The self-aggrandizing tenets of the Modi doctrine on April 29, 2019As Mr. Modi confidently pushes forth his re-election bid in the ongoing Indian elections, numerous analysts have offered various summations of his outgoing government’s performance. These include a broad range of analyses on his characteristic ‘hands-on’ approach to foreign policy, which in contrast to his predecessors’ has been self-styled as a major paradigm shift. This […]
The ‘high-risk low-gain’ politics of the Kashmir issue on April 16, 2019Over the last few days, Pakistan’s Prime Minister Imran Khan seems to have come under tremendous fire for his recent statements regarding a possible future settlement with India over Kashmir. Speaking to a group of foreign journalists, Mr. Khan had stated that he might have a better chance of reaching an agreement with Mr. Modi […]
A Saudi Arabian pivot to Asia? on February 27, 2019As Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince, Mohammad Bin Salman (MBS) wraps up his week-long tour of Pakistan, India and China, many have been left contemplating the implications of his travels in light of the region’s evolving geopolitics. For Western observers, MBS’s attempts at shoring up Saudi Arabia’s alliances with these states are being seen as an […]
The Indo-Pak conundrum — victims of their own narratives on February 24, 2019As tensions between nuclear armed India and Pakistan once again escalate in the wake of the devastating attack on the Indian paramilitary personnel in Pulwama, one can’t help but bemoan the Sisyphean manner in which both countries seem locked in extolling the same narratives over and again. This applies not only to those aiming to […]
Re-shaping the CPEC narrative – a political perspective on January 27, 2019Since Imran Khan’s government came to power nearly 6 months ago, there has been a concerted effort from this new government to bring the China Pakistan Economic Corridor(CPEC) in line with its own development objectives. Outlined somewhat vaguely as part of its pre-election narrative, recent statements emanating from the Prime Minister’s Office, as well as […]
Pakistan should ‘speak softly and carry a big stick’ in response to India on October 1, 2018Despite the appearance of escalating tensions, Pakistan is in a much better position diplomatically in light of the recent steps taken by key officials in India. These include the Indian Army Chief’s sudden sabre-rattling over the weekend, coupled with the confusion and inconsistency in the contradictory statements issued by the Indian Foreign Office. With the […]
US denouncement of China a perfect example of ‘double standards’ on September 25, 2018As many an observer of international politics may have noted, it is not uncommon for Nation States to take steps that can only be described as something out of the ‘Theatre of the Absurd.’ While President Donald Trump’s entire tenure may as well be qualified as such, the US’s most recent denouncement of China plumbs […]
Five years on, the BRI is still being perceived as a debt trap on September 3, 2018Five years since President Xi Jinping laid out his grand vision for the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), the implications of China’s economic supremacy has brought about marked questions over the impacts of its rise as a potential global superpower. These questions apply particularly to whether China, based on its present trajectory, may soon supplant […]