As of January 24, 2026, Pakistan feels like a country standing on the edge of history. The atmosphere is heavy with political tension and moral exhaustion, not just because of domestic power games, but because of international gambles that are starting to implode. The Establishment’s mixed strategy — disowning the Shehbaz government in public while quietly reaching out to the very man they once jailed, Imran Khan — reveals not strength, but panic.

For decades, power in Pakistan has been exercised through denial and distraction. Today, that strategy is collapsing under its own weight.

The “Gaza Board of Peace” Betrayal

Perhaps the most explosive development is Pakistan’s apparent involvement in the Trump-led “Board of Peace” initiative — a forum that includes Israel, under the guise of Middle East stability. To millions of Pakistanis, the image of Shehbaz Sharif signing those documents feels like a replay of 1971: a symbolic surrender, not to an enemy on the battlefield, but to the erosion of our founding ideals.

For over seventy years, Pakistan’s foreign policy has stood on the twin pillars of solidarity with Palestine and the principle of self-determination in Kashmir. With one hasty signature, that legacy has been mortgaged. Predictably, the backlash is furious. Reports suggest that the Establishment, fearing this unrest, now wants to “on-board” Imran Khan — a man who commands overwhelming popular support — to lend credibility to their decisions. But expecting Khan to bless a deal with Israel is not realism; it’s delusion. His entire career has been defined by resistance to outside dictation.

A Failed “Rental” Foreign Policy

For too long, Pakistan has been treated — and has allowed itself to be treated — as a “hired gun” in regional conflicts. Its foreign policy has been transactional, not strategic: offering loyalty and muscle in exchange for financial aid that never leads to real sovereignty.

Now, that approach is collapsing:

• The UAE is pulling investment, frustrated by Pakistan’s conflicting loyalties.

• Saudi Arabia has halted arms deals, wary of Pakistan’s proximity to UAE proxies in places like Sudan and Libya.

• And the Pakistani public, once kept in the dark, is beginning to see how deeply their leaders have traded national dignity for short-term favors.

While India’s foreign secretary publicly outlines strategic policies, Pakistani generals rely on hush-hush “briefings” for hand-picked YouTubers. The state doesn’t speak to its people anymore — it speaks around them. And you can’t rebuild an economy when your citizens no longer believe your story.

The Walls Are Closing In

The scandal unfolding in the UK — where three people have been indicted in the attack on Shehzad Akbar — marks a turning point. It exposes the hollowness of Pakistan’s favorite excuse: that shadowy “unknown men” are responsible for every act of coercion. International law is not so easily manipulated.

Meanwhile, Europe is losing patience, Trump is mocking his own allies, and the Middle East edges closer to confrontation. Iran braces for conflict. Russia and China plot alternatives. And Pakistan, desperate for allies, looks smaller and more isolated with every passing week.

The Only Way Out

At this point, the Establishment has two roads before it. One leads to dependency — begging for favors from Netanyahu, Trump, or the Gulf monarchs, hoping for a single dollar that never comes. The other demands humility and reform. The real solution lies not in Abu Dhabi or Washington, but in Adiala Jail.

If those in power truly want to save Pakistan, they must:

1. Apologize to the people for years of repression, manipulation, and deceit.

2. Release Imran Khan, respect the people’s mandate, and end political engineering.

3. Restore the Constitution, hold transparent elections, and conduct a national referendum on foreign policy decisions that define Pakistan’s identity.

Anything less is theater — rearranging deck chairs on a sinking ship. Pakistan does not need a “Board of Peace” thousands of miles away in Gaza; it needs peace, justice, and truth right here at home.