June 2015

While acknowledging the fact that the impacts of colonialism, whether of positive or of negative implications, on Muslim world are, by the degree of their complexity and more importantly because of the intensity of the involved intricacy, are easy to describe and hard to measure; however, here, it would be a sheer injustice on our part if we deprive the …

Recently, Pakistan opened its first-ever solar power plant in the sun-baked lands of Bahawalpur. It is one of the first Chinese investments under the brimming partnerships, and this 100MW is a pilot project of the Government of the Punjab. Its two sponsors include the Quaid-e-Azam Solar Power (Private) Limited which is wholly owned by the Government of the Punjab, and …

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 …

For months, members of the Arab League have been calling for a joint military force to quell the violence that had engulfed the Middle East. Crisis after crisis, it seems that the entire region is smouldering. Actions and inactions of many Middle Eastern leaders have resulted in an omnipresent political instability, economic turmoil and division and violence. Moreover, atrocities of …

A Harbinger of Stability in Asia China has been intensifying its diplomatic efforts to help build a peaceful and stable Afghanistan. By indulging in regional consultations on the issue, the Chinese seem determined to deepening their ties with Kabul. All efforts by China are not because the country is seeking to only fill a void left by the withdrawal of …

 Since the end of the Cold War, the international system has been fluctuating. While the bipolar system has ended, no equivalent is in place yet. In the early days of the post-Cold War era, some talked about the uni-polar moment as the United States dominated the world with its unrivalled economic and military power. During the ensuing debate, predictions between …

A Wake-up Call for the Arab World Israelis voted in the second snap election in two years on 17 March 2015. The results showed that the incumbent Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s Likud Party scored a resounding victory despite pre-election polls showing him trailing the Zionist Union. Likud grabbed 30 out of parliament’s 120 seats and became in a position to …

The euro crisis is over. The Greek tragedy continues in the background, and a Greek exit from the euro could deal a mortal blow to the single currency project. But a “Grexit” is not a likely or realistic scenario. No one (except the British press, always keen to report the failure of the euro) doubts the future of the euro …

The growing numbers of migrants and asylum seekers fleeing turmoil in Africa, Asia, and the Middle East poses complex challenges for European policymakers. Dozens of would-be migrants are reported to have drowned between Libya and Sicily, the latest tragedy in the Mediterranean this spring. In the first five months of this year, 32,087 people have survived the crossing and arrived …

The future relationship between China and the United States is one of the mega-changes and mega-challenges of our age. China’s rise is the geopolitical equivalent of the melting polar ice caps: gradual change on a massive scale that can suddenly lead to dramatic turns of events. Can this defining trend of the 21st century be managed peacefully? There is a …