Unlocking Pakistan’s mineral fortune is less a matter of geology and more a test of governance. It hinges on attracting investment, implementing equitable policies, and navigating deep-seated grievances to avoid the resource curse that has plagued other nations.
Deconstructing leadership in modern times requires exploring the wisdom of Plato, Machiavelli, and Confucius alongside modern thinkers like John Maxwell and Ronald Heifetz. Loyalty, empathy, innovation, and purpose emerge as essential traits, shaping transformational leaders for a rapidly changing and unequal world.
Amnesty International’s Shadows of Control paints a bleak picture of Pakistan’s digital surveillance. Yet by sidelining the country’s acute security challenges, dismissing existing legal safeguards, and overlooking its own credibility issues, the report offers a partial and misleading narrative. A more balanced approach requires situating surveillance within Pakistan’s counterterrorism imperatives and recognizing the global double standards at play.
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.
From the Arab Spring to Sri Lanka’s Aragalaya, street revolutions have ignited extraordinary hope, toppling entrenched rulers and inspiring global headlines. But history shows a harsher truth: these uprisings rarely deliver the transformation they promise. Once the euphoria fades, fractured coalitions give way to elite capture, military takeovers, or outright collapse. Without resilient institutions, the energy of the streets is easily co-opted, leaving ordinary citizens facing the same injustices under new faces.
South Asia’s democracies are being hollowed out by the cult of celebrity-politicians. Charisma is eclipsing competence, leaving institutions weakened.
Since the Taliban’s return in 2021, Afghanistan has plunged into isolation, economic collapse, and humanitarian disaster. Security threats from ISKP, worsening poverty, healthcare breakdown, the rollback of women’s rights, and mass displacement have left millions facing unprecedented hardship.
Afghanistan’s descent into chaos has transformed into a global crisis, driven by terrorism, narcotics, and human suffering. Since the Taliban’s return, the country has re-emerged as a dangerous incubator for extremist groups and a global hub for narcotics production, creating a vicious cycle that threatens regional stability and international security alike.
AI will change jobs, but high costs, regulations, and human skills mean it will partner with us rather than replace us entirely.
From economic revival to global diplomacy, Pakistan’s transformation offers a blueprint for turning adversity into sustainable progress.