Dr Zia Ul Haque Shamsi

I am writing this article from the departure lounge of Dulles International Airport, Washington DC, primarily because during my visit to the US, I met many Pakistani Americans who left Pakistan due to the non-existence of adequate opportunities. They are all doing well once they settle down after tough going in the initial days. Most […]

South Asia remains in search of tools and instruments that may provide much-needed strategic stability to a conflict-ridden and war-prone sub-region of an area of great interest for the global powers. The two archrivals: India and Pakistan have tried to expand and enhance their capabilities to improve their deterrent capability since the overt nuclearization of […]

States are for the people and people are for the states. Everything is subservient to these two: the state and the people. If that is the case, why are some states still underdeveloped and some very well developed? This short article is aimed at understanding the core elements of any state, their true definitions, and […]

Unfortunately, my fears have come true. None of the political parties is accepting the outcome of Pakistan’s General Elections 2024 held on 8th February. Running up to the already much-delayed elections, I had insisted on the fairness and transparency of the entire process for it to be accepted by the winners and losers. Historically, the […]

There are over 150 independent and sovereign states which undergo the process of elections every four to five years depending on the political system in their country. Each country may not have a system as fair and transparent as it should be. Even the most advanced democracies have had stressed elections and the results were […]

The use of social media has become a part of our lives now because, in today’s media-intensive environment, nothing succeeds without an integrated social media campaign. The leadership uses it for strategic communication, the business community uses it to make money, the entertainment industry deploys it for publicity, and perhaps the poor people use it […]

The general elections are held in all the democratic states every four or five years, depending upon the system of governance. Then, why are elections in Pakistan seen as a difficult exercise? And, why are elections in Pakistan viewed with suspicion by the Pakistanis in general and the world community in particular? This short article […]

From his grave in Westminster Abbey, London, United Kingdom, Lord Palmerston keeps reminding us all that there are no permanent friends and no permanent enemies, but the national interests. Lord Palmerston died on 18 October 1865, whilst still serving as Prime Minister of the UK. Some people keep you attached to them even after they […]

The Russia-Ukraine has renewed the debate on the efficacy of Unmanned Combat Air Vehicles (UCAV) that are much cheaper and safer to operate in highly dense and technologically intensive air space. However, the US-led Western allies continue to use 5th-generation combat aircraft to pound their targets, perhaps because they are not opposed by any worthwhile […]

Whenever Indian elections approach, there is a danger of a stage-managed misadventure by India against Pakistan to develop a domestic narrative. Therefore, it was necessary to find out if we are prepared to face off another February 2019, and by the Grace of Allah, I can say with confidence that PAF is in an even […]