The remarkable story of Bangladesh connects its regal past to the present. Bengal was the richest princely state of Mughal India with a sophisticated culture and civilization. The defeat of the youthful Nawab Siraj-ud-Daula of Bengal in 1756 established the rule of the East India Company in India. British historians admit to brutal British policies…
This article is being prepared at a time when terror proxies like Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) and Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) are trying to intensify their insurgency in Balochistgan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP). The recent TTP attacks in Bannu and the Jaffar Express passenger train hijacking incidents are core examples of such intensity. The Jaffar Express,…
Pakistan’s foreign policy has long been defined by a delicate balancing act between two global giants – the United States and China. Over the decades, this engagement has shifted from periods of close cooperation with Washington to an increasingly strategic partnership with Beijing. Historically, Islamabad has oscillated between leveraging U.S. military support and cultivating economic…
The rise of extremist ideas in Indian domestic politics under the Modi government has shaken New Delhi’s constitutional foundations and its manifestations in the country’s foreign relations. The arrival of Modi in Indian politics as Prime Minister augmented the role of religion in the country’s politics based on the fanatical ideological configurations of the Bharatiya…
The United States knew twentieth century India through Mother Theresa who served the sickly in an ocean of poverty or through a Hollywood’s terrifying Tantric named Mola Ram, from the Indiana Jones universe. India came close to declaring sovereign default in 1991 with foreign reserves of just US$1 billion. Dr. Manmohan Singh, an economist of…
In the ever-evolving chessboard of South Asian geopolitics, Pakistan finds itself at a critical juncture, grappling with the unintended consequences of its once-vaunted alliance with the Taliban. What was envisioned as a strategic triumph – a friendly regime in Kabul and a buffer against Indian influence – has morphed into a complex web of challenges….
Pakistan – A land of vast resources and brilliant people – is a mantra we have grown up with, but over the years’ harsh realities hit. Almost 60% of the population of Pakistan consists of youth and the majority is hanging between education institutes and the job market. Every year, a boat sinks far away…
Lord Palmerston, a British statesman and Prime Minister is often quoted to have said that there are no permanent enemies, and no permanent friends but only permanent interests in international relations. He was primarily correct because Britain did not have land borders contiguous with any other nation but Ireland. However, for countries with neighbours geographically…
War is inevitable. The Thirty Years’ War, World War I, World War II, and the Cold War era transformed the panorama of the world. War is defined as a state of armed conflict between different countries or different groups in a country. Since the advent of time, states have been waging wars against one another…
Context In the post-October 7, 2023 Hamas-led attack on Israel, the geopolitics of Middle East is fast evolving. This has been accompanied by the loss of Hezbollah leadership in Lebanon and the fall of the Assad regime in Syria in December 2024. The inauguration of President Trump on January 20, 2025 has presented unique threats…
