India’s external intelligence agency, the Research and Analysis Wing (RAW), has long been meddling in its neighbours’ affairs. Founded in 1968, primarily to counter China’s influence, over time it has shifted its focus to Pakistan. On the other side of the border, in Pakistan, the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) performs the task of countering RAW activities and both agencies have been …

The Victims of Ethnic Cleansing From the slums of Kenya and refugee camps of Lebanon to the sugar plantations of the Dominican Republic and the far reaches of Myanmar, men, women and children across the world have found themselves living without citizenship rights. Rejected by their countries of birth and unwelcome everywhere else, they are called by international rights organizations …

The Saudi-Iranian rivalry has been roiling the peace in the Middle East. The latest stage of this ‘duel’ is Yemen. Already the poorest country in the Middle East, wracked by soaring unemployment, dwindling oil and water reserves and recent struggle for power among various Yemeni factions and personalities, now Yemen is being torn apart by this proxy war between Riyadh …

William Dalrymple’s “deadly triangle” that comprises India, Pakistan and Afghanistan is going through a number of important events these days and the developments might give regional peace and stability some trying times ahead. But, the question arises here that whether the region would continue to face the same old challenges when the new leadership is at the helm in these …

Recently, through a classified report, the Balochistan government conveyed to the federal government and law enforcement agencies a warning of increased footprints of the terrorist group ISIS or Daesh in the country. The report says that the ISIS has recruited 10,000 to 12,000 followers from the Hangu district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Kurram tribal district. The organization has created a …

A Sinister Plan to Stay Put in Afghanistan? | On September 30, soon after the swearing-in of the new Afghan president, Ashraf Ghani Ahmadzai, the Bilateral Security Agreement (hereinafter BSA) between Afghanistan and the United States was signed in Kabul. The US Ambassador to Afghanistan James Cunningham and Afghan National Security Advisor Hanif Atmar signed the BSA that will ensure …

Islam and the state has always been a debatable issue in Pakistan. Cultural Islam continually dominates the lives of the Pakistanis. There was no main dissent among different sects, and people actively participated in each other’s religious affairs. The radical strain proliferated by Zia’s Islamization resulted in the worst sectarian strife ever. Introduction Militancy in Pakistan has deep roots in …

Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), a world body of 57 Muslim countries, is the second largest intra-governmental organization after the UN in the whole world. Article 1 of the OIC Charter lays down its first and the foremost objective as “to enhance and consolidate the bonds of fraternity and solidarity among the member states.” This is the organization which aims …

The PML-N, PTI and an assortment of religio-political Islamic parties had been clamouring for ‘dialogue’ with the Taliban. Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif also constituted a four-member committee, comprising, PM’s Adviser Irfan Siddiqui, renowned journalist Rahimullah Yusufzai‚ former ambassador Rustam Shah Mehmand and former ISI official Major (R) Amir, for negotiations with the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP). But, the process soon hit …

Federal Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali while presenting ‘though half-baked’ Pakistan’s first-ever ‘National Security Policy’ (NSP) in National Assembly on February 26, vowed to inanimate the National Counter Terrorism Authority (Nacta) and to establish a National Intelligence Directorate (NID) under its umbrella to counter the menace of terrorism and militancy. The PM approved the establishment of NID ‘having the coordination …