As U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken’s plane touched down on Chinese soil, it was apparent that the welcome – or lack thereof – was symbolic of the frosty state of relations between the two superpowers. With no red carpets, no traditional greetings, and notably, no high-level Communist Party of China (CPC) officials present at…
IntroductionThe ongoing discourse surrounding Islam in contemporary times has revealed numerous discrepancies as diverse religious authorities strive to define the permissible and prohibited aspects in Islam. As a consequence, religious communities often find themselves growing increasingly distant from the foundational scripture the Quran, constructing ethical frameworks and principles based on a myriad of supplementary sources….
In the words of Richard Woolf, the modern world is a story that has been repeated through centuries and that story is that of self-interest, selfishness, lust for power and complete disregard for mutual progress, magnanimity and dignity. Mankind has established many institutions with the mindset of egalitarianism and economic progress such as the United…
Since the discovery of oil in the second half of the 19th century in the US, the political power of oil has been on ample display. It has been the most critical dimension in shaping international, domestic and social life. Subsequent detection of oil reserves in Russia, Latin America and Middle East meant that the…
Pakistan has availed International Monetary Fund (IMF) loans on 22 occasions since 1950 in its very short history as an independent nation. The first IMF Agreement came in 1958 when Pakistan was struggling with its balance of payments; its most recent was in 2019 when economic conditions had so worsened that the Imran Khan government…
Ambassador (Retd) Asif Ali Durrani has been a career diplomat for more than three decades, and served as Ambassador of Pakistan to the UAE and Iran. He was also posted to India, Afghanistan, United Kingdom and Pakistan Mission to the United Nations in New York. Prior to joining the Foreign Service of Pakistan in 1986,…
Bomb/ IED Blasts The Station House Officer (SHO) of Counter-Terrorism Department (CTD) Police Station in Khuzdar Town (Khuzdar District) of Balochistan was killed on April 27 in an explosion targeting his vehicle, reports Dawn. Khuzdar Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Fahad Khosa said that the incident took place near Jhalawan Medical College located on the…
The Sino-Indian strategic contest has become an undeniable reality of the contemporary international system where the broader US-China multileveled competition has taken on many faces and affected the politics of different regions where South Asia and Southeast Asia are the exceptions. Indian increasing strategic collaboration with the United States and American growing global anti-Chines engagements…
“Four Battlegrounds” by Paul Scharre is a fascinating account of emerging technologies especially Artificial Intelligence (AI) in military affairs and modern warfare. New technologies from the invention of gun powder, artillery, automobile, airplane, tank, and submarine have propelled revolution in military affairs throughout human history. The first computer-based model was used by the Russian military…
Located in a prime area of Karachi, Flagstaff House was purchased by Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah in 1943 as his personal residence. However he did not live in the house as he had to move into the Governor General House when Pakistan came into being in 1947. Jinnah’s sister Fatima Jinnah lived in Flagstaff House…
