Iran conflict aggravates Pakistan’s internal problems more than external challenges
Pakistan has emerged as one of the hardest-hit countries that neither participated in the conflict nor was perceived as a possible target during the US–Iran war. Arguably, it may be the most affected such country in the world, excluding Iraq, which faced direct spillover risks and consequences from the high-intensity military operations in the Middle East.
Pakistan is suffering from a combination of external and internal consequences, triggered by the ongoing Gulf crisis. While both are interconnected, the internal problems have become more severe and immediate than the external ones. It does not bode well for the country, which was already grappling with economic fragility, political instability, religious extremism, and persistent security challenges.
The US-Iran war has worsened sectarian mobilization in Pakistan, where religious extremism is the order of the day. Pakistan is home to the world's second-largest Shia community after Iran, with Shias accounting for about 15 percent of the country's population. Pakistan feels the tremors whenever any sensitive development involving the Shia community occurs in Iran. So it does this time as well.
A large number of people carried out demonstrations against the US and Israel in different cities, including attempts to storm the US consulate in Karachi. More than 20 people died in police action as the Islamabad government resorted to force to quell the protests. The crackdown further aggravated public hostility toward the government, which was already facing criticism for its perceived tilt toward the US and the deemed lack of support for fellow Muslim country, Iran.
The conflict saw increased bonhomie between the US and Pakistan, allowing Islamabad to serve as a facilitator for the negotiations and gain global limelight. Islamabad may have perceived it as an improvement in its global standing, but it did bring brickbats at home. Finding Islamabad too close to Washington angered a majority of the Muslim population, caused public distrust, and catalyzed political polarisation.
With chants like “Those who side with the US are traitors” echoing in the streets, Islamabad witnessed a widening public trust deficit as well as growing socio-political instability.
Interestingly, Sunni hardliners used the Shia protests as an opportunity to heighten rhetoric against the minority Muslim community. There was a rise in hate speeches against Shias as Sunni extremist leaders labeled them “Iranian agents”. This perfectly mirrored how instability in Iran always has a spillover effect on Pakistan.
The border areas adjoining Iran became a severe headache for Pakistan as the ongoing US-Iran war intensified smuggling, trafficking, and militancy in Balochistan as well as threatened strategic economic projects such as the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor. Tehran’s reduced grip on border areas allowed Baloch groups greater freedom to channel separatist activities across the border.
Balochistan grabbed the center stage as soon as US missiles killed Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei. The killing of the Shia leader increased the risk of renewed and escalated separatist activities in Pakistan’s Sunni Muslim-dominated Balochistan province, which borders Iran’s Sistan and Baluchestan province. At the same time, Pakistan remained entangled in constant fighting with militant groups in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and border tensions with Afghanistan.
This added burden to Pakistan’s security forces operating the counter-insurgency operation, Azm-e-Istehkam (Resolve for Stability). The overall security apparatus of Pakistan can be seen overwhelmed by multi-front challenges arising from the western border with Afghanistan and Iran, the eastern border with India, and most critically, the threat from within in the form of local terrorist and radical Islamic groups.
Until now, low- and middle-income people have been angry over high food inflation and power outages. But the war-driven disruptions caused an energy crisis that hurt traders, transporters, the manufacturing sector, and the farm supply chain. It caused inflationary pressures and business anxiety in the country, where all economic indicators remained poor. Farm production declined, and unemployment increased, severely impacting the economy.
The abnormal increase in fuel prices and disruptions in raw material imports, especially active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) for medicines, hurt commercial activities and agitated common households. On the economic front, business confidence weakened amid uncertainty, while investments and expansion plans were postponed. It has had a direct impact on the country’s exports, ultimately reducing Pakistan’s ability to earn foreign exchange, which is crucial for an already fragile economy.
Protests intensify in AJK/POJK against Pakistan’s occupation. Pakistan has deployed 15,000–20,000 paramilitary troops to crush them.
Locals declare: If even 1 person is martyred, they will demand Pakistan immediately leave Azad Kashmir(POJK)!!
They have labelled us “Indian agents”, declared us as terrorists, deployed 14,000 of paramilitary forces into AJK, put us into a total communications blackout & have began killing our people.
From today Pakistan is a hostile & enemy state for Azad Jammu Kashmir.
@INCIndia Keep doing these things and keep hoping why you guys are not winning Elections anywhere in India!!
People of India are not Dumb!
And can see what you guys are trying sabotage and on whose Instructions!
आदिनाथ मंदिर, जिसे आज 'आदिना मस्जिद' कहा जाता है, वहाँ आज भी देवी-देवताओं की मूर्तियाँ एवं मंदिर स्थापत्य के अवशेष स्पष्ट रूप से दिखाई देते हैं, तो क्या बहुसंख्यक समाज को अपनी आस्था, अस्मिता और सम्मान के साथ जीने का अधिकार नहीं है?
🇮🇳’s growth journey continues.
Despite global shocks and uncertainties, India’s economic engine delivers GDP growth rate of 7.7% in FY 2025-26 and 7.8% in Q4 of FY 2025-26.
A testament to taking forward the reform agenda.
India’s growth momentum remains strong!
GDP growth rate of 7.7% in FY 2025-26 and 7.8% in Q4 of FY 2025-26 reflect the inherent strength of our economy, the success of reforms and the hard work of 140 crore Indians.
We shall leave no stone unturned to further ‘Ease of Living,’ ‘Ease of Doing Business’ and increase opportunities for our youth.
Al Jazeera functions more as a PR machine for the Muslim Brotherhood than as an objective news channel.
The network normalizes terrorist organizations by framing them as "fighters" or "resistance" and granting their leaders significant airtime.
Furthermore, its coverage routinely prioritizes the political grievances of these violent groups over the atrocities they commit against civilians.
Most alarmingly, some of the network's journalists have reportedly crossed the line from objective reporting to active participation in terrorist operations.
#UnmaskingMedia
For years, major institutions have framed India and Hindus through the lens of nationalism, extremism, and suspicion. But what we've uncovered on @Wikipedia raises a deeper question: who gets to write the public record?
Our investigation found that a small cluster of anonymous editors controlled more than 80% of the @HinduAmerican page. Among the findings:
Blatant Conflict of Interest: The editors aggressively shaping HAF’s page were the exact same people controlling the Wikipedia profiles of HAF's legal adversaries and academic critics.
Inserting False FARA Allegations: Editors laundered complaints from HAF's opponents into "facts," using demands for a DOJ investigation to falsely brand HAF as a foreign agent
Administrative Silencing: An admin with supreme platform permissions deleted quotes from HAF's leadership, stripping the organization of its right to reply to allegations.
Over four years (2021-2025), editors systematically erased HAF’s identity as an American civil rights group, transforming its Wikipedia page into a heavily curated dossier of accusations. Our report from @npovmedia documents how it happened. 👇
Turkey's Fidan is pleading with India not to be antagonistic, but he realizes it is too late. India doesn't need Turkey, whereas Turkey can find its position made very difficult if India chooses to arm Greece and Cyprus or support Kurdish independence from Turkey.
Turkey has inserted itself into conflicts in the subcontinent by militarily and diplomatically supporting Pakistan and repeatedly raising the Kashmir issue in multilateral forums. So there will be a price to pay for this transgression. Wait and watch—India will make Turkey pay.
Just 80 years ago in Mecca, the birthplace of Islam, people were still eating lizards and living in mud houses.
If this is how they lived 80 years ago, can you imagine how they lived 1,400 years ago?
The Indus Saraswati Civilisation reflects a sophisticated urban tradition marked by innovation, planned settlements, water management, and civic organisation.
Come explore the brilliance of this around 5,000-year-old culture at the Harappan Gallery in the @NMnewdelhi (under the aegis of @MinOfCultureGoI)!
This isn't just about revisiting history; it's about rediscovering the origins of one of India's greatest civilizations.
#IndusSaraswatiCivilisation #AncientIndianHeritage #CultureUnitesAll
कमिश्नरेट गाजियाबाद के अन्तर्गत थाना खोडा क्षेत्र मे अवैध सम्पत्तियों की निरन्तर जांच की जा रही है । इसी क्रम मे कल 02 अवैध मदरसो को सील किया गया था । आज इसी क्रम मे उन दोनो मदरसो पर एफआईआर पंजीकृत की गई जिसमे 03 अभियुक्तो को नामित किया गया है । ये मदरसे अल्पसंख्यक विभाग की बिना अनुमति के संचालित थे और ना ही इनका कोई पंजीकरण था । भारतीय न्याय संहिता व भारतीय विद्युत अधिनियम की सुसंगत धाराओ मे इनके ऊपर मुकदमा पंजीकृत किया गया है । प्रकरण मे अग्रिम विधिक कार्यवाही की जा रही है ।
बाइट- श्री धवल जायसवाल, पुलिस उपायुक्त नगर/ट्रांस हिंडन
@Uppolice
🇮🇳🇹🇷 Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan says Turkey does not have a "bad history with India," completely omitting that Turkey has been a long-term sponsor of Pakistan's terrorism in Jammu and Kashmir and even deployed drone operators to kill Indians during Operation Sindoor.
At the 6th IISS Raffles Lecture on June 2, 2026 in Singapore, when questioned about India, Hakan Fidan said:
"We really would like to have excellent relations with India because we don't have any border with India. We don't have any u outstanding bilateral issue with India. I mean we don't have a bad history with India. On the contrary, we have every good reason to have to have good relationship. But Turkey is not only the one country that having good relations with Pakistan and historical solidarity with Pakistan on some given issues. I mean we are having differences with Russia on certain issues, with United States on certain issues, with some European countries on certain. But we need we are able to divorce one negative issue from the other. So we can put some some problems in parentheses in brackets and we can go on the positive agenda. I think this is what needs to be done between Turkey and India because we have a lot to cooperate, to benefit and we are mature enough to go on this direction. So Turkey is not the only country who actually have good relations and brotherly relations with Pakistan. There are other countries. If India is going to take actions or be resentful about any countries who is having good relations and enjoying giving support to Pakistan... I don't know... But as I said we have no problem on bilateral level with India and we urge India not to read the the issue from a different perspective."
Turkey's decision to back a terror hub and no-hope Pakistan instead of India has not only brought more security risk to Turkey's borders, but it also means that Turkey will miss out on the benefits that the movement of trillions of dollars of trade will have along the IMEC Corridor.
But rather than humble themselves, Turkey still wants to behave arrogantly by minimizing their nefarious actions against India and portraying Turkey-Pakistan ties as something as innocent as economic trade, ignoring their "Three Brothers" military nexus with Azerbaijan that has the explicit goal of territorial expansionism, including in Kashmir.
Turkey's monumental fuck-up regarding India has only been to Greece's and Cyprus' benefit. Thank you, Turkey. While you prioritize relations with useless Pakistan, we will benefit from being a major node on IMEC.
Azerbaijan's state-backed Baku Initiative Group (BIG) is escalating its anti-India hybrid campaign. After France-bashing, it has handed the Khalistani movement a new home, just as that movement runs out of room in Canada, the UK, and the US.
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