India’s ‘fast-track citizenship’on December 15, 2019The Indian government’s decision to allow citizenship to people living in neighbouring countries has instigated anger in public. Protestors have expressed their opposition to Citizenship Amendment Bill (CAB). The bill authorises citizenship to Buddhists, Christians, Hindus, Jains, Parsis and Sikhs from neighbouring countries–Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan. The Citizenship Amendment Bill was initially introduced in July […]
‘Kartarpur Corridor’on October 30, 2019“Gurcharan Singh, a 75 years old was happy to visit the Sikh temple in the Pakistani village of Kartarpur. “Pakistan and India have a “protocol on visits to Religious Shrines” signed back in 1974, the protocol allows the citizens of both countries to visit the religious sites in each others countries. The recent development wherein, […]
Pakistan-China tieson September 26, 2019Pakistan and China bilateral relations established in May 1951, have progressed over the years. During the 1970s, Pakistan played the role of a facilitator in normalizing China-US relations. The US Secretary of State Henry Kissinger meeting with President Zhou Enlai in Beijing was facilitated by Pakistan, which later led to the visit of President Nixon […]
Understanding Widodo’s lead in presidential raceon May 10, 2019Indonesia went for local, provincial, legislative and presidential elections on April 17. There were 300,000 candidates for 20,528 seats across 34 provinces. Nearly, 193 million people cast their vote. The participation was unprecedented. President Joko Widodo has a lead in the presidential run-up. Initial counting gave Widodo 54 per cent of the votes. Prabowo Subianto […]
“The Tragedy of US Foreign Policy How America’s Civil Religion Betrayed the National Interest”on March 29, 2019The book “The Tragedy of US Foreign Policy How America’s Civil Religion Betrayed the National Interest” is written by Walter A. McDougall. McDougall is the Professor of History and International Relations at the University of Pennsylvania. He has authored numerous books, including the famous 1986 Pulitzer Prize winner “The Heaven and the Earth: A Political […]
CPEC dividendson February 26, 2019The Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) and Indo-Pacific reflect emerging power dynamics globally. The BRI focuses is on economics and regional connectivity. The “Indo-Pacific” strategy led by the US and its allies supports India’s larger role in Asia Pacific. Pakistan as part of CPEC is central to global development. Pakistan and China’s relation irrespective of […]
Pakistan and its villainson January 15, 2019Looking at Pakistan’s short political history, whether, it was martial law or civilian government, the country has continued to march forward, while brushing aside adversarial elements and surviving through external aggression. The critics have always been apprehensive about Pakistan Armed Forces; apparently the military’s role in politics is being judged. Pakistan had been intermittently governed […]
Moving forwardon November 6, 2018The proponents of a weak Pakistan opine that the societal divide on ethnic and sectarian lines, skewed educational system and rampant corruption have reinforced imbalances within the society. While, the advocates of a strong resilient Pakistan are confident about the country’s future. William Darlymple in one of his articles “Pakistan Reborn” argues: “Pakistan is passing […]
Peace in Southern Philippineson September 8, 2018The conflict in Southern Philippines carries serious ethnic, religious, security and humanistic consequences. Back in 1968, the area saw the “Jabidah massacre”, in which Muslims were killed. The petition these Muslim families filed in court was unheard of, and the ultimate reaction was an armed uprising. Muslims form the majority in Mindanao, an area located […]
Will a new political landscape translate into new policies?on August 2, 2018With a new government to take office soon, it is hoped that finally some importance will be given to Pakistan’s foreign policy. Presently, the country’s economy does not portray a pretty picture, and while the security situation has improved, threats still exist. However, on the foreign policy front, the pace has been slow, and the […]