Governance & Public Policy

Examining how women’s empowerment in Pakistan has evolved from a social aspiration into a core driver of productivity, innovation, and inclusive national development.

The Empowerment Dividend

Women’s empowerment in Pakistan is a catalyst for progress, fueling economic growth, innovation, and stronger governance. Empowered women are shaping the nation’s future and driving measurable development gains.

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Pakistan’s intelligence-based counterterrorism operations in Tirah Valley demonstrate a calibrated, lawful, and civilian-centered approach to dismantling entrenched extremist sanctuaries.

The Operational Reality on Ground.

Tirah Valley, long exploited by Kharij networks and their facilitators, has been subjected to sustained intelligence-based operations (IBOs) rather than any conventional military offensive. Grounded in intelligence, community engagement, and the Bagh Joint Action Plan (BJAP), Pakistan’s approach prioritizes civilian protection, targeted neutralization of terrorists, and the restoration of long-term stability, countering persistent propaganda with verifiable facts.

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The Taliban’s new criminal code entrenches a tiered justice system, privileging clerics and elites while harshly punishing the poor.

Afghanistan’s New Tiered Justice System

The Taliban’s new Criminal Procedure Code formalizes a four-tiered justice system that shields clerics and elites while subjecting ordinary Afghans to imprisonment and public flogging. By codifying social hierarchy into law, the regime violates international human rights norms and subverts Islam’s foundational promise of equality before the law, turning justice into an instrument of control rather than accountability.

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Durand Line shifts from frontier to hard border, reshaping jihadist networks, militancy, and Pakistan-Afghanistan’s security landscape.

Militancy, Borderization, and the Politics of a Frontier

The Durand Line’s transformation from a porous frontier to a fenced border is altering militant strategies, funding, and regional security. Jihadist networks like TTP and IS-K are adapting to these changes while local populations face social and economic pressures.

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Is Social Media Neutral?

Is Social Media Neutral?

Social media platforms are not neutral arenas of free expression. Powered by opaque algorithms and AI-driven amplification, they increasingly shape political narratives and public perception, prompting non-Western states to frame platform regulation not as censorship, but as a question of digital and cognitive sovereignty.

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The New Dutch Disease

The New Dutch Disease

The Dutch Disease has evolved. In today’s Global South, it is no longer driven only by oil and gas but by aid, remittances, and strategic rents that create fragile, consumption-led economies while eroding state capacity, productivity, and social trust.

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