Great episode guys . Some fabulous insights on Jamaat e Islami .

i dont understand why he is defending jamaat that they gave him personality. But good to hear when hosts got him and hold his boasts.

In this episode, Uzair talks to Adil Husain about his perspective on how AI is going to disrupt the labor market and create new opportunities for young talent in markets like Pakistan. Adil is an entrepreneur and strategist based in Washington.

You can read his full piece here - https://adilhusain.substack.com/p/the-real-ai-threat-is-a-27-year-old

If you want to get in touch with Adil, message him on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/adilhusain

Ep 240 - AI and the Future of Jobs

Uzair talks to Muhammad Faisal about the fallout from the recent terror attack in Kashmir and the options both India and Pakistan have moving forward. We talk about the nuclear stability risks in the region as well as potential off-ramps that can help deescalate the situation.

Muhammad Faisal is a Research Fellow at the University of Technology in Sydney and an expert in strategic stability and India-Pakistan relations.

Chapters:
0:00 Introduction
2:30 What led to this crisis?
15:40 Options for both sides
33:30 Off ramps and deescalation


Ep 241 - Terrorism, India-Pakistan Standoff, and the Future of the Subcontinent

Uzair talks to Dr. Hassan Abbas about the ongoing standoff between India and Pakistan following the recent terror attack in Kashmir. We talked about what options are on the table for both sides, the role of the United States, and why engagement and negotiations are the only path forward for both countries.

Dr. Hassan Abbas is Distinguished Professor of International Relations at the Near East South Asia Strategic Studies Centre (NESA), National Defense University in Washington DC. He serves as a senior advisor at Project on Shi’ism and Global Affairs at Harvard University’s Weatherhead Center for International Affairs, and his current research work focuses on building narratives for countering political and religious extremism & rule of law reforms in developing states.

Chapters:
0:00 Introduction
2:30 Backdrop of the terror attack
14:20 Allegations and evidence
18:50 Narratives and media
25:10 Commitment traps
29:40 US response so far
36:30 Misreading the other side


Ep 242 - What comes next for the India-Pakistan relationship?

Uzair talks to Colonel Ajai Shukla (retired) about the fallout of the Pahalgam terror attack in Kashmir. We spoke about the state of the insurgency in the region, how their tactics and strategies are evolving, and what can be done to improve security. In addition, we also touched on the prospects of a India-Pakistan war and potential off ramps that could be available for either side to take.

Colonel Ajai Shukla (Retired) is a columnist and freelance journalist. He writes on strategic affairs, defence policy, military technology and the defence economy. He has written extensively for Business Standard, a pan-India daily; and for The New York Times, Guardian, BBC, Al Jazeera and South China Morning Post. He hosts a defence affairs blog, Broadsword (ajaishukla.com), which is visited daily by over 5,000 readers from across the world.

Chapters:
0:00 Introduction
2:00 Normalcy in Kashmir
6:00 Evolution of tactics
11:40 Intelligence failures and counterinsurgency
19:20 Evidence about links to Pakistan
25:30 India-Pakistan tensions
31:10 General Munir’s strategy
35:10 Conclusion


Ep 243 - Pahalgam Terror Attack and Options for India

Uzair talks to Dr. Sahar Khan about her key takeaways from the recent India-Pakistan war and why this conflict was an inflection point. We also talked about the role of international diplomacy, particularly the United States. Finally, the conversation also looked at what could happen in the next crisis, and the ways in which better engagement could avert total disaster.

Dr. Sahar Khan is an independent analyst and an expert on South Asian regional dynamics and strategic stability. She is based in Washington, DC.

Chapters:
0:00 Introduction
1:50 Key takeaways from the war
27:50 Role of diplomacy and the US
37:30 What happens in the next crisis?
51:45 Reading recommendations

You can access Dr. Khan’s recent commentary here:

-	https://inkstickmedia.com/the-myths-that-keep-india-and-pakistan-at-war/
-	https://theworld.org/segments/2025/05/22/surge-in-popularity-for-pakistani-military
-	https://www.scmp.com/opinion/asia-opinion/article/3310688/rapid-escalation-india-pakistan-clashes-warning-new-tech-dangers 

Ep 244 - Pathways to deescalation in the India-Pakistan crisis

Uzair talks to Dr. Kamran Bokhari about what the Trump Administration and his MAGA movement wants to achieve in the foreign policy and geopolitical realms. This is an area where there is still a lot of misconceptions about what Trump wants and the goals of his movement. Dr. Bokhari breaks down his assessment of the White House’s goals from Europe and the Middle East to China.

Finally, Dr. Bokhari also shares what he has picked up from the conversation in Washington about the recent India-Pakistan war.

Dr. Kamran Bokhari is the Senior Director of the Eurasian Security and Prosperity portfolio at the New Lines Institute. He served as Director of the Analytical Development Department from 2019 to 2023. Dr. Bokhari is also a national security and foreign policy specialist at the University of Ottawa’s Professional Development Institute. Some of the recent pieces of analyses he has written are worth a read:

-	https://geopoliticalfutures.com/what-the-latest-india-pakistan-conflict-means-for-the-us/
-	https://geopoliticalfutures.com/pakistans-crucial-role-in-chinas-military-strategy/
-	https://geopoliticalfutures.com/postwar-security-in-gaza/
-	https://geopoliticalfutures.com/a-new-reality-in-the-india-pakistan-conflict/

Chapters:
0:00 Introduction
2:20 What does Trump want?
10:30 Evolving situation in Europe
20:18 Russia-China nexus
26:50 Israel, Iran, and the Middle East
43:30 Dealing with a rising China
54:40 Washington’s view on India-Pak War

Ep 245 - Making sense of the geopolitical chessboard

In this episode, Uzair talks to Khurram Husain about the 2025 budget and what the government got wrong. We also talked about Pakistan’s ability to extract geopolitical rents and how this stunts the reform agenda in the country.

You can read Khurram’s latest column on the budget here - https://www.dawn.com/news/1916673/thrashing-around 

Chapters:

0:00 Introduction
1:45 Budget assessment
11:10 Solar power access
20:20 Geopolitical rents and Pakistan
38:40 Conclusion

Ep 246 - Budget 2025 is an “elephantine mediocrity”

Uzair talks to Dr. Neda Bolourchi about the recent Israel-Iran-US conflict and its key takeaways. We also talked about whether the Iranian government is secure, the chances of diplomacy working, and Iran’s future role in the Middle East.

Dr. Neda Bolourchi is an interdisciplinary Middle East scholar and Associate Director of the Center for Middle Eastern Studies at Rutgers-New Brunswick. Her work includes international and comparative  human rights legal analysis and foreign policy studies.

Chapters:
0:00 Introduction
3:00 Key takeaways
16:50 Is the Iranian regime secure?
24:45 Understand regime politics
31:05 Iran’s future in the Middle East
38:15 Reading recommendations

Book Recommendations:
- Total Defense: The New Deal and the Invention of National Security by Andrew Preston
- Opera as Drama by Joseph Kerman
- Boom Town: The Fantastical Saga of Oklahoma City, Its Chaotic Founding... Its Purloined Basketball Team, and the Dream of Becoming a World-class Metropolis by Sam Anderson

Ep 247 - What comes next for Iran?

Uzair talks to Dr. Irfan Nooruddin about the growing volatility in U.S.–India relations under President Trump. We discuss the impact of the 25% tariff imposed on Indian goods, the administration’s criticism of India’s oil trade with Russia, and the challenges around H-1B visas and illegal immigration. We also talk about the political constraints facing Prime Minister Modi in Delhi and what all this means for the future of the bilateral relationship.

Dr. Irfan Nooruddin is the Hamad bin Khalifa Professor of Indian Politics at Georgetown University. He is the author of The Everyday Crusade, Elections in Hard Times, and Coalition Politics and Economic Development. His work focuses on democratization, international political economy, and policymaking in the Global South.

Chapters:
0:00 Introduction
1:20 State of play in the relationship
8:30 MAGA’s view of India
23:15 Indian right wing’s bet on Trump 2.0 
30:50 What can India do to make a deal with Trump?
42:40 Impact of Operation Sindoor on US-India ties


Ep 248 - Donald Trump, Modi, and the U.S.-India Relationship

Uzair talks to Pranay Kotasthane about the growing tensions in U.S.–India economic relations and the difficult road ahead for deeper trade integration. We discuss what went wrong in the bilateral relationship after the high-profile Trump Modi summit, the domestic political constraints that make agricultural and dairy sector reforms difficult in India, and why India’s reliance on fiscal incentives like PLI may not be the silver bullet for manufacturing growth. We also explore whether India’s decision to stay out of RCEP was a strategic misstep, and what it would take for the country to meaningfully integrate into global supply chains. Finally, we reflect on the broader trajectory of the U.S.–India partnership and what both sides need to do to steady the course.

Pranay Kotasthane is deputy director of the Takshashila Institution, where he chairs the High Tech Geopolitics Programme. He co writes Anticipating the Unintended, a newsletter on public policy, and co hosts Puliyabaazi, a popular Hindi Urdu podcast on politics, policy, and technology.

You can read Pranay’s newsletter here - https://publicpolicy.substack.com/p/315-beyond-the-hype

Reading Recommendations
1.	Deborah A. Stone — Policy Paradox: The Art of Political Decision Making  
2.	Rutger Bregman — Humankind: A Hopeful

Chapters:
0:00 Introduction
2:45 State of US-India relations
14:30 India’s Evolving foreign policy
24:10 Supporting Indian businesses
31:40 Agriculture reforms and protectionism
39:00 RCEP and its impact
48:40 Reading recommendations


Ep 249 - Volatility in the India-US Relationship

Note: This episode contains substantial portions in Urdu (and some sparse sprinklings of Pashto). 

In Episode 04 of Season 02 Fasi and Mosharraf discuss the life and times of Saleem Safi, one of Pakistan's most compelling journalistic voices. He describes his life's journey, his evolution as a journalist, the role of the Islami Jamiat e Talbaa in shaping him, the illusion of Islamism, and the humility that everyone should invest it, whenever and however they can. A fascinating conversation with a fascinating man. Join us!

S02 E04 - A Portrait of the Saleem Safi as a Young Man

"How to Pakistan" a podcast featuring Mosharraf Zaidi and Fasi Zaka, as they explore the art of the Pakistani conversation. #awesome #seriously #hashtag 

S02 E04 - A Portrait of the Saleem Safi as a Young Man

How to Pakistan

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