April 2026

Conflict in the Neighborhood

National AI Policy 2025 - A Critical Dissection

US - Israel War on Iran

On February 28, 2026, the United States and Israel initiated "Operation Epic Fury," a massive, coordinated military campaign against Iran. The campaign has targeted military, nuclear, and leadership sites across Iran, resulting in the martyrdom of Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei – the most influential figure remaining from the Islamic Republic's founding generation. His demise marks a turning point not only for the region but also for the whole world, as it will have serious implications for global energy security, the economy and many other areas of life.

The Zeigarnik Effect

Have you ever noticed that an unfinished business or incomplete activity holds a privileged place in memory? Are you haunted by unfulfilled goals? Do you recall what you haven't achieved more than what you have? This subtle mental tug, or more rightly an itch of the unfinished, is the Zeigarnik Effect, a fascinating psychological phenomenon that explains why incomplete tasks tend to occupy your mind more persistently than the ones you have completed.

Should Pakistan Embrace - Blockchain Technology

Pakistan's Contribution to the UN Peacekeeping Missions

Pakistan's Population Crisis

Pakistan entered 2026 as the world's fifth most populous country. However, this population boom is taking a heavy toll on already scarce national resources. To top it all, we, as a nation, have been desensitized to the issue of overpopulation, even though it is the mother of all issues. The government and the public tend to resort to conventional and myopic solutions to manage the population. But, to control unbridled population growth, a holistic approach is pressingly needed.

Hexagon of Alliances

In late February this year, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu unveiled a new geopolitical idea to form a new regional bloc to collectively stand against what he called “radical” adversaries. The proposed “Hexagon of Alliances” — six alliances with various permutations but with Israel at their center – would include India, Greece and Cyprus, along with other unnamed Arab, African and Asian states.

Countries Connected to More Than One Ocean

Two Pillars of National Power

It is an indisputable fact that the real power of a nation is hinged on a strong relationship between higher education and research. In the present-day world, the strength of a state is not measured only on the basis of its military might or the abundance of natural resources it possesses. It is determined by a nation's position in knowledge production, scientific research and technological innovation.

How the US Became the Middle East’s Decisive Power

Post-Khamenei Order

Time is Life

The US - Iran War

Lithium

Our phones, laptops, tablets, digital cameras and many other devices are powered by lithium-ion batteries. But along with these devices, perhaps the most monumental development that lithium has powered is the boom in electric vehicles (EVs). Since the global demand for lithium is forecast to reach 2.5-3.1 mmt by 2030, countries from Australia to China and South America are rushing to tap their resources.

Criticism or Attack ? - Pakistan's Fractured Public Sphere

World in Focus (Feb-Mar'26) - NATIONAL

Western Hegemony and a Rising Asia

According to the latest forecasts from the international firm Goldman Sachs, the world economic order is on the verge of a historic and unprecedented transformation; a shift in which the ancient continent of Asia will become the main center of growth and the driving engine of the global economy, challenging the traditional Western economic powers.

CSS Preparation and Time Management

Being efficacious is a fundamental human need. For CSS aspirants, this is a highly coveted trait, as they have to cover a vast syllabus and sift through countless pages of books, magazines, research papers, notes and other sources. To many, this looks quite hectic, burdensome and a real hard nut. To crack this hard nut, a commonly endorsed strategy is summarized by a popular quote by Mark Twain, who said: “If it's your job to eat a frog, it's best to do it first thing in the morning. And if it's your job to eat two frogs, it's best to eat the bigger one first.”

Learning from China

India Canada Uranium Deal

GK Tidbits

Global South Awakening

Beyond Ceremonial Leadership

In a bid to improve the standard of education in Punjab, and in Pakistan at large, the Punjab Higher Education Commission recently announced that it has finalized Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) for Vice Chancellors, marking a significant step towards enhancing leadership, governance, and academic excellence across universities. As per the PHEC announcement, “A committee of distinguished academic leaders worked extensively to align these KPIs with global best practices and local needs. Once approved, these KPIs will strengthen governance, accountability, and the quality of education across Punjab's universities.”

US Wars

Rise of the AI Soldiers

World in Focus (Feb-Mar'26) - INTERNATIONAL

Science

Hacking of TV Channels

DATA BANK

The Grand Chessboard

Following the brazen January raid that captured Venezuelan president Nicolás Maduro and the subsequent US-Israeli strikes that decapitated the Iranian leadership, the traditional map of global trade now stands incinerated. Beneath the usual rhetoric of regime changes, there may be another motive behind such drastic interventions — one that is targeted at Beijing. Although Trump had campaigned for re-election as a "peace president" after saying he preferred a diplomatic solution to the standoff with Iran, this attack is being seen as an attempt to put pressure on China. Are these interventions also part of a broader strategy to constrain China by limiting its access to energy resources? Let’s explore!

The New AXIS of Ideologies

Women's Leadership

... and Political Participation

The Rise & Fall of the Liberal International Order

Is there such a thing as a “liberal international order” anymore? The most succinct and terse answer to this question is: No. And this is not without a reason. Reports from the past few weeks suggest that it was killed off by US President Donald Trump, who joined Israel in an all-out war on the Islamic Republic of Iran without any legal basis or rationale. In pursuit of his America-First agenda, Trump has thrown out the rulebook on trade, international relations, respect for human rights and, as we have seen with the bombing of Iran, the use of lethal force against sovereign states. So, is this the end of the liberal international order, or will other liberal states be able to salvage something from the geopolitical wreckage?

From Thucydides Trap to strategic sequencing

The collapse of the old world order has accelerated into an avalanche. Hence, right here and right now, some new world is taking shape. Transitional periods are always accompanied by a certain kind of turbulence, unrest and upheaval. Changes in our contemporary world are in many respects comparable to the major transitions of human history. Although the origins of this transformation are rooted in new technologies, above all digital ones, in communications, biology, finance, medicine and many other fields, yet it reminds one of the ancient Greek historian Thucydides who, in his famous book “History of the Peloponnesian War,” wrote: “It was the rise of Athens and the fear that this instilled in Sparta that made war inevitable.” Thucydides not only recorded the events of the Great War between Athens and Sparta but has also illuminated the future, as he himself writes that he composed it “not as an essay to win the applause of the moment, but as a possession for all time.” In the contemporary world, change Athens with China and Sparta with the United States, and the whole picture becomes clear.

International Law amidst a Changing World Order

The One Who Controls the Sea - Rules the World

Idea of Nation - State is on Death Throes

The nation-state with clearly defined borders is the basic building block of political life. Today, there are around 200 nations globally, organized by ethnicity, ideology, nationalism or religion. But, since the collapse of the Soviet Union, globalization of the world economy has made political borders less important. Global and cultural interaction is, currently, at unprecedented levels and the developments in international trade, communications, air travel and the internet are challenging the pre-eminent position of the nation-state.