The most basic precondition of a true democratic setup is a healthy civil-military relationship. In all democratic countries, an elected civilian government enjoys full control over the military. However, in Pakistan, control over governance has oscillated between the two; a decade of civilian supremacy followed by a decade of military rule. The reasons for this periodic shuffling are incompetent political …

South Asia, being the region of critical importance, has a greater role to play in the world politics. But, its prospects to exert its influence are marred by the high level of mistrust between the states in the region. Inter-regional trade is just paltry when seen in the trade relations of other world regions. It is also a heavily-guarded region …

Media, may it be the print or its electronic counterpart, is the fourth pillar of state and in this capacity, it is playing a significant role in today’s Pakistan. It has, time and again, proved to be pivotal to the development of the country. The multifaceted nature of media is determined by its involvement in almost every walk of life. …

Since the beginning of this new century, it has become popular in the West, and sometimes even in the East, to argue that Islam needs its ‘Martin Luther.’ Accordingly, the authoritarianism, intolerance and violence perpetrated in the name of Islam could only be overcome with a ‘reform’ similar to the one that began in Christendom some five centuries ago. More …

The wave of Arab spring, though, has halted, yet its effects are still omnipresent. Agitation of Thai people against their government shows the nexus with this wave that is sweeping the governments away. Being myself a victim of similar circumstances, I was compelled to think that how we escaped this wave. We, the Pakistanis, are in effect inarticulate, and fight …

Myth 1: The allocation for defence is the single largest component in our budget. Not true.  The single largest allocation in Budget 2013-14 went to the Public Sector Development Programme (PSDP). The second largest allocation in Budget 2013-14 went to servicing the national debt. The third largest government expenditure, including off the budget allocations, are the losses at public-sector enterprises …

General Raheel Sharif has, no doubt, endeared himself to countless people in Pakistan, India, Kashmir, Diaspora and at the international level who subscribe to the jurisprudence of UN mechanism (UN Resolutions) on Kashmir.  The character of political and military leadership in Pakistan sets trends in the manner of interest of the Islamic Republic and common man and woman in the …

Terrorism is not a new phenomenon. Its roots can be traced back to the beginning of recorded history. Terrorism, a scourge and a menace that has shaken the very basis of modern world, is essentially an outcome of a lot of things. It’s like a punishment to a nation for no sins of its own, but of its leaders and …

Major environmental issues currently confronting Pakistan include climate change, water-energy, pollution and waste management, salinity and water logging, irrigated agriculture, biodiversity and more that are too numerous to count. Pakistan, being one of the highly vulnerable countries to climate change impact, has to bear the brunt of its effects. Environmental hazards have become a major global issue this century. These …

The story of an intense competition to shape the future of Asia. Pakistan and Iran have cordial and fraternal bilateral relations besides being the neighbours. Both countries have embarked on ambitious plans to establish economic, trade and transport contacts with Afghanistan, Central Asian states and beyond, to create leverage in the region. Construction of Gwadar Port was necessitated due to …