Money Laundering and Counter-terrorism Financing in the Legal System of Pakistan Kamran Adil Introduction The Asia/Pacific Group (APG) On Money Laundering of the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) issued a Mutual Evaluation Report (hereinafter MER) on Pakistan in October 2019. It is an interesting read for anyone interested in understanding governance in Pakistan. It maps the trajectory of policymaking and …

Kartarpur Corridor “The certain pathway to all things that you want is through the corridor of joy,” Esther Hicks. On November 09, when confrontation and mistrust is the order of the day in the Subcontinent, Pakistan took a major step towards peace. On this very important day in the history of this region, Prime Minister Imran Khan inaugurated the Kartarpur …

Imran Khan’s Regional Peace Mission Shamshad Ahmad Prime Minister of Pakistan, Imran Khan, has been on a mission for justice to the Kashmiri people, and for peace and tranquility in Pakistan’s troubled neighbourhood.  After his resounding performance in advocating the Kashmir cause at the UN General Assembly and placing the issue high on the global radar screen in September, Khan …

Hiccups and Challenges to CPEC How to turn them into opportunities? Hassaan Bin Zubair China-Pakistan Economic Corridor is a US$62 billion project designed to resolve Pakistan’s energy deficit, improve connectivity and establish economic development zones and supporting social infrastructure that lay the foundations for subsequent economic growth. Challenges posed by the geographical environment, terror groups, political instability and the management …

Reaping the Demographics Dividend through Education Maaz A. Minhas Pakistan has a great demographic opportunity for rapid economic progress as its growing population enters adulthood. However, mass illiteracy and issues of undereducation can cripple the vast potential of the nation’s youth. How well the country is able to educate its public will determine its ability to maximize the benefits of …

UK Elections 2019 A Quick Guide On 31st October, the British Parliament, owing to disagreements in the House of Commons about Brexit, passed legislation to make provision for a snap general election. Resultantly, The United Kingdom is going to have a general election on December 12.  These national votes, to choose a government to run the country, are supposed to …

We are living in an era of ongoing globalisation The markets of developing countries are crucial for global economic growth. According to an adjusted forecast by the IMF in July, emerging markets may display more than double the rate of growth in 2019 compared to developed countries: 4.1% versus 1.9%. That will result in global economic growth of 3.2%. The …

The Unholy Mess of US Middle Eastern Strategy Fear of instability looming large Anatol Lieven  President Donald Trump’s recent surprise acquiescence to a Turkish incursion into northern Syria is being increasingly seen as a betrayal of a loyal partner, and it has made American allies in the region jittery as they are alarmed by his sheer unpredictability. His inconsistent and …

The Spirit of 2019 Another unfinished spring? Protests have erupted around the world over the past few months, with hundreds of thousands of people from the Middle East to Asia, South America and the Caribbean calling for change. On the surface, some protests have appeared to be spontaneous outbursts of anger over seemingly minor concerns. But almost all of this …

Regional Comprehensive Economic programme (RCEP) The world’s biggest trade deal On November 04, fifteen Asian countries agreed to terms for the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) that is being termed the world’s biggest trade pact. What began in 2012 as a routine harmonizing of agreements between members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) is now set to turn …