Themes

The End of Liberal Internationalism

The End of Liberal Internationalism

The 2025 U.S. National Security Strategy marks a decisive break from the post-1945 liberal order, replacing globalism and multilateralism with a neo-Westphalian focus on sovereign nation-states, fortified borders, and exclusionary spheres of influence. It signals America’s retreat from global leadership and the return of great-power rivalry.

Read More »
Pakistan-Only? The TTP’s Transnational Reality

Pakistan-Only? The TTP’s Transnational Reality

While the TTP publicly claims its insurgency targets only Pakistan, evidence reveals a transnational reality. Supported by Afghan fighters and resources, and shaped by the Afghan Taliban’s strategic interests, the TTP exemplifies cross-border proxy warfare. Understanding its structure, motivations, and operational networks challenges simplistic “Pakistan-only” narratives and underscores the enduring complexities of South Asian security.

Read More »
A deep dive into how the Afghan Taliban weaponises anti-Pakistan rhetoric to mask governance failures, rising poverty, and Afghanistan’s growing security meltdown.

The Politics of Blame

Afghanistan’s leadership has responded to recent international backlash by amplifying a narrative that frames Pakistan as the root of all Afghan crises. This rhetoric, pushed by senior Taliban officials, serves as a diversion from Kabul’s own administrative paralysis, economic collapse, and its complicity in enabling militant groups like the TTP. As poverty deepens and Afghanistan becomes a hub for dozens of terrorist outfits, the politics of blame has become the Taliban’s primary tool for deflecting scrutiny.

Read More »
Since Istanbul

Since Istanbul

The failure of the Istanbul talks marked a turning point. Within days, Pakistan faced coordinated suicide attacks and intensified TTP infiltration, revealing a dangerous shift in Kabul’s posture and the deepening crisis along the Durand Line.

Read More »
The Influencer Insurgent and Bots on the Ground

The Influencer Insurgent and Bots on the Ground

The rise of Mir Yar Baloch shows how hybrid warfare has created the influencer insurgent, a digital figurehead who manufactures the perception of rebellion through coordinated propaganda, state backing, and information manipulation.

Read More »
Dividend or Disaster? Why India’s Population Policy Needs a Jobs-first Approach

Dividend or Disaster? Why India’s Population Policy Needs a Jobs-first Approach

India’s youthful demographic profile presents enormous opportunities, but only if the country can generate enough quality jobs. While the Economic Survey 2024 highlights improvements in labour participation and unemployment, deeper structural issues persist, including informal work, regional disparities, and gender gaps. A jobs-first approach is essential to convert India’s demographic advantage into real and sustained economic gains.

Read More »
Mirage of Indigenization

Mirage of Indigenization

The crash of a Tejas fighter at the Dubai Air Show has exposed deep structural flaws in India’s flagship indigenous aircraft program. With two airframes lost in under two years and only a few hundred verifiable flying hours, the incident raises fresh questions about the LCA’s safety, its decades-long delays, and the strategic vulnerability created by India’s dependence on aging fleets. This piece explores how the Dubai crash fits into the broader struggle of a project that was meant to symbolize self-reliance but now risks becoming a cautionary tale.

Read More »