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“All human situations have their inconveniences. We feel those of the present but neither see nor feel those of the future; and hence we often make troublesome changes without amendment, and frequently for the worse.” – Benjamin Franklin The Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) Summit on...

On September 6, 2015, a bill was moved in the National Assembly that has called for extensive reforms in the Federally Administered Tribal Areas. This bill puts forward certain propositions related to the constitutional status of FATA by amending Article 1, sub clause 2(c) that states that...

“War against terrorism and extremism is being fought for future generations.” General Raheel Sharif Chief of Army Staff (Command and Staff College, Quetta, 21st May, 2015) Contemporaneously, violent extremism has emerged not only as one of the most daunting challenges faced by Pakistan, but is...

Pakistan and Russia are entering into a new phase of bilateral cooperation as Moscow announced lifting of an arms embargo on Pakistan on June 2, 2014 which was imposed during the Soviet era. This step is being viewed by the relevant experts as a major development insofar as the two countries’...

The Middle East region has undergoing tumultuous changes in the last few years impacting the adjoining regions including Pakistan. In the wake of the ongoing crises, the region is divided on multiple fault-lines; ethnic, sectarian and nationalistic. Unfortunately, various Muslim/Arab states...

Contrary to popular speculation, the local Government elections in the province of Balochistan were carried out in a peaceful manner. Sequel to conduct of these elections, the Chief Minister of Balochistan, Dr Abdul Malik Baloch has expressed optimism for the restoration of peace and normalcy in...

Insurgency can be contextualized as an organized set of subversive and violent activities geared to control, nullify or challenge political control of an area by the insurgents. In other words, it can be defined as a struggle to achieve political space by armed means in order to implement...

On May 14-15, 2014, Pakistan Navy organized an international maritime seminar in Lahore. The seminar was held at the newly-constructed building of the Pakistan Navy War College at Walton, and jointly managed and sponsored by the Navy War College as well as the National Centre for Maritime Policy...

The ever-present mot in the rumormongers’ eye, Pakistan’s nuclear weapons program has made it to the headlines again. This time the country is allegedly at the brink of proliferating nuclear weapons to Saudi Arabia. This particular sensational story was broken by the Sunday Times, and quoted...

“We fought for Bangladesh’s ‘swabhimaan’ (honor)… alongside Mukti Jodhas (Mukti Bahani)… for Bangladesh.” –Narindra Modi, Indian Prime Minister Address at the University of Dhaka 7th June 2015 Once again, in the contentious history of the post-colonial subcontinent, has an Indian Premiere...

The surfacing of Islamic State (IS) and its inroads in Iraq and Syria have given rise to grave concerns to the stability and security of the region with devastating effects, despite the U.S.-led counter-force to check its advances in the region. The IS (also known as Daʿesh) has declared Global...

Canada recently signed a 280 million dollar deal for the supply of 3,000 metric tonnes of uranium over the next five years to India, a nuclear weapon state outside the NPT. This deal comes against the backdrop of expert warnings that the agreement will spur proliferation in the region, and if...

The newly-elected President of Sri Lanka, Maithripala Sirsisena, in his first visit abroad has chosen India to show his preference and future direction of foreign policy approach. He and Premier Narindara Modi signed an agreement on nuclear safety aiming to provide Sri Lanka with nuclear energy...

Yemen, a country located in the South of Saudi Arabia is increasingly making headlines these days both regionally and internationally. Conflicts, uprisings, drone attacks (which began in the country in 2002) and disturbances, none of which are unknown to the residents of Yemen, as the country...

On December 31, 2014, India’s Border Security Force (BSF) troops invited the Punjab Rangers personnel for a flag meeting, but greeted the unsuspecting soldiers with a volley of unprovoked fire, causing severe injuries to two soldiers. The unabated Indian firing denied timely medical attention to...

Pakistan is in a state of war since the Afghan invasion of 1979 and suffered immense human and material losses since then. Pakistan’s role in the ‘war on terror’ and post 9/11 regional security environment, exposed its weaknesses and vulnerabilities to the ‘inside’ enemy. The high profile...

The execution of political dissent in Egyptian politics is not an unusual occurrence; in fact it is a common incident in what are considered ‘closed’ societies and dictatorial regimes. In Mohamed Morsi’s trial however, there are certain factors which can be considered responsible for this...

According to Amnesty International on July 1, 2015, “India has martyred one lakh (100,000) people in Kashmir. More than 8,000 disappeared (while) in the custody of army and state police. No one has returned so far.” Indian Occupied Kashmir (IOK) has been in the news off and on since Indian...

Pakistan’s defence budget proposal for the year 2015-2016, was announced on 5th June, 2015, with the budget standing at PKR 781 billion, and the allocation for defence increased by 11.6 percent. Unsurprisingly, in the typically cavalier fashion of its critics, this increase has come under harsh...

Original Source: Centre for Pakistan and Gulf Studies (CPGS)