The joint communique, issued at the conclusion of two-day extraordinary meeting of NATO countries held in Chicago, voiced the resolve of NATO to hand over the security responsibilities to the Afghan National Security Force and stick to 2014 deadline for a complete exit of their forces from Afghanistan. However, trainers will continue to stay back to train the Afghan forces. …

In narrowly contested elections, the Socialists led by Francois Hollande have finally made it to Elysee Palace in France after 17 long years. According to results of second round which was held on May 6, Francois Hollande garnered 52% of total votes, while the incumbent President Nicolas Sarkozy ended up getting 48%, thereby losing the political battle to his opponent. …

As parliament nears its fifth year, debate would certainly intensify on its role in meeting the challenges facing the nation and strengthening democracy. Present parliament of Pakistan, which was elected in February 2008, has entered its fifth and final year. The fact that despite no political party having a clear majority in either of the House, this parliament has completed …

The Success of this Report would depend largely upon the quality of parliamentary leadership in overseeing its implementation. This has also huge stakes as far as civil-military relations are concerned. Mian Raza Rabbani, the head of Parliamentary Committee on National Security (PCNS), presented the recommendations of the committee in a joint sitting of parliament on March 20. While addressing the …

It was not merely another summit or a multilateral engagement amongst the regional countries. Rather coming as it did in the wake of estranged relations between the US on the one hand and Pakistan, Iran and the Karzai government on the other, this Summit assumed greater symbolism and meaning both for regional peace as well as for the US exit …

The success of the American strategy would depend upon the regional support for any solution to be sustainable and permanent. The US needs to align the regional countries for an Afghan solution which is possible due to engagement with these countries. Other key factors include the ability of the Afghan government to improve its governance and building up capacity of …

Theme for the 17th SAARC summit titled ‘Building bridges’ is most appropriate. The establishment of physical connectivity in the form of improved trade, air, road and shipping links will help the fulfillment of long-awaited dream of economic integration. The ‘Addu Declaration’, a 20-point agenda, marked the conclusion of the 17th SAARC summit. In the Communique, the member states reiterated their …

Pakistan remains an important player in the region and has vital cards to foil any attempt at what has been termed as strategic encirclement. The two-day visit of Afghan President Hamid Karazi to India, which started on October 4, 2011, ended up with an establishment of Indo-Afghanistan Strategic Partnership duly signed by the visiting Afghan President and the Indian Prime …

At a time when the relations between Pakistan and US go from bad to worse, it is important that Pakistan formulates a comprehensive national policy to deal with the security challenge. As the anti-Pakistan cacophony by the top American administration officials reached frenzied pitch accusing Pakistan of supporting the Haqqani network, Pakistan bounced back with a vengeance. Both political and …

A well-structured de-radicalisation strategy should be formed by a combination of various factors. The national seminar on de-radicalisation organized by the Pakistan Army in Swat brought together scholars, academicians and experts on counter-insurgency and de-radicalisation from around the world. The moot also provided an opportunity to debate the phenomenon of radicalisation in Pakistan and suggest practical, effective and better models …