امریکہ کسی کا دوست نہیں

اسرائیل نے امریکہ کی طرف سے فراہم کردہ گولہ بارود کی مدد سے غزہ میں تقریباً ایک لاکھ افراد کو ہلاک کیا ہے جن میں زیادہ تر خواتین اور بچے ہیں۔ یہ قتل 7 اکتوبر 2023 سے جاری ہے۔

34 ممالک کی فوج موجود ہے، جو بنیادی طور پر تیل سے مالا مال ممالک، حکمرانوں اور تیل کی تنصیبات کی حفاظت کے لیے ہے۔ تاہم اس فوج کو فلسطینیوں کوبچانے   کے لیے استعمال نہیں کیا گیا۔ 

جہاں اسرائیل کھلے عام غزہ کے باشندوں کو قتل کرنے کا اعلان کر رہا ہے، وہیں سفارتی تعلقات برقرار رکھنے والے کئی مسلم ممالک نے سفارتی تعلقات منقطع نہیں کیے ہیں۔

ایک طرف اسرائیل غزہ والوں کو مارنے کے لیے امریکہ کی طرف سے فراہم کیے جانے والے مہلک ترین ہتھیار استعمال کر رہا ہے تو دوسری طرف خود کو بچانے کے لیے کئی عرب حکمران امریکہ میں اربوں ڈالر کی سرمایہ کاری کا وعدہ کر رہے ہیں۔

ہم صرف یہ چاہتے ہیں کہ یہ حکمران تاریخ میں جھانکیں۔ ایران کے شاہ کا امریکہ اور یورپی ممالک نے سب سے زیادہ لاڈ پیار کیا لیکن حکومت ہونے کے بعد امریکہ میں رہنے کی اجازت نہیں دی گئی،  حد تو یہ ہے کہ امریکہ میں اس کی تمام دولت ضبط کر لی گئی اور آج اس کا ولی عہد انتہائی قابل رحم زندگی گزار رہا ہے۔

یاد رکھیں ریاستہائے متحدہ ایک اصول پر عمل کرتا ہے، "اگر آپ اپنے دشمن کو نہیں مار سکتے تو اسے اپنا دوست بنائیں۔ ہمیشہ یاد رکھیں کہ ایک دن آپ کو اسے مارنا ہے۔"   اس کی تازہ ترین اور روشن مثال عراق کا صدام حسین ہے۔

 

Iran Nuclear Program: West’s Double Standards

The ongoing debate over Iran’s nuclear program has resurfaced, with a Wall Street Journal piece urging Iran’s complete nuclear disarmament. It likens Iran to South Africa’s voluntary disarmament and Libya’s renouncement of nuclear ambitions, arguing that only pressure — sanctions, military threats, and economic isolation — can force compliance. However, this argument overlooks historical context, Western double standards, and the consequences of past interference in West Asia.

Hypocrisy in Disarmament Demands

Comparing Iran to South Africa and Libya is misleading. South Africa dismantled its program during a peaceful transition from apartheid, not under external pressure. Libya abandoned its efforts after the US invaded Iraq in 2003 — a move that didn’t prevent Libya’s eventual collapse under Western intervention. Iran, aware of this history, has little reason to believe unilateral disarmament would ensure its security.

Iran, a signatory of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT), allows International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) inspections. In contrast, Israel, which possesses nuclear weapons, hasn’t signed the NPT or permitted inspections — yet faces no calls to disarm. If non-proliferation were truly the goal, the same standards would apply to all nations, not just US adversaries.

Broken Agreements and Misleading Narratives

Iran adhered to the 2015 Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), verified by the IAEA, until the United States unilaterally withdrew in 2018, reimposing sanctions. Iran continued compliance, hoping European nations would uphold the deal, reducing commitments only after it became clear sanctions would persist. The portrayal of Iran as the party breaking agreements is a distortion of events.

Sanctions: Economic Warfare, Not Diplomacy

Sanctions have hurt ordinary Iranians without forcing government collapse or nuclear abandonment. Iran’s economy, despite hardships, has adapted through domestic industries and alliances with China and Russia. Economic warfare often fuels national resilience, not surrender.

Real Source of Instability

The issue isn’t Iran’s nuclear program — it’s Western intervention and support for authoritarian regimes to maintain US-Israeli military dominance. Iran remains open to dialogue but not likely to accept one-sided deals demanding surrender. True diplomacy requires mutual respect, not coercion — the only path to a fair, lasting peace.

PSX records another record high closing

Performance of Pakistan Stock Exchange (PSX) remained strong throughout the week with the benchmark index recording its highest ever closing of 118,770 points and an intraday high of 119,422 points on Thursday. However, profit taking was seen on the last trading day with the index closing at 118,442 points on Friday, March 21, 2025 - up 2,906 points or 2.52%WoW.

The optimism was driven by expectations of a successful conclusion of the IMF staff level agreement, where revisions to macroeconomic targets under the MEFP were presented, including downward adjustments to FBR’s annual tax collection target, inflation, and GDP growth.

An extra up to US$1.5 billion under climate financing was discussed as well. Additionally, positive momentum was also driven by the IMF’s approval of government’s plan to borrow PKR1.25 trillion from commercial banks to resolve circular debt, which led a rally in the E&P and OMC sectors.

On the macroeconomic front, Current Account Deficit for February 2025 was reported at US$12 million taking 8MFY25 number to a surplus of US$691 million. Moreover, fertilizer offtake dropped 36%YoY during February 2025, where Urea offtake was recorded at 347,000 tons, down 36%YoY.

Auto financing increased by 3%MoM during February 2025 as well, marking a rise for the second consecutive month.

Market participation also improved, with average daily traded volume rising by 51%WoW to 508 million shares from 337 million shares in the earlier week.

Foreign exchange reserves held by State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) rose by US$49 million to US$11.15 billion as of March 14, 2025.

Other major news flow during the week included: 1) 8MFY25 exports were up 8.4%YoY, 2) Saudi Arabia approved US$100 million Oil Facility to resume from the ongoing month, 3) World Bank approved US$102 million for Pakistan, 4) SPI declined to 1.7%YoY, and 5) GoP agreed to decrease import duties to 7.1% from the current 10.6%, as per IMF conditions.

On the main board, E&P, Cable & Electrical goods, and Refinery were amongst the top performers, while Fertilizer and Commercial Banks reported a decline.

Major selling was recorded by Individuals and Companies with a net sell of US$10.5 million. Mutual funds absorbed most of the selling with a net buy of US$13.9 million.

Top performing scrips of the week were: NML, MARI, PAEL, IBFL, and TRG, while laggards included: SCBPL, AICL, FATIMA, EFERT, and FABL.

According to AKD Securities, the market is expected to remain positive in the coming weeks, with the potential announcement of a staff-level agreement in the near term serving as a key trigger for momentum. The benchmark index is anticipated to sustain its upward trajectory, primarily driven by strong earnings in Fertilizers, sustained ROEs in Banks, and improving cash flows of E&Ps and OMCs, benefiting from falling interest rates and economic stability.

The top pick of the brokerage house includes, OGDC, PPL, PSO, FFC, ENGROH, MEBL, MCB, HBL, LUCK, FCCL, INDU, ILP, and SYS.

 

 

Trump gives Iran deadline to reach new nuclear deal

US President Donald Trump, in a letter to Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei proposing negotiations on a new nuclear deal, made clear that Iran has a two-month deadline to reach an agreement, a source familiar with the letter’s contents told CNN.

The directive comes as Trump has said he would like to reach a deal with Iran to gain more control over their nuclear capabilities.

Trump’s Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff delivered the letter to the president of the United Arab Emirates Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan while he was in Abu Dhabi last week, the source said. The UAE later gave the letter to the Iranians.

“President Trump made it clear to Ayatollah Khamenei that he wanted to resolve the dispute over Iran’s nuclear program diplomatically – and very soon – and if this was not possible, there would be other ways to resolve the dispute,” a spokesman for the National Security Council Brian Hughes said in a statement to CNN.

Axios was the first to report on the contents of the letter.

Trump also discussed a potential nuclear deal with Iran during his phone call with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Tuesday, according to a White House readout of the call.

The readout stated that Trump and Putin “spoke broadly about the Middle East as a region of potential cooperation to prevent future conflicts. They further discussed the need to stop proliferation of strategic weapons and will engage with others to ensure the broadest possible application.”

“The two leaders shared the view that Iran should never be in a position to destroy Israel,” the readout continued.

Earlier this month, Trump told Fox News that there “are two ways Iran can be handled: militarily, or you make a deal. I would prefer to make a deal, because I’m not looking to hurt Iran.”

“I said, ‘I hope you’re going to negotiate, because it’s going to be a lot better for Iran,’ and I think they want to get that letter – the alternative is we have to do something, because you can’t let them have a nuclear weapon,” Trump added.

It is unclear how the US would respond if Iran fails to enter direct talks regarding its nuclear program. However, senior US officials have not ruled out potential military action, whether through the US or Israel, on Iran’s nuclear facilities in the future.

During his first term in office, Trump withdrew from the Obama administration’s nuclear deal with Iran and ordered a US-led strike on Iranian commander Qasem Soleimani, leading to further backlash from Tehran.

Trump, in his second term, has returned to his “maximum pressure” campaign on Iran, in an effort to isolate the country economically and diplomatically.

Khamenei recently said calls for negotiations by “bully states” are aimed at dominating others, not resolving issues.

“The insistence on the part of some bully states on negotiations is not to resolve issues, but to dominate and impose their own expectations,” Khamenei said this month, as cited by Iranian state media outlets.

Coventry: First woman and first African to lead IOC

According to Reuters, Kirsty Coventry smashed through the International Olympic Committee’s glass ceiling on Thursday to become the organization’s first female and first African president in its 130-year history.

The Zimbabwean swimming great, already a towering figure in Olympic circles, emerged victorious to replace Thomas Bach, securing the top job in world sport and ushering in a new era for the Games.

Coventry needed only one round of voting to clinch the race to succeed Bach, winning an immediate overall majority in the secret ballot with 49 of the available 97 votes.

She beat Juan Antonio Samaranch Jr. into second place, the Spaniard winning 28 votes. Britain’s Sebastian Coe, considered one of the front runners in the days leading up to the vote, came third with eight votes.

The remaining votes went to Frenchman David Lappartient, Jordan’s Prince Feisal, Swedish-born Johan Eliasch, and Japan’s Morinari Watanabe.

"This is not just a huge honour but it is a reminder of my commitment to every single one of you that I will lead this organization with so much pride," a beaming Coventry told her fellow IOC members at the luxury seaside resort in Greece’s southwestern Peloponnese which hosted the IOC Session.

 

Backed by Trump, Israel Kills 400 Gazans

According to Reuters, Israeli airstrikes pounded Gaza and killed more than 400 people on Tuesday, ending weeks of relative calm after talks to secure a permanent ceasefire stalled.

Israel and Hamas each accused the other of breaching the truce, which had broadly held since January, offering respite from war for the 2 million inhabitants of Gaza, where most buildings have been reduced to rubble.

Hamas, which still holds 59 of the 250 or so hostages Israel says the group seized in its October 7, 2023 attack, accused Israel of jeopardising efforts by mediators to negotiate a permanent deal to end the fighting, but the group made no threat of retaliation.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he ordered strikes because Hamas had rejected proposals to secure a ceasefire extension during faltering talks.

"Israel will, from now on, act against Hamas with increasing military strength," the prime minister's office said in a statement.

The strikes hit houses and tent encampments from the north to the south of the Gaza Strip, and Israeli tanks shelled from across the border line, witnesses said.

"It was a night of hell. It felt like the first days of the war," said Rabiha Jamal, 65, a mother of five from Gaza City.

Israel's sudden onslaught overwhelmed Gaza hospitals already reeling from weeks of an aid blockade, medics said, as ambulances ferried in hundreds of badly injured survivors.

Families in Beit Hanoun in the northern Gaza Strip and eastern areas of Khan Younis in the south fled their homes, some on foot, others in cars or rickshaws, carrying some of their belongings after the Israeli military issued evacuation orders warning the areas were "dangerous combat zones".

Hours after the IDF renewed the strikes, Hamas hasn't managed to fire a single rocket into Israel.

"This return to violence does not come as a surprise, however," said Sara Haghdoosti, executive director of the US-based advocacy group Win Without War.

"Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has, from the beginning, signaled his intention to abandon the cease-fire process before it could become a lasting peace. From before his first day in office,

President Trump has endorsed the Netanyahu government's return to war. Indeed, we fear that Trump's vile plan for ethnic cleansing in Gaza, so welcomed by the far-right members of Netanyahu's government, will become the blueprint for the war as it goes forward."

 

Iran to be held responsible for attacks by Houthis

US President Donald Trump said on Monday he would hold Iran responsible for any attacks carried out by the Houthi group that it backs in Yemen, as his administration expanded the biggest US military operation in the Middle East since Trump returned to the White House, reports Reuters.

Responding to the Houthi movement's threats to international shipping, the US launched a new wave of airstrikes on Saturday. On Monday, the Red Sea port city of Hodeidah and Al Jawf governorate north of the capital Sanaa were targeted, Houthi-run Al Masirah TV said.

"Every shot fired by the Houthis will be looked upon, from this point forward, as being a shot fired from the weapons and leadership of IRAN, and IRAN will be held responsible, and suffer the consequences, and those consequences will be dire!" Trump said on his Truth Social platform.

The White House said that Trump's message to Iran was to take the United States seriously.

The Pentagon said it had struck over 30 sites so far and would use overwhelming lethal force against the Houthis until the group stopped attacks. The Pentagon's chief spokesperson, Sean Parnell, said the goal was not regime change.

Lieutenant General Alex Grynkewich, director of operations at the Joint Staff, said the latest campaign against the Houthis was different to the one under former President Joe Biden because the range of targets was broader and included senior Houthi drone experts.

Grynkewich said dozens of Houthi members were killed in the strike. The Biden administration is not believed to have targeted senior Houthi leaders.

The Houthi-run health ministry said on Sunday that at least 53 people have been killed in the attacks. Five children and two women were among the victims and 98 have been hurt, it said. Reuters could not independently verify those casualty numbers.

One US official told Reuters the strikes might continue for weeks. Washington has also ramped up sanctions pressure on Iran while trying to bring it to the negotiating table over its nuclear program.

The Houthis say their attacks, which have forced companies to re-route ships to longer and more expensive journeys around southern Africa, are in solidarity with Palestinians as Israel strikes Gaza.

Houthi leader Abdul Malik al-Houthi said on Sunday the militants would target US ships in the Red Sea as long as the US continues attacks on Yemen.

Under the direction of al-Houthi, who is in his 40s, the ragtag group has become an army of tens of thousands of fighters and acquired an arsenal of armed drones and ballistic missiles.

While Iran champions the Houthis, the Houthis deny being puppets of Tehran, and experts on Yemen say they are motivated primarily by a domestic agenda.

The Houthis' military spokesman, without providing evidence, said in a televised statement early on Monday that the group had launched a second attack against the US aircraft carrier USS Harry S. Truman in the Red Sea.