Kashmir Solidarity Day is again upon us, so how do we find the Muslims of Occupied Kashmir, a whole year since the last? The year 2018 was the deadliest in the last decade in Jammu and Kashmir, in which 160 civilians and 267 resistance fighters were martyred by the occupying forces of the Hindu State.

Whilst celebrating Pakistan's facilitation of US sponsored talks in Qatar, Pakistan’s Foreign Minister, Shah Mehmood Qureshi, said on 27 January 2019 that, “We want Afghans to solve their problems through intra-Afghan dialogue.” However, far from being a cause of celebration, intra-Afghan dialogue is an American initiative to secure the long-term US regional presence in the form of private contractors and regular troops in US bases.

The second mini-budget presented on 23 January 2019 is certainly not a cause for rejoicing and praise. The second mini-budget became a practical necessity because the regime strangled the economy so hard with taxation, in its first mini-budget, that the economy choked to the point that its ability to cough up tax revenues was itself compromised.

After Trump’s envoy, Zalmay Khalilzad, heaped praise on Pakistan for facilitating talks between the US and the Afghan Taliban on 17 January 2019, General Qamar Javed Bajwa proudly assured him of “continued efforts for bringing peace and stability in the region.” The arrogant US has been brought down from demands, scorn and scolding to praise, smiles and handshakes because it is staring at complete, humiliating withdrawal from Afghanistan.