LATEST ⦿

The introduction of India’s Agnipath scheme has stalled the historic Gorkha recruitment process, challenging a 200-year-old tradition and Nepal’s economic stability. This paper argues for a Hybrid Gorkha Model, a reformative structure extending service terms to 7–10 years with pension guarantees and skill development. Such a model not only preserves the Gorkha legacy but also strengthens India–Nepal bilateral ties amid evolving regional geopolitics.
A tenuous ceasefire between Pakistan and Afghanistan’s Taliban regime has halted hostilities for now, but the calm conceals deeper fissures rooted in history, ideology, and regional rivalries. As cross-border tensions resurface, the decades-old dispute over the Border, the Taliban’s harboring of TTP militants, and India’s quiet re-entry into Kabul are reshaping South Asia’s most volatile frontier.
Pakistan’s National Climate Change Policy (NCCP) presents a comprehensive roadmap to tackle the country’s growing climate challenges. From managing water resources and protecting biodiversity to empowering women and promoting renewable energy, the NCCP blends adaptation and mitigation for a sustainable future. Yet, implementation gaps: limited funding, institutional weaknesses, and policy incoherence, threaten its potential. Strengthened governance, transparency, and international cooperation remain key to turning this vision into climate resilience for Pakistan.

LATEST ⦿

The introduction of India’s Agnipath scheme has stalled the historic Gorkha recruitment process, challenging a 200-year-old tradition and Nepal’s economic stability. This paper argues for a Hybrid Gorkha Model, a reformative structure extending service terms to 7–10 years with pension guarantees and skill development. Such a model not only preserves the Gorkha legacy but also strengthens India–Nepal bilateral ties amid evolving regional geopolitics.
Jammu and Kashmir, once celebrated as the “paradise on Earth,” carries a 4,500-year legacy of diverse civilizations, faiths, and cultures. From ancient myths of “Kashyap Mar” to the enduring spirit of Kashmiriyat, every era has left an imprint on its identity. Yet, decades of Indian occupation and demographic manipulation under the Hindutva agenda now threaten to erase this timeless heritage. Preserving Kashmir’s culture is not just a regional necessity, it’s a global responsibility.
From India to Sri Lanka, disinformation has become a weapon of mass manipulation, fueling mob violence, deepening polarization, and corroding democratic institutions. As truth becomes contested, South Asia’s future stability hinges on digital literacy, civic resilience, and responsible governance.
India’s rapid economic growth hides a deepening crisis of inequality, unemployment, and poverty. As corporate wealth expands, millions struggle for basic survival—exposing the fragility of the country’s neoliberal growth model.
The security architecture of South and Central Asia is undergoing a significant realignment, the implications of which are crystallizing along the Afghanistan-Pakistan border. To view the Afghan Taliban's engagement with India and the TTP's escalation of attacks as disconnected is to miss the emergence of a complex geopolitical dynamic. This signals a fundamental recalibration of regional relationships, forcing Pakistan to confront a renewed and more intricate security dilemma.
Pakistan’s Stability: A Silent Pillar of US Strategic Interests

Pakistan’s Stability: A Silent Pillar of US Strategic Interests

Long seen through a security lens, Pakistan is now redefining its role in US strategy, as a supplier of critical minerals, a connectivity hub between Central and South Asia, and a stabilizing force in a volatile region. Amid global competition with China and shifting energy dynamics, Washington increasingly views Pakistan’s stability not as a choice but as a strategic necessity anchoring its economic and geopolitical interests across Asia.

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The Nobel Peace Prize or War Prize? A History of Controversial Laureates.

The Nobel Peace Prize or War Prize? A History of Controversial Laureates

Far from being an impartial recognition of pacifism, the Nobel Peace Prize’s legacy is marred by controversial laureates whose actions have been linked to immense violence. The prize is not a universal arbiter of peace but a political instrument reflecting a Western-centric worldview, rewarding figures who align with its geopolitical interests, regardless of the blood on their hands.

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From Policy to Action: Analyzing Pakistan’s Climate Change Framework in Light of IPCC Insights

From Policy to Action: Analyzing Pakistan’s Climate Change Framework in Light of IPCC Insights

Pakistan’s National Climate Change Policy (NCCP) presents a comprehensive roadmap to tackle the country’s growing climate challenges. From managing water resources and protecting biodiversity to empowering women and promoting renewable energy, the NCCP blends adaptation and mitigation for a sustainable future. Yet, implementation gaps: limited funding, institutional weaknesses, and policy incoherence, threaten its potential. Strengthened governance, transparency, and international cooperation remain key to turning this vision into climate resilience for Pakistan.

Read More »

Kashmir’s Fading Legacy: Mythology, Etymology, and the Erosion of Cultural Identity under Indian Occupation

Jammu and Kashmir, once celebrated as the “paradise on Earth,” carries a 4,500-year legacy of diverse civilizations, faiths, and cultures. From ancient myths of “Kashyap Mar” to the enduring spirit of Kashmiriyat, every era has left an imprint on its identity. Yet, decades of Indian occupation and demographic manipulation under the Hindutva agenda now threaten to erase this timeless heritage. Preserving Kashmir’s culture is not just a regional necessity, it’s a global responsibility.

Read More »
TTP’s resurgence under the Afghan Taliban threatens not just Pakistan but global stability, linking jihadist networks across South and Central Asia.

Terrorism Beyond Borders: Why the TTP Threat Is Not Pakistan’s Alone

The resurgence of Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) under the Taliban’s ideological protection is reactivating global terror networks across South and Central Asia. This op-ed explores how the TTP’s links with al-Qaeda, ISKP, and TIP make it a transnational threat, one that endangers U.S., Chinese, and regional interests alike, not just Pakistan’s stability.

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Islamophobia and Global Politics After 9/11

Islamophobia and Global Politics After 9/11

The 9/11 attacks reshaped global politics and ignited the US-led “War on Terror.” Beyond Afghanistan and Iraq, Muslims worldwide faced rising Islamophobia, systemic discrimination, and cultural vilification. This era marked the transformation of prejudice into an entrenched political and social structure across the West.

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TTP’s resurgence under the Afghan Taliban threatens not just Pakistan but global stability, linking jihadist networks across South and Central Asia.

Terrorism Beyond Borders: Why the TTP Threat Is Not Pakistan’s Alone

The resurgence of Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) under the Taliban’s ideological protection is reactivating global terror networks across South and Central Asia. This op-ed explores how the TTP’s links with al-Qaeda, ISKP, and TIP make it a transnational threat, one that endangers U.S., Chinese, and regional interests alike, not just Pakistan’s stability.

Read More »
Islamophobia and Global Politics After 9/11

Islamophobia and Global Politics After 9/11

The 9/11 attacks reshaped global politics and ignited the US-led “War on Terror.” Beyond Afghanistan and Iraq, Muslims worldwide faced rising Islamophobia, systemic discrimination, and cultural vilification. This era marked the transformation of prejudice into an entrenched political and social structure across the West.

Read More »

South Asia

The introduction of India’s Agnipath scheme has stalled the historic Gorkha recruitment process, challenging a 200-year-old tradition and Nepal’s economic stability. This paper argues for a Hybrid Gorkha Model, a reformative structure extending service terms to 7–10 years with pension guarantees and skill development. Such a model not only preserves the Gorkha legacy but also strengthens India–Nepal bilateral ties amid evolving regional geopolitics.
A tenuous ceasefire between Pakistan and Afghanistan’s Taliban regime has halted hostilities for now, but the calm conceals deeper fissures rooted in history, ideology, and regional rivalries. As cross-border tensions resurface, the decades-old dispute over the Border, the Taliban’s harboring of TTP militants, and India’s quiet re-entry into Kabul are reshaping South Asia’s most volatile frontier.

Afghanistan

Beyond Words: Why Afghanistan’s Actions on Terrorism Will Define Regional Trust

Kabul’s calls for dialogue sound promising, but the continued presence of TTP sanctuaries on Afghan soil fuels deadly instability in Pakistan. Until the Taliban translates words into decisive action against terrorism, any talk of regional trust will remain hollow.

Bagram: The Empire’s Airfield

Bagram Airbase was the nerve center of America’s two-decade war in Afghanistan and a unique strategic vantage point at the crossroads of South, Central, and West Asia. Its loss created a void in US power projection that over-the-horizon operations cannot fill.

India

India’s rapid economic growth hides a deepening crisis of inequality, unemployment, and poverty. As corporate wealth expands, millions struggle for basic survival—exposing the fragility of the country’s neoliberal growth model.
Sheikh Hasina’s resignation ended India’s golden era of ties with Bangladesh, leaving New Delhi scrambling to counter China’s growing influence. Can Quad engagement offer India a path to rebuild trust and secure the Bay of Bengal?

Pakistan

A tenuous ceasefire between Pakistan and Afghanistan’s Taliban regime has halted hostilities for now, but the calm conceals deeper fissures rooted in history, ideology, and regional rivalries. As cross-border tensions resurface, the decades-old dispute over the Border, the Taliban’s harboring of TTP militants, and India’s quiet re-entry into Kabul are reshaping South Asia’s most volatile frontier.
Pakistan’s National Climate Change Policy (NCCP) presents a comprehensive roadmap to tackle the country’s growing climate challenges. From managing water resources and protecting biodiversity to empowering women and promoting renewable energy, the NCCP blends adaptation and mitigation for a sustainable future. Yet, implementation gaps: limited funding, institutional weaknesses, and policy incoherence, threaten its potential. Strengthened governance, transparency, and international cooperation remain key to turning this vision into climate resilience for Pakistan.
The South Asia Times (SAT) hosted a national webinar titled “From the Periphery to the Center: What People at Our Margins Endure,” spotlighting how Pakistan’s border regions, Balochistan, Gilgit-Baltistan, Azad
South Asia Times’ X Space session on AJK protests featured insights from Farzana Yaqoob and Sardar Sohail Hassan, examining JAAC’s demands, Pakistan’s subsidies, governance challenges, youth mobilisation, and India’s shifting

Governance, Protests, and Identity: Decoding the Crisis in Azad Jammu and Kashmir

South Asia Times’ X Space session on AJK protests featured insights from Farzana Yaqoob and Sardar Sohail Hassan, examining JAAC’s demands, Pakistan’s subsidies, governance challenges, youth mobilisation, and India’s shifting narratives. The dialogue unpacked how local grievances are exploited by vested and external interests.

The Kashmir Equation: Rethinking Strategy Amid Shifting Geopolitics

At a SAT roundtable in Islamabad, key voices from policy, academia, and activism called for inclusive, strategic, and diplomatic approaches to the Kashmir crisis.

From The Periphery to the Center: What People at Our Margins Endure

The South Asia Times (SAT) hosted a national webinar titled “From the Periphery to the Center: What People at Our Margins Endure,” spotlighting how Pakistan’s border regions, Balochistan, Gilgit-Baltistan, Azad Jammu & Kashmir, and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, face deep-rooted governance challenges, economic neglect, and communication voids. Experts called for shifting from a security-centric to an inclusion-driven policy model to rebuild trust, empower youth, and turn Pakistan’s peripheries into engines of national resilience.
India’s rapid economic growth hides a deepening crisis of inequality, unemployment, and poverty. As corporate wealth expands, millions struggle for basic survival—exposing the fragility of the country’s neoliberal growth model.
Bombay and Calcutta were more than colonial capitals, they embodied imperial urban planning, economic integration, and cultural hybridity. From segregated ‘white’ and ‘black’ towns to thriving ports, industries, and nationalist thought, these cities reveal how British rule reshaped India’s urban life while leaving enduring legacies still visible today.
Pakistan has the military capacity to challenge Israel’s siege on Gaza, but not the strategic insulation of Iran. Its real role is not war posturing but disrupting the default — building structures, alliances, and deterrence frameworks that restore coherence to a fragmented Muslim world.
When the Taliban returned to power in 2021, Pakistan saw hope. Four years later, TTP and BLA attacks have surged, Kabul’s ties with India are deepening, and Islamabad faces a
India's unchecked missile development raises concerns, while baseless allegations against Pakistan persist.
The development of hypersonic missiles, BMD systems, advanced surveillance assets, and nuclear submarines reveals India’s shift away from a purely defensive doctrine.
As Israel and India expand support for militancy in Balochistan. Iran and Pakistan are moving closer in security cooperation to counter foreign-backed separatism.
In 2025, Pakistan and the U.S. reset strained ties through counterterrorism, diplomacy, and strategic cooperation, marking a new phase in South Asian geopolitics.
India’s nuclear program, built on deception and civilian technology diversion, has expanded into one of the world’s fastest-growing arsenals, fueling regional instability.