Suo motu: justice as panacea? on January 19, 2019The sun has set on Mian Saqib Nisar’s legacy as the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Pakistan. Under his leadership, we saw judicial activism unlike anything seen even during the era of the former Chief Justice Iftikhar Chaudhry. More importantly, we saw suo motu, a rather obscure Latin term, become synonymous with our […]
Old wine in a new bottle: US lawfare against Iran on December 21, 2018Around 52 BC, the Romans set off on the military quest to bring Gaul (part of France) under Roman rule. They faced resistance from the native Gallic tribes who united under a man named Vercingetorix. He led the Gallic tribes to take refuge in the town of Alesia from where they successfully attacked Roman bases. […]
Can the BUILD strike a blow to the BRI? on November 23, 2018The lack of a cohesive US foreign policy response to China’s military and economic rise is visible in the US’s half-baked lawfare strategies. An example is the Better Utilization of Investment Leading to Development Act (BUILD Act) passed by the US Senate and made law by President Trump on 5th October 2018. The BUILD Act […]
Chinese lawfare and lessons for Pakistan on October 31, 2018The spectacular rise of the Dragon continues to cause recurring trepidation in the West. From unprecedented economic growth to the widening net of geo-strategic clout, China’s rise as a global power is an outright challenge to the hegemony enjoyed by the US since WW-II. There is now an ever-increasing void in global governance. Multilateral institutions […]
A chink in the US lawfare armour? on October 21, 2018India’s decision to buy the S-400 Triumf air defence system from Russia, which has come at a whopping cost of USD 5.4 billion, has evoked fears of a further arms race in the region. What is lesser known, but equally important, is that the S-400 purchase – which falls within the purview of an important […]
A Trumpian international order? on October 4, 2018Today, world order is increasingly chaotic, universal values are being eroded and the rule of law is being undermined. The above statement by the United Nations (UN) Secretary General during his speech at the UN General Assembly (UNGA) on 25th September sums up the ominous future faced by the international rule of law. President Donald […]
Back to square one on September 24, 2018Within 24 hours of India accepting Pakistan’s offer for talks in New York next week, New Delhi has reneged on its acceptance of Islamabad’s offer. India’s decision follows the alleged killing of its security personnel by Pakistan based entities and the release of postage stamps “glorifying a terrorist and terrorism” which India claims has exposed […]
The International Criminal Court on trial on September 16, 2018As I said goodbye to my colleagues at the International Criminal Court (ICC or Court) in 2005,after completing my stint at the President’s Office, I left with guarded optimism about the court’s future. I could see a long road ahead for the ICC: the world’s first ever permanent international court — created through the historic […]