2015

In any country, even in well-established democracies, the legal framework and administrative processes for elections need to be seen as organic, requiring regular review and modification. This is important not only to ensure compliance with international standards and obligations but it also reflects a broader political need to engage in continuous efforts to sustain confidence in the efficacy of the …

Conducive environment for starting and operating a local firm is crucial for accelerating economic growth. One of the top priorities of the sates is, therefore, to create business-friendly environment; inevitable for achieving higher economic growth and reducing unemployment. Nevertheless, conflicts and violence frustrate such efforts’ gear toward establishing peace and security as a public good. The above lines describe the …

The 2-day International Seminar on Business Opportunities, organized by the Punjab government on November 6-7, presented a perfect opportunity to the international and local businessmen and investors to have frank and candid discussions on investment opportunities in Punjab and explore avenues for possible cooperation. Going by about 150 MoUs and agreements signed on the occasion, it can be said that …

Although they have made progress, South Asian countries have struggled to make the most of the opportunity urbanization provides them to transform their economies to join the ranks of richer nations in both prosperity and livability, says a World Bank report entitled Leveraging Urbanization in South Asia: Managing Spatial Transformation for Prosperity and Livability. Difficulty in dealing with the pressures …

When Chinese President Xi Jinping came to Pakistan on an official visit in April 2015, he brought a $46 billion gift that could have significant benefits for Pakistan and a major impact on the whole region. And although there remain a number of unknowns on how this massive investment package will be implemented in the coming years, it is certain …

Russia’s interest in warming up its relations with Pakistan has increased in recent years. The two countries are cosying up at a time that is of critical importance in the region as well as the whole world. This is of pivotal importance especially in the context that the world order is changing, though slowly. This resurgence of Pak-Russia cordiality has …

Bihar, the Indian state where Buddha attained enlightenment, where the civilization’s greatest empires sprang from, and which saw the world’s first residential university, delivered a sharp blow to the ruling BJP. The election loss in the heartland state came after a period of intense debate over tolerance and India’s national identity. The fear and intimidation that has permeated India is …

The question that has been arising since the outbreak of the current flare-up in the Occupied Palestinian Territories is still looking for an answer. With the brutal Israeli response to Palestinian demonstrations in occupied Jerusalem and elsewhere in the area, people keep asking: Is it the third intifada (uprising), will it be a long sustainable one? The bloody events brought …

From Palestine to Syria, from Iraq to Nigeria and from Afghanistan to Kashmir, the whole Muslim world is ablaze. Conflicts, external interventions, foreign occupations and all such factors are adding fuel to this already burning fire. This grave state of affairs warrants a serious introspection and amelioration of policies so as to transform the Muslim lands into peaceful territories. And, …

Once again, the United States has delayed the withdrawal of its troops from Afghanistan — prolonging the United States’ longest war. Despite an earlier promise to remove US troops from the war-torn country, President Barack Obama announced on October 15 that he will keep military combat troops there at least through the end of his administration in 2016. And in …