C. Christine Fair, Professor of Security Studies at Georgetown University in the United States, has warned that the war in the Middle East is now beyond the control of the United States and Israel.
She says Israel poses a threat to world security: “If you look at what Israel is doing, it has bombed some seven or eight of its neighbours. It gets to decide who has nuclear weapons in the region and who doesn’t. And of course everyone knows Israel has nuclear weapons. Israel is also perpetrating a massive genocide in Gaza. It’s engaging in ethnic cleansing in the West Bank. And it’s happening with impunity and immunity and, very frustratingly, with my tax dollars.”

C. Christine Fair is an American political scientist and professor in the Security Studies Program at Georgetown University’s Edmund A. Walsh School of Foreign Service. She specialises in South Asian security, counter-terrorism, political Islam, and the strategic culture of the Pakistan Army.
She is in conversation with Pervaiz Alam, broadcaster for the Cine Ink podcast series London Vārta: New World Order. Other major talking points include:

• Pakistan remains the biggest problem in South Asia through its use of terrorist organisations. 
• Pakistan engages in nuclear blackmail by holding a gun to its own head. 
• Pakistan prefers Punjabi militant groups such as Lashkar-e-Taiba and Jaish-e-Mohammed for carrying out atrocities in Kashmir over local Kashmiri outfits.

On Hindutva and comparisons with the United States, Christine Fair is also critical of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s governing style in India. “Hindutva is a problem. India under Modi, just like under Trump, has seen democratic indicators retrench. So India is going through very similar challenges to those the USA is facing. In America we have Christian nationalism, and in India it’s Hindutva,” she says. She has served as a Senior Fellow at West Point’s Combating Terrorism Center and as a Senior Resident Fellow at the Institute for Defence Studies and Analyses, New Delhi.

Christine Fair’s recent book is In Their Own Words: Understanding Lashkar-e-Tayyaba. Her previous books include Fighting to the End: The Pakistan Army’s Way of War, Pakistan’s Enduring Challenges, and The Madrassah Challenge: Militancy and Religious Education in Pakistan.

लंदन वार्ता: नई विश्व व्यवस्था  لندن وارتا: نیا عالمی نظام
In this 10-episode video/audio podcast series, London Vārta: New World Order, produced in London by Achala Sharma and Pervaiz Alam for Hindi/Urdu-speaking global audiences, we delve into the seismic shifts reshaping global politics in 2025–2026. From the latest developments in the Middle East to the fiery street agitations unsettling regimes and emerging new alliances in South Asia, and the resurgence of far-right nationalism in Europe, the London Vārta: New World Order series unravels how populist unrest is redefining global power dynamics.

“Reshaping in the Middle East is inevitable. In fact, the potential reshaping has already begun,” says defence analyst Dr Ayesha Siddiqa in a podcast focused on Pakistan’s evolving role in the ongoing Middle East crisis. 

Pervaiz Alam, broadcaster at Cine Ink podcast series, London Vārta: New World Order, is in conversation with Dr. Ayesha Siddiqa, Senior Fellow in War Studies at King’s College London.

Unravelling the mystery surrounding Pakistan’s newly found warm relationship with the United States, she says: “The relations between Pakistan and the United States began to improve after Operation Sindoor.”


She explains that Pakistan’s narrative was that it had won the war, pushed back against India, and shot down Indian Air Force planes. The perception in the White House was that Pakistan had performed comparatively better than India. What followed was that Pakistani leaders began embracing Donald Trump.


Discussing the Strategic Mutual Defence Agreement signed by Pakistan and Saudi Arabia, she notes that she has spent some time trying to ascertain its contents, as the details provided by both countries remain sketchy. According to her sources, Pakistan’s diplomats were reluctant to sign the agreement. They were concerned that it would increase factionalism in the Middle East.  

“Iran is Saudi Arabia’s enemy number one. The agreement was signed primarily in view of the security threats faced by Saudi Arabia, rather than those faced by Pakistan” Dr Siddiqa  said. 

Dr. Ayesha Siddiqa, author and political scientist, is currently working as senior fellow, department of War Studies, King’s College, London. Earlier, she was a research associate at the Center for International Studies and Diplomacy at SOAS, University of London

Her focus of studies has been on defence decision-making, defence economics, arms procurement and production, and revolution in military affairs (RMA) in South Asia. Dr. Siddiqa was also a fellow at St Antony’s college, Oxford. 

Fellow at Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars, Washington, she also taught at the University of Pennsylvania and Johns Hopkins University, USA. 

Ayesha has written two books: (a) Pakistan’s Arms Procurement and Military Buildup, 1979-99, and (b) Military Inc: Inside Pakistan’s Military Economy. She has served as Director Naval Research at the Naval Headquarters, Pakistan. 
She has an M.A. in Political Science from the University of Punjab, Lahore, and a Ph.D. from King’s College, University of London, UK. 

Produced by Achala Sharma and Pervaiz Alam, the 10-episode video/audio podcast series, London Vārta: New World Order, is made in London for Hindi/Urdu-speaking global audiences. We delve into the seismic shifts reshaping global politics in 2025–2026. From the latest developments in the Middle East to the fiery street agitations unsettling regimes and emerging new alliances in South Asia, and the resurgence of far-right nationalism in Europe, the London Vārta: New World Order series unravels how populist unrest is redefining global power dynamics.

"Rules-Based Order Lies in Tatters" Says Navdeep Suri, Former Indian Ambassador, UAE & Egypt, in conversation with Pervaiz Alam on Cine Ink's podcast series London Vārta: New World Order. Discussing the US and Israel attacks on Iran, Suri says that the United States and Israel had anticipated and planned for a short war, but Iran had prepared itself for a prolonged conflict. He adds that the Gulf countries in the Middle East did not support the ongoing war. They have refrained from responding militarily to Iranian attacks because they believe that any such response would achieve little. They ask: what more could we do that has not already been attempted by the US and Iran?

In this 10-episode video/audio podcast series, London Vārta: New World Order, produced in London for Hindi/Urdu-speaking global audiences, we delve into the seismic shifts reshaping global politics in 2025–2026. From the latest developments in the Middle East to the fiery street agitations unsettling regimes and emerging new alliances in South Asia, and the resurgence of far-right nationalism in Europe, the London Vārta: New World Order series unravels how populist unrest is redefining global power dynamics.

लंदन वार्ता: नई विश्व व्यवस्था  لندن وارتا: نیا عالمی نظام
In the first episode, Dr. Avinash Paliwal, Reader in International Relations at SOAS, University of London, states: “Trump believes he is the king. He is trying to turn the U.S. from a democracy into an authoritarian regime.” He makes this comment while introducing the evolving face of the world order over recent decades, which has culminated in the current situation in 2026, where the world continues to struggle to define a new global order.

In this 10-episode video/audio podcast series, London Vārta: New World Order, produced in London for Hindi/Urdu-speaking global audiences, we delve into the seismic shifts reshaping global politics in 2025–2026. From the latest developments in the Middle East to the fiery street agitations unsettling regimes and emerging new alliances in South Asia, and the resurgence of far-right nationalism in Europe, the London Vārta: New World Order series unravels how populist unrest is redefining global power dynamics.

Later in the series, we examine the fracturing political spectrum, spotlighting the intensifying clash between right-wing and left-wing ideologies—exemplified by the massive far-right surge in the US and Europe.  

Each episode delivers expert analysis, first-hand accounts and in-depth explorations of the background to each crisis. 

Produced by Achala Sharma and Pervaiz Alam, formerly BBC, London Vārta: New World Order offers Hindi/Urdu audiences a front-row seat to the forces driving this turbulent new era.  The video of this podcast is available on the Cineink channel on YouTube.

Former BBC colleagues—including William Crawley, Satish Jacob, Ali Ahmad Khan, Naresh Kaushik, Andrew Whitehead, Nick Nugent, Wusatullah Khan, Nayeema Ahmed Mahjour, Qurban Ali, Ram Dutt Tripathi, Seema Chishti, Charu Shahane, and Sanjiv Srivastav—celebrate Sir Mark Tully: his life, legacy, and enduring impact through fascinating anecdotes and personal reflections.

Presented by Achala Sharma and Pervaiz Alam, Mera Naam Mark Tully Hai is a full-length podcast in Hindi, Urdu, and English. Sir Mark Tully (1935–25 January 2026), the BBC’s long-serving Delhi bureau chief, became known worldwide as the “voice of India” for his warm, authoritative coverage of South Asia’s defining moments—from the 1971 India-Pakistan War and the 1975 Emergency to Zulfikar Ali Bhutto’s 1979 execution, Operation Blue Star, Indira Gandhi’s 1984 assassination, the Bhopal gas tragedy, and the 1992 Babri Masjid demolition. Knighted for services to journalism, he remained a revered chronicler of modern India until his death earlier this year. 

In this special tribute, his former colleagues recall these landmark events and provide new perspectives on some of the incidents and his 1994 resignation from the BBC—sparked by sharp disagreements with Director-General John Birt over the corporation’s management and direction—as well as addressing claims of a post-1992 ideological shift towards Hindutva, while examining his thoughtful reflections on Hinduism, secularism, and political nationalism in later years.

In this engaging episode of London Vārta, we feature an illuminating conversation with Francesca Orsini, Professor Emerita of Hindi and South Asian Literature at the School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS), University of London. She is an acclaimed Italian scholar specialising in multilingual literary histories of South Asia. Her pioneering work explores Hindi, Urdu, and Indo-Persian texts. She taught Hindi at Cambridge University before joining the SOAS.

Francesca Orsini joins broadcaster Achala Sharma to reflect on her remarkable career, her profound connection to Hindi, and the vibrant literary landscapes of South Asia. “My heart belongs to Allahabad, as the city is my second home,” admits Orsini. 

Produced by Pervaiz Alam for Cine Ink, this discussion is a must-listen for anyone captivated by the interplay of language and culture.

For those keen to explore further, Professor Orsini’s notable works include The Hindi Public Sphere 1920–1940: Language and Literature in the Age of Nationalism (Oxford University Press, 2002), which explores Hindi’s pivotal role in colonial India’s nationalist discourse; Print and Pleasure: Popular Literature and Entertaining Fictions in Colonial North India (Permanent Black, 2009), revealing the lively world of popular fiction; Before the Divide: Hindi and Urdu Literary Culture (Orient BlackSwan, 2010), which re-examines the shared history of these languages; and her recent East of Delhi: Multilingual Literary Culture and World Literature (Oxford University Press, 2023), redefining world literature through the multilingual lens of Awadh. Her influential edited collections include Love in South Asia: A Cultural History (Cambridge University Press, 2006) and Tellings and Texts: Music, Literature and Performance in North India (Open Book Publishers, 2015), co-edited with Katherine Butler Schofield.

This is a radio adaptation of legendary Urdu writer Ismat Chughtai's controversial story "Lihaaf". Directed by Prof. Pervaiz Alam, Lihaaf was a part of the radio production class of the students of School of Journalism and Mass Communication (SJMC), Apeejay Stya University, Gurgaon, India, in 2017. The lead role is performed by Pankhuri Singh, a student of MA Journalism, SJMC.

Why is Lihaaf Controversial? Lihaaf (The Quilt), a short story by Ismat Chughtai published in 1942, is narrated by a young girl who observes the life of Begum Jaan, the neglected wife of a Nawab. The story subtly explores themes of female sexuality, repression, and same-sex desire. Set in a traditional Indian Muslim household, Lihaaf depicts Begum Jaan’s loneliness and her intimate relationship with her maid, Rabbo, implied through suggestive imagery, particularly the metaphor of the “quilt.” Court Cases:

The story was deemed obscene by the British colonial authorities, leading to Ismat Chughtai being charged with obscenity under Section 292 of the Indian Penal Code in 1944. The trial took place in Lahore, where Ismat Chughtai and her contemporary Saadat Hasan Manto, also charged for his story Bu, defended their works. Manto discussed the controversy surrounding Lihaaf in detail in his sketch of Ismat Chughtai, available as a podcast on Cine Ink. Ismat Chughtai won the case. The controversy solidified her reputation as a bold feminist writer who addressed marginalised voices and societal hypocrisy, while also highlighting the era’s discomfort with discussions of female sexuality.

Bhupesh Shrivastav at SJMC recorded, edited and mixed Lihaaf. Malvika Kaul, Associate Professor, Mili Agarwal, Assistant Professor, and Swapnil Kumar, Coordinator, SJMC, assisted in the project. Courtesy: SJMC, Apeejay Stya University, India Lihaaf published by Rajkamal is available on Amazon. #Lihaaf #ismatchughtai #SJMC #ApeejayStyaUniversity #UrduStory #PankhuriSingh #cineink #cineinkpodcast #Rajkamal

Mahmood Farooqui and Darain Shahidi of the Dastangoi Collective bring Shrilal Shukla’s iconic Hindi novel Raag Darbari to life in a captivating performance, produced by Anusha Rizvi.

The podcast has been produced by Pervaiz Alam and Achala Sharma for Cineink. 
This Cineink podcast in Hindi is adapted from a stage production performed in London on April 8, 2025, before a live audience.

Sahitya Academy Award-winning ‘Raag Darbari’ is a sharp, humorous Hindi novel that brilliantly satirises corruption, bureaucracy, and the intricacies of rural Indian life. Originally published by Rajkamal in 1968, its relevance endures today. The novel is also available in English, translated by Gillian Wright.

Based in Delhi, the Dastangoi Collective is renowned for reviving the ancient art of Persian and Urdu storytelling.

In a revealing episode of Cine Ink’s podcast London Vārta, former Intelligence Bureau officer and R&AW chief Amarjit Singh Dulat describes the 1989 kidnapping of Rubaiya Sayeed, daughter of the then-Home Minister Mufti Mohammad Sayeed, by JKLF militants as a “textbook example of how not to handle a crisis.” The abduction marked a turning point in Kashmir’s history, igniting widespread militancy in Jammu and Kashmir.

Speaking with broadcaster Pervaiz Alam, AS Dulat, a key intelligence figure in Kashmir during the crisis, admitted to significant intelligence failures in the subsequent decade, as the region faced unprecedented violence. He emphasised that the Rubaiya kidnapping serves as “a case study for training on what to avoid.”

Dulat recounted receiving a call from the then-Cabinet Secretary T.N. Seshan, informing him that Union Ministers I.K. Gujral and Arif Mohammad Khan were sent to Srinagar to negotiate Rubaiya’s release. He noted that inadequate briefing from Delhi hindered their efforts.

He also highlighted intelligence and strategic missteps during the 1999 Kargil War and the hijacking of Indian Airlines flight IC-814, underscoring systemic challenges in crisis management.

In his book The Chief Minister and the Spy (2025), Dulat suggests former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Farooq Abdullah privately expressed willingness to support the 2019 abrogation of Article 370 but felt excluded by the government. Abdullah later called this suggestion “a figment of [Dulat’s] imagination.” Clarifying in the podcast, Dulat said, “Just 2-3 days before the abrogation, Farooq Abdullah, Omar Abdullah, and their Anantnag MP, Justice Hasnain Masoodi, met the Prime Minister (Narendra Modi). I don’t know what they discussed, but Farooq told me he was not informed about the decision (abrogation of article 370 in advance).” 

Dulat’s insights, rooted in his extensive career and detailed in works like Kashmir: The Vajpayee Years (2015), The Spy Chronicles (2018), and A Life in the Shadows (2022), provide a rare perspective on India’s intelligence operations and Kashmir’s complex political landscape. London Vārta is a podcast series of interviews produced by the London-based media comp[any, Cine Ink. All podcasts are available on Apple, Spotify and YouTube. 

India’s veteran journalist, columnist and author, Saeed Naqvi is in conversation with Pervaiz Alam on Cine Ink podcast series ‘London Vārta’. 

“Rajiv asked me, Saeed, what do you think about opening the embassy of Israel in India as some of my people are against it. Muslim leaders tell me that the Muslim vote will slip away from Congress if I allowed an Israeli Embassy,” reveals Naqvi. 

Formerly associated with the Statesman, Indian Express and Sunday Times, Saeed Naqvi is also known for his ground-breaking television interviews with world leaders such as Mikhail Gorbachov, Nelson Mandela, Fidel Castro, Muammar Gaddafi, Henry Kissinger, Yitzhak Shamir, Yitzhak Rabin, Shimon Peres, Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani, Benazir Bhutto, Mohammad Najibullah and Hamid Karzai. 

As he completes 60 years in journalism, Saeed Naqvi admits playing a key role in forging diplomatic relations between India and Israel when Rajiv Gandhi became the Prime Minister of India in 1984. 
Naqvi goes on to mention the names of the people who were critical of opening an Israeli embassy. They were Najma Heptullah, Ghulam Nabi Azad and Ahmed Patel, he reveals hesitatingly. 

Naqvi says he advised Rajiv Gandhi to go ahead with his plans. He told him “Rajiv, they are out of touch, as always, from Muslim thinking.” 

But it was PM Narsimha Rao who actually allowed to establish full diplomatic relations between India and Israel in 1992, Naqvi says. 

“I have a plaque at home which says twelve trees have been planted on the hills of Jerusalem in the name of Saeed Naqvi for having played a role in Indo-Israeli relations,” Naqvi says on London Varta. “The Israeli State planted the saplings at a function where I was invited along with Khushwant Singh. We were given the plaques,” Naqvi adds. 

“That was a mistake, I accept it,” Saeed Naqvi confesses as he discusses the ongoing Israeli military campaign in Gaza, calling it “Genocide and ethnic cleansing”. He criticises the Indian response to Gaza situation and calls it “Lamenting!” 
Saeed Naqvi says Shimon Peres, former PM and President of Israel, once told him “Saeed, Indo-

Israeli relations are like French perfume- they are to be smelled, not drunk.” 
In this long podcast, Saeed Naqvi talks about his exclusive interviews with Mikhail Gorbachov, Col. Qaddafi and Fidel Castro, and how they appeared before him. 

On a lighter note, Naqvi shares how he ended up with a world class scoop early in his career after getting access to Maharishi Yogi’s ashram in the Himalayas where The Beatles were meditating. Maharshi whispered a Mantra in  my ear, and all doors were open, he says mischievously. Along with fellow photographer, Raghu Rai, Naqvi reported intimate details of the Ashram for his paper as he had access to John Lennon, George Harrison, Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr.

Born in Mustafabad, a small town in UP, and growing up in  Lucknow, Naqvi had  spent ‘great time’ with some of the legendary Urdu poets and writers. He describes meeting Josh Malihabadi, Firaq Gorakhpuri, Majaz Lucknavi, Sajjad Zaheer, Razia Sajjad Zaheer and Rahi Masoom Raza. 
Naqvi recites his favourite Urdu poetry and also talks about his family and his wife, Aruna. 
Saeed Naqvi has authored several books including Reflections of an Indian Muslim (1993), The Last Brahmin Prime Minister (1996), Being the Other: The Muslim in India (2016) and The Muslim Vanishes (2022). 

The podcast with Saeed Naqvi was recorded in London on 5 November, 2024. London Vārta and other podcasts for Cine Ink are produced by Achala Sharma and Pervaiz Alam.