KARACHI: The recent arrest of a senior Daesh militant via joint collaboration by Washington and Islamabad is not a “historical shift” in bilateral ties between Washington and Islamabad, but a sign of continuing counterterrorism cooperation between the two states, Pakistani security analysts said on Thursday.
US President Donald Trump on Tuesday publicly thanked Pakistan for helping in the arrest of Mohammad Sharifullah, a Daesh operative implicated in a deadly 2021 Kabul airport bombing that killed at least 170 Afghans and 13 US troops.
Pakistan’s prime minister appreciated Trump’s support, confirming that Pakistani security forces arrested the militant in the border region with Afghanistan. On Wednesday, US National Security Adviser Michael Waltz called Pakistan’s Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar to discuss counterterrorism cooperation between the two countries.
Ties between the US and Pakistan, once close allies following the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks in New York, have remained strained over the past few years. American officials have regarded with suspicion Pakistan’s role in the Afghan Taliban’s return to power in Afghanistan, despite Islamabad’s denial it did not shelter and aid their fighters.
“The intelligence cooperation between both the United States and Pakistan never stopped,” Qamar Cheema, an expert on strategic and political affairs, told Arab News. “It was only the Americans who stopped looking at the region from a new lens.”
He said with the new Trump administration in place, Washington once again wanted to “work with Pakistan” on security and counterterrorism, adding that the US was once again interested in Afghanistan and transnational terror outfits.
“So, there is a mutual dependence obviously and this mutual dependence will continue,” Cheema noted.
Fizza Batool, an international relations expert, agreed. She cautioned against viewing Sharifullah’s arrest as a “renewed” partnership, describing it instead as a continuation of America’s Afghanistan-centered relationship with Pakistan.
“The latest development aligns with this pattern, representing a continuation of the strategic partnership rather than a fundamental shift in bilateral relations,” she told Arab News.
’BOOTS ON THE GROUND’
Dr. Asma Shakir Khawaja, a defense and strategic studies expert, noted Pakistan’s importance as a country with “boots on the ground” close to Afghanistan. She said the recent arrest highlighted how technological advancement alone cannot defeat a transborder menace such as “terrorism.”
“And this arrest indicates upon the fact that any technological advancement cannot undermine the importance of ‘boots on the ground,’” she said. “A combination of both will lead to success.”
A Washington-based analyst who spoke on the condition of anonymity, however, described Trump’s move to express gratitude for Pakistan as a “significant” development.
“Donald Trump does not give compliments easily, but when he feels it from the heart, he expresses his gratitude,” the analyst said. “Therefore, it will positively impact his relations with Pakistan.”
He said strategically Pakistan-US ties were likely to remain “unchanged” as Islamabad was a close ally of Beijing while Washington was allied with both Islamabad and its arch-rival New Delhi.
“In any case, engagement with Donald Trump has begun, whereas relations of Pakistan with the previous administration could not have developed,” the analyst said.
Daesh militant’s arrest sign of continuing Pakistan-US counterterror cooperation — analysts
https://arab.news/29cu5
Daesh militant’s arrest sign of continuing Pakistan-US counterterror cooperation — analysts
- US President Donald Trump this week publicly thanked Pakistan for aiding in senior Daesh operative’s arrest
- Security analysts say development shows counterterrorism cooperation between Pakistan and US never ceased to exist
India’s Bollywood bets big on ‘event cinema’
- Films centered on geopolitical conflict, internal enemies, masculinity now dominate mainstream Hindi cinema
- Critics argue Bollywood is using cinema’s unrivalled mass reach to shape the public sentiment in India
MUMBAI: India’s Bollywood is moving decisively toward a cinema of scale and confrontation — where patriotism, spectacle, and ideological clarity increasingly trump nuance and narrative risk, industry insiders say.
The shift has fueled what experts describe as “event cinema,” as studios rely on big-budget spectacles and top-tier stars to lure audiences — especially smartphone-loving Gen Z viewers — back into theaters.
That strategy appears to be working. Akshaye Rathi, a prominent film exhibitor, predicted a 45-50 percent rise in net Hindi box-office collections and a 25 percent increase in young theater-goers this year.
“The year looks poised for historic numbers,” Rathi told AFP.
The industry’s financial model was shaken during the Covid-19 pandemic, which coincided with the rapid rise of streaming platforms and a shift to home viewing.
But its 2026 upcoming slate, packed with patriotic war dramas, spy thrillers, mythological epics and nationalist narratives — reflects not just a commercial recalibration, analysts say, but a broader change in creative priorities.
‘PROPAGANDA’
Critics argue Bollywood is increasingly producing polarizing films aligned with the ideology of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Hindu-nationalist government, using cinema’s unrivalled mass reach to shape public sentiment.
“These days film themes also depend upon who is ruling at the center — Hindu wave, propaganda... all these are big factors that filmmakers cash in on,” said movie business analyst Atul Mohan, editor of film trade magazine Complete Cinema. “But only one or two films work, not all 10 or 15.”
He cited the success of 2022 blockbuster “The Kashmir Files,” depicting in harrowing detail how several hundred thousand Hindus fled Muslim militants in Indian-administered Kashmir in 1989-90.
And he compared that with the 2025 film “The Bengal Files,” on alleged political violence in eastern India, which he described as a commercial “disaster.”
Films centered on geopolitical conflict, internal enemies, and heroic masculinity now dominate mainstream Hindi cinema, reflecting both the political mood and the economics of theatrical survival.
Last year’s gory action thriller “Dhurandhar,” meaning “formidable,” leaned heavily on hyper-nationalist tropes of Indian agents confronting Pakistan-linked foes, and became one of 2025’s highest-grossing films — following a real-life four-day border clash with Pakistan.
Its sequel, “Dhurandhar 2,” again starring Ranveer Singh, is set for release in March.
‘GRATUITIOUS VIOLENCE’
Veteran Delhi-based film critic Arnab Banerjee said political messaging now outweighs craftsmanship.
“It is not the quality of the film that matters today, it is propaganda films that are working,” said Banerjee.
“The mood of the nation is such that people are lapping up these subjects. Pakistan-bashing and references to enemy countries are being accepted without questioning.”
Banerjee also criticized what he called an excess of “gratuitous violence,” arguing that “it is social media hype that is deciding the film’s fate.”
He pointed to “Ikkis,” a film on the 1971 India-Pakistan war released in January, which struggled commercially despite positive reviews.
“It is a well-made film, but it didn’t work,” he said. “Perhaps because Pakistan is not shown as the enemy.”
Director Ahmed Khan, however, said quality still ultimately determines success, citing his upcoming action-comedy “Welcome to the Jungle,” starring Akshay Kumar.
“Whatever the genre — action, drama, comedy or horror — it depends on how well you’ve made it,” Khan said.
He pointed to the 2025 successes of the contrasting romantic drama “Saiyaara” as well as high-octane “Dhurandhar.”
“Both, poles apart in genre, did great business,” he said. “People’s mood can change any time.”
