The Nation Editorials 10th September 2026

Lessons of War

Every war leaves behind tactical, strategic and technological lessons that extend far beyond its combatants. The war in Ukraine has demonstrated how inexpensive drones can transform the battlefield, threaten expensive equipment and expose vulnerabilities in established military doctrine. Pakistan must study these lessons urgently rather than wait for them to arrive at its own doorstep.

The installation of protective nets over police posts in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa is a welcome example of practical adaptation. Borrowed from Ukrainian experience, these barriers can entangle drones or intercept dropped munitions before they reach personnel. Their importance is underscored by the TTP’s growing use of commercially available drones for surveillance and attacks.

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Yet nets are only one element of a broader transformation. Ukrainian battlefields have seen vehicles fitted with cages and improvised protection, trenches return to prominence, and critical infrastructure shielded by mesh. Electronic warfare, jamming and countermeasures against jamming have become central to the contest. Each innovation produces a response, making adaptation a continuous requirement rather than a one-time procurement exercise.

Pakistan needs an integrated counter-drone doctrine combining physical protection, detection, electronic warfare, trained operators and coordination between police and armed forces. Equipment must be tested against realistic threats while procurement and training keep pace with changing technology. That many KP police stations still lack their own drones illustrates the distance yet to be covered.

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The lessons are not exclusively defensive. Unmanned systems can undertake dangerous reconnaissance and surveillance along remote borders, reducing exposure for personnel while improving situational awareness and response times. Their responsible use should become part of wider border security modernisation.

The next conflict will not resemble the last. Preparing for it requires institutional learning, sustained investment and the willingness to adapt.

Strategic Ambiguity

The Middle East is again moving towards a wider conflagration. Iran’s retaliatory strikes against US bases, renewed threats to regional shipping and Houthi attacks on Saudi oil facilities have raised tensions across an already volatile region. The conflict may remain relatively low-intensity, but it is an ongoing war with consequences extending beyond its present battlefields.

Against this backdrop, Defence Minister Khawaja Asif’s warning that the Makkah Defence Alliance could become operational if the Yemen conflict spills into Saudi Arabia deserves careful consideration. Pakistan’s commitment to Saudi security is longstanding, but invoking collective defence raises questions requiring more than general assurances.

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Does the pact distinguish between aggression by another state and attacks by non-state actors? What circumstances would trigger Pakistan’s obligations, and who would determine that threshold? Would assistance involve intelligence, logistical support, defensive deployments or direct military action? What limits would govern the scale and duration of involvement?

These questions do not undermine the alliance. They reflect reasonable concerns of a public unwilling to be drawn into another regional war without understanding its commitments. Pakistan must balance obligations to its partners with its own security, economic interests and relationships across the Muslim world.

Iran calls for continued consultations with Pakistan amid regional tensions
The government should provide a substantive explanation of the agreement’s scope, decision-making mechanisms and constitutional processes governing military involvement. Where operational details must remain confidential, broad principles can still be communicated. Parliament should also be informed of the potential implications of any commitment.

Strategic ambiguity may sometimes serve diplomacy, but public uncertainty over the possibility of war serves little purpose. Clarity would strengthen confidence in Pakistan’s commitments while reassuring citizens that decisions of such consequence will be made deliberately, through accountable institutions, not by drift or speculation.

Up In Smoke

Since sheesha cafes became familiar in Pakistan’s urban life in the early 2000s, their regulatory history has been marked by bans, permissions and court interventions. Cities and provinces have adopted differing approaches, leaving businesses and customers uncertain about what is lawful.

The Islamabad High Court’s direction to formulate comprehensive rules within one month offers an opportunity to replace this uncertainty with coherent policy. The district administration’s subsequent complete ban, including on establishments holding no-objection certificates, should be an interim measure rather than a substitute for the framework the court has demanded.

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There are legitimate reasons for concern. Sheesha involves tobacco, an addictive substance with established health risks. Second-hand smoke, access by minors, fire safety and illegal substances require serious attention. Reports of children being found at cafes are particularly troubling. These matters demand enforceable safeguards, not complacency.

At the same time, Pakistan has often responded to contested social activities with knee-jerk prohibitions, sometimes driven as much by moral policing as by evidence. The freedom to operate a lawful business and the autonomy of adults deserve consideration alongside public health. Neither, however, provides an exemption from reasonable safety requirements.

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The review should establish clear age restrictions, licensing conditions, outdoor-service standards, fire precautions, inspection procedures and proportionate penalties. Health authorities, businesses and enforcement agencies should contribute to rules grounded in evidence. If certain forms of operation cannot be made acceptably safe, the government should explain that conclusion transparently.

After years of ad hoc decisions, clarity would be progress. Whether Islamabad ultimately permits regulated cafes or maintains restrictions, the decision must be reasoned, consistent and capable of fair enforcement. Public health and lawful enterprise deserve a durable policy, not another cycle of uncertainty.