How Smaller Units of Government Can Improve Public Representation in Pakistan
A resident of Rajanpur wakes up to find her street still without a functioning water connection, three months after she first complained. She does not know whether to call her local councillor, if one even exists, her MPA in Lahore, the deputy commissioner, or the relevant provincial department. Each institution points to another. This is […]
Twenty-Five Years After 9/11: A Region Still Paying the Price
A quarter century after the September 11 attacks, the Atlantic Council’s retrospective on the War on Terror offers a verdict that resists easy categorisation, and that ambiguity is itself a damning commentary on how the conflict was conceived and conducted. Nowhere is this unresolved legacy more visible than in Afghanistan, where the very threats the […]
India’s witnessing a PhD boom. But the bigger question is what comes after
A 25-year-old from Haryana joined Delhi University in 2020 to pursue a PhD in Economics. That wasn’t the plan all along. His original plan was to complete his Master’s in commerce and work with a multinational firm, like many of his batchmates. The scholar says he changed his mind after developing an interest in academia […]
Afghan Soil Militancy Exposes Taliban Denial
The official narrative maintained by the interim Taliban administration in Kabul continues to deny harboring militant networks operating against neighboring states. However, empirical evidence on the ground paints a starkly different picture of cross-border aggression emanating directly from Afghan soil. In 2026 alone, terrorist attacks originating from Afghanistan have resulted in 1,327 Pakistani citizens martyred […]
Geneva Access Cannot Legitimize Separatist Violence
The Baloch National Movement (BNM) recently publicized a meeting in Geneva between its Chairman, Dr. Naseem Baloch, and the UN Working Group on Enforced or Involuntary Disappearances. During this engagement, BNM submitted a report compiled by its advocacy arm, Paank, attempting to project international credibility. However, securing procedural access to UN special procedures is routine […]
Proposed KP Police Act 2026 Sparks Security Concerns
The proposed Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Police Act 2026 has triggered intense political and administrative debate across Pakistan. Critics argue that the proposed legislation systematically reverses the landmark institutional reforms enacted under the 2017 Police Act. Instead of safeguarding operational autonomy, the draft law consolidates command and operational control directly under the Chief Minister. In 2017, Pakistan […]
Pakistan Neutralizes Afghan Drone Incursion and Asserts Right of Self-Defense
The official statement issued by Islamabad regarding Operation Ghazab lil Haq marks a decisive turning point in regional security dynamics. On September 23, 2026, Pakistani air defense networks detected, tracked, and successfully neutralized multiple hostile drone incursions launched from Afghan territory. This deliberate attempt to violate Pakistan’s airspace represents an unacceptable escalation of cross-border aggression. […]
Chokepoint Warfare: The New Architecture of Economic Pressure at Hormuz and Bab-el-Mandeb
The Houthi forces were seen waving their flag atop Perim Island on September 11, which divides the waters of Bab-el-Mandeb into two channels that can be used for navigation. They had already captured the port town of Mokha a day before that. By the end of the weekend, they managed to control the Hanish Islands […]
Pakistan’s Role in Revitalizing the Conference on Disarmament
Pakistan’s leadership, under Ambassador Tahir Hussain Andrabi, at the United Nations Conference on Disarmament (CD) achieved a major diplomatic result at a time when international efforts to control nuclear weapons are facing uncertain political and strategic obstacles. Under Pakistan’s presidency, the CD reached a mutual consensus and adopted an annual report for review; the report […]