Our warnings are not our wishes, it's a desperate attempt to nudge those in power who consumed their own propaganda long enough to believe it as truth. Even the blind can see what has hit the country, and what more disasters are yet to come unless major course correction isn't done. The fundamentals of state, society and governance have already collapsed in Pakistan; what we are witnessing now is unraveling.

As promised, some thoughts on Trump's recent meeting with the Army Chief, and PM Shahbaz Sharif. 👇 US, Pakistan, and the Sleight of Hand: 5 Questions on Trump's meeting with Pakistan Army Chief and PM The art of magic is never in what the audience see; it lies in what’s concealed. For seventy-five years, U.S.–Pakistan relations have been built on this sleight of hand: great spectacles in public, desperate bargains in the shadows. The recent meeting between President Donald Trump, Pakistan’s Army Chief Asim Munir, and Prime Minister at the White House was presented as “groundbreaking.” Yet, the more one looks at the details, or the absence of them, the more questions emerge than answers. So here are my 5 thoughts on the meeting posted as 5 questions: 1. What exactly is being celebrated? Since no details on the meeting including any agreements, arrangements, or even understandings have been released to the public, what exactly is the Pakistani military regime and its associates even celebrating? Thumbs up pictures with Trump? If anything, the lack of transparency should be a major takeaway and a worrying point for every Pakistani that has seen this script play out way too many times before. 2. Why was the event closed to the press? What about U.S.–Pakistan relations cannot withstand public scrutiny? Is it because the U.S. prefers to quietly transact with an illegitimate military regime that has stolen elections, rather than face hard questions about democratic legitimacy? What is it that is so sensitive that there is a fear that the Pakistani and American public would be outraged? Whatever is done in shadows, can't be for public good, that is certain! 3. Where is the uniform? Why did Gen Asim Munir appeared without his military uniform? By protocol, Pakistan’s Army Chief dons his uniform at official meetings—General Bajwa did so when accompanying Imran Khan in 2019. Did the Army Chief shed it out of embarrassment for his official role didn't fit the protocol? Or was Trump and his team unwilling to be photographed beside a man in khaki that could later be archived in history? In either case, the symbolism is stark, and details matter. 4. Why was the Army Chief there at all? And the most telling question of all: why was the Army Chief there in the first place? Could the PM Shehbaz Sharif not be trusted with the meeting on his own? The visuals of an Army Chief next to civilian US political leaders, especially when the US Army Chief was missing is a source of embarrassment for Pakistan, not celebration. It is indicative of state of lawlessness and misgovernance of the country. 5. Why Trump didn't share the same enthusiasm? Since, the military regime in Pakistan is big on optics, and pictures hence its important to ask: Why did the White House, Trump, or even Senator Marco Rubio not share a single photograph of the meeting on their social media feeds? The event was quietly tucked away on the White House website, while images of Trump’s same-day meeting with Turkish President Erdogan were widely circulated. If this visit was so significant, why hide it? Do Americans not want to be seen embracing Pakistan’s current rulers? Additional thoughts: Déjà Vu From a Bygone Era Strip away the performance and the underlying truth is familiar. The US is looking for low-effort, high-yield subscription of Pakistan that can be easily canceled without a payment: a handful of concessions from Pakistan in exchange for keeping the regime afloat. Pakistan’s military rulers, desperate for validation abroad (since they lack one at home), cut deals that carry no mandate at home. It is a replay of the 1960s, when Gen. Ayub Khan’s military regime basked in American backing, Pakistan posted record growth, and illusions of strength swelled after 1965 air triumph over India. Six years later in 1971, the state collapsed into two. What seemed like ascendancy was in fact the prelude to disaster that nobody could have predicted in 1965. Conclusion: The Coming Collapse But we can make predictions now. Today’s Pakistan faces an even deeper rot-intellectual, institutional, and moral. Foreign acceptance, whether from Washington or Riyadh, provides fleeting illusions of recovery that only strengthens the extractive ruling elite in Pakistan. But without real reform and a return to democracy, beginning with the release of Imran Khan, Pakistan has no chance of survival, let alone revival. Trump’s meeting could have been a moment to reset relations on transparent, democratic footing. Instead, he has relegated Pakistan to a darker, more precarious role of a hired gun. Once again, America and Pakistan are locked in a sleight of hand. And once again, it is Pakistan’s people who will pay the price.