSC adopted a resolution endorsing President Donald Trump's Gaza peace plan. The resolution approves the establishment of 'Board of...

25.11.2025 40

The Express Tribune

Kamran Yousaf

Pakistan done with Afghan Taliban?

The latest round of high-stakes talks between Pakistan and the Afghan Taliban in Istanbul ended in yet another stalemate, reinforcing the growing...

10.11.2025 30

The Express Tribune

Kamran Yousaf

Pakistan in the global spotlight

At the ringing shores of Sharm el Sheikh last week, a moment unfolded that signalled a dramatic shift in Pakistan's global standing. US President...

21.10.2025 100

The Express Tribune

Kamran Yousaf

New front against Pakistan

When the Afghan Taliban returned to power in August 2021, it was a blow to India and a great strategic victory for Pakistan. It was a setback for...

14.10.2025 80

The Express Tribune

Kamran Yousaf

Pakistan's new deterrence equation

Following the four-day military conflict with India in May, Pakistan created a new Army Rocket Force Command (ARFC). Some dismiss it as a hurried move...

30.09.2025 100

The Express Tribune

Kamran Yousaf

Watershed moment for Gulf region

When Israel carried out unprecedented airstrikes on September 9 targeting what it claimed were Hamas leaders in Doha, the shockwaves rattled not just...

16.09.2025 60

The Express Tribune

Kamran Yousaf

China's deft diplomacy

China often prefers to move quietly. Yet, as the world undergoes what many describe as the most profound transformation in a century, Beijing is...

26.08.2025 40

The Express Tribune

Kamran Yousaf

Advantage China, Pakistan

"Virtually alone in the world, Pakistan seems to have played its cards right with President Donald Trump," says Bloomberg. The same day The New York...

12.08.2025 60

The Express Tribune

Kamran Yousaf

India's double game with US

At the turn of the century, it became abundantly clear that China was on its way to dethrone the US as the world's sole superpower. No superpower...

05.08.2025 40

The Express Tribune

Kamran Yousaf

Pakistan back in the game

When the US pulled the last batch of its troops from Afghanistan in August 2021, it was the end of what many believe was a costly and unwinnable war....

28.07.2025 50

The Express Tribune

Kamran Yousaf

What I saw in China

'Hide your strength, bide your time.' This famous quote of Deng Xiaoping, the architect of modern China, drove Beijing's foreign policy for decades....

22.07.2025 50

The Express Tribune

Kamran Yousaf

The dangerous new normal in Middle East

Who won the 12-day war between Iran and Israel? To answer that, one must first examine the objectives of all parties involved in the conflict. Israel...

30.06.2025 60

The Express Tribune

Kamran Yousaf

A nasty and dangerous phase

The fragile ceasefire between Pakistan and India may remain intact, but tension is far from over. The two nuclear-armed neighbours, with a long...

26.05.2025 50

The Express Tribune

Kamran Yousaf

India's Kargil moment

After Pakistan conducted nuclear tests in May 1998 in response to India's detonations, it was widely believed that the two countries would no longer...

20.05.2025 90

The Express Tribune

Kamran Yousaf

The cost of war

The generation that saw the horrors of the 1947 partition is fast getting extinct. Only a handful of such people on both sides of the border are alive...

06.05.2025 100

The Express Tribune

Kamran Yousaf

Pakistan, India on familiar path

Pakistan and India are in a familiar territory - staring at yet another military conflict. The latest crisis was triggered by the April 22 Pahalgam...

29.04.2025 90

The Express Tribune

Kamran Yousaf

Pakistan, Bangladesh historic reset

In August last year, when the 15-year rule of Sheikh Hasina came to an end as a result of violent protests, there was a rare opportunity for Pakistan...

22.04.2025 40

The Express Tribune

Kamran Yousaf

What I saw in China

16.12.2024 10

The Express Tribune

Kamran Yousaf

What I saw in China

There is a famous thing about China. It is growing so rapidly that you won't be able to recognise the place you visited six months ago. My last...

15.12.2024 10

The Express Tribune

Kamran Yousaf