South Asia

The New Normal: End of Pakistan’s Strategic Restraint

The New Normal: End of Pakistan’s Strategic Restraint

Any hope surrounding the Pakistan–Afghanistan dialogue in Doha is colliding with renewed violence and mutual distrust. Pakistan’s recent precision strikes in Paktika, following a shattered ceasefire and terrorist attacks, signal a shift toward active defense. The talks now hinge on whether Kabul can curb militant sanctuaries and move beyond its victim narrative.

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Train to Nowhere ; Religious diversity and partition of hearts.

Train to Nowhere: Religious diversity and partition of hearts

In 1947, Punjab’s trains carried not passengers but memories — of unity turned to horror, of a land where coexistence once thrived before borders tore it apart. Train to Nowhere revisits that plural Punjab, where rivers, shrines, and songs united hearts beyond creed, reminding us that remembrance itself is resistance.

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Revising the Agnipath Scheme: Preserving the Gorkha Legacy in India-Nepal Relations

Revising the Agnipath Scheme: Preserving the Gorkha Legacy in India-Nepal Relations

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.

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The Long War: The Historical and Ideological Roots of the Pakistan–Taliban Showdown

The Long War: The Historical and Ideological Roots of the Pakistan–Taliban Showdown

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.

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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.

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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.

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Pakistan confronts a new security dilemma as the Afghan Taliban provides sanctuary to the TTP while building diplomatic ties with its adversary, India.

The Instrumentality of Asymmetry: Taliban Hedging and Pakistan’s Compounded Security Dilemma

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.

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Explore how Britain's "divide and rule" policy deliberately fractured India, turning communities into rivals and making the tragic 1947 Partition inevitable.

Ghosts of Divide and Rule Still Haunt South Asia

The British did not just govern India; they divided it. For nearly two centuries, the deliberate policy of “divide and rule” reshaped the subcontinent’s diverse communities into rival camps. By the time the British left in 1947, the wounds of division ran so deep that Partition was not just likely but inevitable, leaving a tragic legacy that continues to haunt South Asia today.

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