Environmental degradation has emerged as one of the most formidable challenges confronting South Asia in the twenty-first century. Across the region, climate variability, declining natural resources, deteriorating air quality, and rapid urbanisation have intensified ecological vulnerabilities and placed unprecedented pressure on public health, economic stability, and sustainable development. Among South Asian nations, Pakistan remains particularly […]
Op-Ed
Pakistan’s Peace Dividend: From the US-Iran Breakthrough to a New Regional Role
At a time when wars dominate headlines and diplomacy increasingly appears powerless, any breakthrough that prevents a major regional conflict deserves global recognition. Reports of a US-Iran peace understanding, facilitated in part by Pakistan’s quiet diplomacy and supported by regional partners, have generated optimism across an increasingly fractured world. If these reports are indeed reflective […]
Is Privatization of Public Universities on the Cards?
A sense of anxiety currently prevails within academic circles. The concern stems from a news report that surfaced a few days ago. According to the report, the Punjab government has constituted a 13-member high-level committee to examine the possibilities of commercially utilizing the assets of public universities. In this regard, the Public-Private Partnership Authority has […]
The Great Manufacturing Reset: Can Pakistan Seize the Opportunity?
The global economy is undergoing one of its most significant transformations since the rise of globalization in the 1990s. For decades, businesses pursued efficiency above all else, shifting production to wherever costs were lowest. China emerged as the undisputed factory of the world, producing everything from smartphones and solar panels to automobiles and industrial machinery. […]
Balochistan: The Future Decider
Balochistan has become a battlefield, and the contours of this conflict are now impossible to ignore. The stakes could scarcely be higher. On one side stands the security, stability, and future of Pakistan. On the other stand India, Israel, and their proxies. This is no moment for ambiguity or hesitation. The state and society must […]
Pakistan’s Vigilance Against India’s Dirty Game in Azad Kashmir
There is an old and wise Urdu saying that a single dirty fish can pollute the entire pond. The truth of this proverb has once again been laid bare in the verdant hills and valleys of Azad Kashmir, where generations of peace-loving people have lived in harmony, sharing one another’s joys and sorrows like members […]
Another Pole — A New Reality
America’s worst-case planning assumption worked out during the last two to three decades, for a perceived global order is no longer valid post-war; it is a reality in motion now. Central to this assumption was the eventuality of Iran, Russia, and China acting en bloc. Not war-gamed in its true essence, the USA now finds […]
Inherent Right to Collective Defence
Pakistan justifies its counter-terror strikes inside Afghanistan based on the inherent right to self-defence under international law, citing the Afghan Taliban’s failure to prevent the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and affiliated terrorist groups from using Afghan territory as a sanctuary to plan and launch deadly attacks inside Pakistan. Official authorities of Pakistan have repeatedly pointed out […]
Beyond AI and IT: What the World’s Top Universities Teach and What Pakistan Can Learn
A common misconception in developing countries is that the world’s top-ranked universities focus primarily on Information Technology (IT), Artificial Intelligence (AI), and engineering. While these fields are undoubtedly important, the reality is far broader. The universities occupying the top positions in the QS World University Rankings offer comprehensive educational programs encompassing natural sciences, social sciences, […]
South Asia’s Next Generation: The Leaders Who Can Finally Change the Equation
There is a quiet shift happening across South Asia that rarely makes headlines, but may ultimately matter more than any regional summit or bilateral trade agreement. A new generation of leaders – sons and daughters of the political dynasties, business empires, and civic institutions that have long defined the region’s power structures – is beginning […]