Field Marshal Asim Munir’s visit to Iran represents the high point of Pakistan’s recent diplomatic achievements. In modern world history, there is hardly any example of a country’s armed forces chief who, within a short span of one year, has not only overseen a situation in which the country was seen as facing defensive challenges, […]
Rahima Bibi Confession and Security Challenges in Balochistan
In Balochistan, women are being drawn into militant violence through manipulation and coercion. They are misled, used as tools, and placed at the centre of attacks that target not only the state but also the social and cultural structure of Baloch Baloch society. This is not only about security. It also raises serious questions about […]
PTI: To Where From Here?
Does Pakistan Tehreek e Insaf see the government as its opponent, or the state itself? Why is its narrative shifting from criticism of the government to a posture that appears increasingly hostile to the state? Is this happening unintentionally, or is it a matter of strategy? Things have come to a point where PTI appears […]
Pakistan’s iTAP initiative: A Way Forward
For years, people in Pakistan have complained about corruption, slow service, and weak institutions. Citizens often feel frustrated and disconnected from the government. The new Index of Transparency and Accountability in Pakistan (iTAP), launched by FPCCI in collaboration with Ipsos, changes that conversation. For the first time, we have a homegrown, evidence-based measure that shows […]
Bangladesh Faces Mukti Bahini Redux
The brutal killing of student leader Usman Hadi in Bangladesh has sent shockwaves across South Asia. It raises urgent questions about the resurgence of a deadly pattern once familiar to the region. The Awami League appears to be reviving the same violent tactics it deployed under the Mukti Bahini model, which was once used to […]
Do We Still Need a Constitutional Court?
With the Supreme Court’s constitutional bench already in place, one might ask: Is there still a need for a separate constitutional court in Pakistan? Politically, opinions on this question will always be divided along partisan lines. But if we move beyond politics and examine the matter through reason and law, the answer is yes. Pakistan […]
Post Truth Hits the Wall
PTI built its politics on outrage. Outrage at the so-called corrupt elite, at the judiciary, at the media, at anyone who dared question Imran Khan. For a while, that strategy worked. It made noise, grabbed headlines, flooded social media, and rattled institutions. But post-truth politics has a shelf life. Once the slogans wear thin and […]
India’s Diplomatic Quandary
India is frustrated, that’s all. Just frustrated and confused. Its diplomatic maneuvers speak volumes of the fact that it is riddled with a troubling ambiguity – a confusion not born from principled beliefs, but rather from political expediency, selective outrage, and a pressing need to divert attention from its internal shortcomings. India has adamantly asserted […]
PMIF25: A Gateway to Prosperity
The Oil and Gas Development Company Limited (OGDCL), in partnership with the Government of Pakistan and strategic collaborators, will host the Pakistan Minerals Investment Forum 2025 (PMIF25) on April 8-9 at the Jinnah Convention Centre in Islamabad. A prominent U.S. delegation, headed by Eric Meyer, is expected to attend. The forum aims to create a […]
The Illusion of Victimhood
What is the true essence of Mahrang Baloch’s narrative. This so-called tragic story is the “reason” for her bitterness, or is this merely an “excuse” for bashing the state. Is she lamenting her impoverished upbringing during her formative years, or is she highlighting the deprivation of her rights as a child and student at the […]