Dealing with the energy crisis on January 16, 2014Pakistan’s acute energy crisis has affected each segment of society. In the summer season, frequent power outages crippled the lives of people when the gap between demand and supply was constantly increasing and the shortfall reached between 6,000 and 8,000 megawatts. In the winter season, the situation has become even worse due to a shortage […]
New momentum in Pak-Turkey relations on January 4, 2014Traditionally, the people of Pakistan and Turkey enjoy brotherly relations that can be traced back to even before the formation of modern Turkey, Republic of Turkey in 1923 and Islamic Republic of Pakistan in 1947. Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s reciprocal visit after Chief Minister Punjab Shahbaz Sharif’s visit to Turkey, following Prime Minister […]
Revisiting drone warfare on December 25, 2013Finally, the United Nations General Assembly has adopted a resolution calling on states that use Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs), commonly known as drones, as a counterterrorism measure to comply with international law regarding human rights violations. The United Nations charter gives much importance to human rights. The UN is the first intergovernmental body where human […]
Iran nuclear deal and prospects for regional stability on December 14, 2013The interim deal between Iran and the P5+1 can be defined as a major breakthrough in global politics. The five permanent members of the UN Security Council and Germany agreed to reach an accord with the Iranian government over its nuclear programme. The agreement offers Iran temporary relief of $ 7 billion from international economic […]
Dealing with the Afghan conundrum on December 5, 2013Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif’s recent visit to Afghanistan is symbolic in many ways. The Afghan-US deadlock over the Bilateral Security Agreement (BSA) and the US’s refusal to halt drone strikes inside Pakistan seem the main drivers behind the prime minister’s visit. As we know, halting drone strikes is one of the conditions put forward by […]
Dichotomy of US-Afghan relations on November 28, 2013The much-awaited loya jirga (grand assembly) of Afghanistan was at least convened and after four days of deliberations it endorsed the signing of a bilateral security agreement (BSA) between the US and Afghanistan. The BSA actually deals with the post-withdrawal presence of foreign troops in Afghanistan; both states have been negotiating the terms of this […]