Syed Qamar Afzal Rizvi

Pakistan’s Foreign Office as well as Ministry of Defence have both reportedly and justifiably turned down the American request regarding any future drone operations on Pakistan’s soil. Owing to the opaqueness of legality, these so- called precision strikes are generally regarded as ultra vires, that is, without legal authority. This has been upheld by UN […]

Providing nuclear safety and security– to the nuclear reactors/ plants in order to counter the risks of radioactive radiation as well as the theft of nuclear material—remains one of the core objectives of the nuclear states. Conversely, the fact on record is: India has been unable to render its nuclear security invulnerable. Therefore, because of […]

The IDF forces took aggressive action on the day when Palestinians were commemorating what they call al-Nakba, the Catastrophe. Nostalgically, it commemorates the displacement of hundreds of thousands of Palestinians, who were forced or driven from their homes in the Arab-Israeli war, which began the day after Israel’s declaration of independence in 1948. Seemingly, Netanyahu‘s […]

Symbolically, expressing concern for the unthinkable Israeli atrocities against the Palestinians seems a fait accompli to the rest of the international community, including the Muslim Ummah, who remains helpless in countering an iniquitous Israeli agenda. Current events in occupied East Jerusalem and the Gaza Strip strongly endorse that Israel is constantly practicing a policy of […]

This ongoing irrefutable trajectory of the international relations, that there is no absolute fixation of friendship and animosity holds much sway because of the changing geopolitical, geo-strategic and geo-economical dynamics. And yet, the ongoing romantic American-Indian relationship is being cautiously judged by the Russian policymakers in Moscow. In the given context, the colossal unity between […]

Generally, international law is believed to have institutionalised norms regulating interstate behaviour. Although international law regulates states’ behaviour, it remains an instrument of world politics– serving state interests of those capable of manipulating it, yet simultaneously sustaining a semblance of universal legality. Sadly, the nuclear law imbibed in international conventions or treaties is being politically […]

Freedom of expression is not absolute: William Shakespeare said, “Conversation should be pleasant without scurrility, witty without affectation, free without indecency, learned without conceitedness, novel without falsehood.” Is the world going to be a better place if all speech or communication conforms to this standard? Freedom of expression is a fundamental international human right. It […]

Islamophobia is the negative representation of irrational hostility, fear, or hatred of Islam, Muslims, and Islamic culture, and active discrimination against these groups or individuals within them. Today, Islamophobia in Europe manifests itself through individual attitudes and behaviours, and the policies and practices of organizations and institutions. Many European states have a tendency to prefer […]

For the readers of international relations, it remains the stark fact that is not only the UN peacekeeping mission where Pakistan has been keeping an epoch- making record but also in the domain of international peace diplomacy, Pakistan has set a historical record as a peace mediator. Recently, Dr Henry Kissinger, the former US Secretary […]

The current visit of the Russian FM Sergey Lavrov to Pakistan (April 6-7) ushers in remaking Pakistan-Russia strategic relationship based on mutual understanding on the issues of regional security, counterterrorism and the Afghan peace process. Russia now most likely accepts Pakistan defense and energy needs as legitimate in the interest of the balance of power […]