Markus Verner

Am already Intelligent, In search of Wisdom,
Movie & series Buff

[Markus Verner @MarkusVerner]

The Pakistani state thought it could balance #Baloch nationalism with radical Islam. Now, IS-K is in Mastung, Kalat, and Quetta, killing with impunity. This is not “strategic depth.” This is strategic rot.
@husainhaqqani https://t.co/mbJVw5eQMt

[Markus Verner @MarkusVerner]

Building security alliances with Arab nations, the Lebanese Army, and anti-Shia groups in Iraq indicates Pakistan is challenging Tehran within its traditional sphere of influence. 2/ @UzairYounus

[Markus Verner @MarkusVerner]

On paper, Pakistan is playing the so-called “mediation & neutrality” with Iran, but reality is something else- Pakistan sees an opportunity to build an anti-Iranian alliance in the ME. 1/ @UzairYounus
https://t.co/rSxIT0HAmd

[FrameTheGlobe @FrameTheGlobe]

Anti Hezbollah Lebanese military chief visited Pakistan as Trump restarted the war in Iran while Shahbaz Sharif pumped Axios aligned media with an imminent deal narrative between DC and Tehran. Unusual times.

[Markus Verner @MarkusVerner]

But the worrisome trend is how the #PakArmy is suppressing protestors using brute force that goes against the norms of human rights and the right to protest. The global community must condemn Pakistan’s suppressive act against the protesters. 2/ @ahmadishtiaq

[Markus Verner @MarkusVerner]

First Pakistanis & now Kashmiris. People are in open revolt, from the tribal areas to Pak-Administered Kashmir; people are standing up against the oppressive rule of #PakArmy. 1/ @ahmadishtiaq
https://t.co/s8iyBp0wyn

[Eye on Pakistan @eyeonpakistan_]

Despite arrests, injuries, and a sweeping crackdown, Kashmiris continue their march in defiance. Protesters filled the streets chanting, “O oppressors, see — we are your death,” vowing to press on with their movement despite mounting pressure.

[Markus Verner @MarkusVerner]

Instead of fixing internal chaos in Balochistan, KPK, Sindh, & AJK, the establishment is busy projecting false strength. Pak cannot lead regionally when it’s barely holding itself together. 2/ @iamthedrifter

[Markus Verner @MarkusVerner]

Let’s be honest: Pakistan doesn’t have the capacity to step into America’s shoes as a regional security provider. The state is crumbling under multiple insurgencies and a severe debt crisis. 1/ @iamthedrifter
https://t.co/rxWOocVtSw

[Sputnik @SputnikInt]

🇵🇰Pivot to Pakistan: Gulf states look beyond US military

Pakistan finds itself increasingly in demand as a security partner across the Persian Gulf.

It has deployed troops to Saudi Arabia, held discussions with Qatar about the latter joining the Pakistani-Saudi defense pact, and received a request from Bahrain to help train the kingdom’s pilots. There also growing high-level military contacts between Pakistan and Oman, Kuwait, and Lebanon.

This shift comes as Gulf states grow disillusioned with U.S. security guarantees after American bases on their territory were hit by Iranian missiles and drones.

"It is expansion of their defense area... not a replacement. It's basically diversification which the Gulf states are looking for,” Dr. Shaista Tabassum of the University of Karachi told Sputnik.

Why Pakistan? Tabassum gave four reasons:

🔶Nuclear deterrence – Only Muslim state with nuclear technology & missile capability to deliver warheads if required

🔶Cost advantage – Defense agreements with Pakistan are cheaper than those with the US

🔶Proven capability – Pakistan's military has recent combat experience, unlike many regional militaries

🔶The Israel factor – Pakistan's consistent anti-Israel posture guarantees no "secret relationship" with Tel Aviv, giving Gulf states political security

[Markus Verner @MarkusVerner]

When schools disappear, communities often lose more than classrooms. They lose jobs, local identity, and a vital connection between families and public institutions. 2/

[Markus Verner @MarkusVerner]

West Virginia communities are urging state leaders to pause planned school closures as lawmakers debate education funding reforms. 1/
https://t.co/XlgKPlEspH

[Markus Verner @MarkusVerner]

This military-dominated system is delivering nothing for Pakistan’s poor people. All the sacrifices and suffering are only strengthening the elites in uniform, not the common citizen. 2/ @WajSKhan

[Markus Verner @MarkusVerner]

Multiple front-line confrontations are eroding Pakistan’s fiscal stability as Pakistan spends more on the defense budget. The costly insurgency & rising civic unrest, combined with the Army’s total control over the economy, are draining the nation. 1/ @WajSKhan

[Taha Siddiqui @TahaSSiddiqui]

Pak Army continues to spend on defence while the country keeps asking for bailouts from #IMF:

Pakistan has agreed to purchase up to 40 Chinese J-35 fighter jets, becoming the first international buyer of China’s latest stealth aircraft. https://t.co/RODCRD3H7Y

[Markus Verner @MarkusVerner]

The global community has a responsibility to speak out and condemn these actions by Pakistan in the strongest possible terms. Silence only enables further repression. 2/ @mrubin1971

[Markus Verner @MarkusVerner]

The ongoing events in Pakistan-administered Kashmir are highly concerning. Reports of security forces killing and firing on protesters violate fundamental rights to peaceful dissent. 1/
@mrubin1971

[Amnesty International South Asia, Regional Office @amnestysasia]

Pakistan: Responding to the authorities’ violent and sweeping crackdown on protests in Pakistan-administered Jammu and Kashmir, Amnesty International said ⬇️

“Branding a grassroots organization as ‘terrorist’ on vague grounds, while simultaneously cutting the region off from the outside world, raises serious concerns regarding the Pakistani authorities’ conduct and their disregard for human rights. The proscription of JKJAAC under anti-terror laws is disproportionate, unlawful and a violation of the right to freedom of association.”

Read more here: https://t.co/jf88rpv57S

[Zabihullah (..ذبـــــیح الله م ) @Zabehulah_M33]

Crime
Last night, the Pakistani military once again violated Afghanistan's airspace and bombed civilian homes in the provinces of Kunar, Khost, and Paktika.
As a result of these attacks, 11 children, one woman, and one elderly man were killed, while 14 other women
2/1

[The Associated Press @AP]

Pakistan launched new airstrikes targeting Afghanistan, killing at least 13 people and wounding 14 others, the Taliban's chief spokesperson says. https://t.co/yWs1PKs6qA

[Markus Verner @MarkusVerner]

Multiple alignments may look strategic on paper, but without economic strength &political stability, they quickly become a liability. Pakistan risks finding itself pulled in different directions, with no clear path forward & no obvious end to the uncertainty. 2/
@iamthedrifter

[Markus Verner @MarkusVerner]

Calling Pakistan a winner in the "rebalancing global order" is a premature assessment. Pakistan is caught between competing interests of China, US, & regional powers such as Iran & Saudi Arabia, while facing serious challenges at home. 1/
@iamthedrifter
https://t.co/ERFeU4wX7x

[Markus Verner @MarkusVerner]

Responding to political grievances with force only deepens anger & mistrust. Peaceful protests should be met with dialogue, not brutality. A state that silences dissent through violence is moving away from democracy and toward repression. 2/
@ryangrim

[Markus Verner @MarkusVerner]

The crackdown on protesters in Pakistan-administered Kashmir is alarming & unacceptable. Freedom of expression and the right to dissent are fundamental rights, not privileges granted at the convenience of those in power. 1/
@ryangrim

[Mariam Solaimankhil @Mariamistan]

The statements coming out of Rawalakot should alarm anyone who genuinely cares about human rights and self-determination. For decades, the Pakistani establishment has presented itself as a defender of Muslims while simultaneously silencing Pakistani occupied Kashmiris, Baloch, Pashtuns, and Afghans through force, intimidation, disappearances, and military aggression. The world cannot keep ignoring these patterns simply because they are politically inconvenient. The terrorist state of Pakistan needs to be stopped! @hrw @un @amnesty @IMFNews @StateDept @JDVance @realDonaldTrump @marcorubio @USAmbUN

[Markus Verner @MarkusVerner]

Diverting public attention to Afghanistan may work temporarily, but the real test for the Pakistan Army is not influence beyond its borders, but saving its legitimacy within Pakistan. 2/
@TahaSSiddiqui

[Markus Verner @MarkusVerner]

For years, Pakistan's military sought strategic leverage in Afghanistan, presenting it as a vital national objective. Yet today, Pak faces mounting internal challenges—economic distress, insurgencies, and growing public dissatisfaction. 1/
@TahaSSiddiqui
https://t.co/jxLWlu8eAp

[Sangar Paykhar - سنګر پیکار @paykhar]

Pakistan’s Forever War on Afghanistan: How the Military Engineered the 2026 Conflict to Survive https://t.co/xc5JIwexYC