The populist right has wasted no time waiting for facts to emerge about the identity of the attacker in Berlin or a motive to slam Chancellor Angela Merkel for her humane asylum policy and to push its xenophobic agenda. This dangerous — if predictable — reaction plays directly into the hands of the Islamic State, which would like nothing better …

By Amanat Ali Chaudhry Civil-military relations have enjoyed a chequered history in Pakistan. The consequences of this tug of war, which has been a pronounced feature of our past, have not been positive as they have hampered the strengthening of institutions. Over the years, the country has suffered a great deal as security challenges have multiplied, governance structures are unable …

By Abdul Zahoor Khan Marwat According to Indian Lieutenant General Raj Kadyan, a former Deputy Chief of Army Staff, “Kashmir today is a reality. A conventional war is a hypothetical scenario. From all indications there should be no conventional war. We don’t need it and Pakistan cannot afford it. Nor is there a chance of a war with China. They …

By Waqar Ahmed While Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi claims that Pakistan is the hotbed of terrorism in the region, a look at India’s active role in the creation of Bangladesh is worth revealing. The Bangladesh government has recently issued a gazette notification, defining the term ‘freedom fighter”. The definition has been finalised on the recommendation of Jatiya Muktijoddha Council. …

Panama City: From the Panama Papers to the impeachments of the presidents of Brazil and South Korea, 2016 was a year marked by corruption scandals, and by rising public outrage over graft. The question is, will that translate into a lasting demand for cleaner politics? “A new phenomenon” is being seen, said Jose Ugaz, a renowned Peruvian lawyer and the …

PAKISTANI people’s refusal to face the truth was again demonstrated last Friday when the fall of Dhaka in 1971 and the carnage at Peshawar’s Army Public School two years ago were remembered. At the meetings held to recall the 1971 debacle two points were generally made — that the people did not know what was happening in East Pakistan and …

By:  John J. Hamre CSIS President and CEO The greatness of a democratic political system is that there is legitimacy with change. When an authoritarian government changes leaders, there is always uncertainty of what it means and what will happen. This year, in the United States, Donald Trump won a legitimate election and is now president-elect. This was an election …