Nawazish Ali

The world’s balance of power is shifting as China establishes itself as a powerful competitor to the current superpower, the USA. China is a rival of the USA on two dimensions; influence and ideology. The tension between two rivals may be termed a ‘repeat’ of Cold War-era dynamics. A more apt comparison may be the […]

“Extremism can flourish only in an environment where basic governmental social responsibility for the welfare of the people is neglected.” Political dictatorship and social hopelessness create the desperation that always fuels religious extremism. The rise of religious fanaticism in Pakistan can be traced back to the brand of Islamisation that emerged during the Afghan war […]

The loyalty, courage, sincerity, trustworthiness, and simplicity of Sudanese are truly remarkable and set them apart from other races of the Middle East and North African (MENA) region. I admire the Sudanese based on my experience of visiting Sudan regularly from 1999 to 2002. Sudan was once one of the largest and most diverse states […]

Pakistan is no stranger to terrorism with global implications for decades. After the success of Afghan mujahedeen in driving out the Soviets forces with US support during the 1980s, Pakistan mobilised parallel ideologically motivated groups to try to force India out of long-disputed IHK, hypothesising that Kashmiri mujahedeen will succeed in breaking the deadlock. Simultaneously, […]

The question of whether Pakistan can shift from a geo-strategic to a geo-economics priority is complex. While geostrategic considerations have traditionally been a significant factor in Pakistan’s foreign policy, there is growing recognition of the importance of geo-economics in today’s globalized world. Shifting towards a geo-economics priority would require a significant shift in Pakistan’s foreign […]

“It does not matter how slowly you go as long as you do not stop”. Confucius Pakistan is in difficult circumstances; there are no two ways about it. Nevertheless, Pakistan is no stranger to political upheavals and is currently experiencing one of its critical periods of uncertainty; constitutional/administrative instability, financial complications, and religious fanaticism linked […]

Pakistan’s strategic concerns stem from its critical geopolitical location at the crossroads of Central Asia, South Asia, and the Middle East, which makes it an important communication “rendezvous.” Consequently, Pakistan continued facing certain critical challenges and playing specific roles in various political and military-related happening for SEATO, CENTO, the erstwhile USSR invasion of Afghanistan during […]

Pakistan inherited, by default, one of the best agriculture, irrigation, railway, and civil services, including police, education, military human resource, and judicial systems of the world after the patrician. Pakistan was created to provide an open and free environment for its people to pursue their social, economic, political, and religious activities at liberty. In 1950, […]

“Peace is not the absence of conflict; it is the ability to handle conflict by peaceful means.” –Ronald Reagan The defence expenditures of India and Pakistan are approximately US$ 72 and 11 billion; 2.5 per cent and 3.4 per cent of GDP respectively. Nevertheless, it does not have a direct bearing on the military potential/capability […]

It was March 1980. My Battalion was deployed at the Nawa Pass (Bajur Agency), where military forces of the erstwhile USSR were in the process of occupying Afghanistan. The Russian MI 24 Helicopters would frequently violate Pakistan airspace, chasing and strafing Afghan Muhajhreen consisting of elderly men, old and young women and children. While carrying […]