October 2014

Relations between India and Pakistan have long been strained by a number of historical and political issues. The relationship of the two South Asian nations has been plagued with hostility and suspicion. Regional peace, and to an extent, the peace of the world has been held hostage by this bitter hostility for the past 67 years. Recently, new Indian government …

The issue of State-owned Enterprises (SOEs) has been in focus in Pakistan for the past many years. The increasing fiscal deficit has further sharpened the focus on the losses of SOEs, and most analysts advocate privatization as its solution. However, keeping in view the experience at the national and international economic level, this is not a viable solution. Despite all …

The Indian and Pakistani foreign secretaries were supposed to meet to ’talk about talks.’ India cancelled the dialogue at the eleventh hours as ‘punishment’ after Pakistan’s high commissioner in Delhi met with Kashmiri political groups. In the aftermath, there has been a dramatic escalation of shelling along the Line of Control (LoC) in Kashmir. This latest failure by both states …

Results of the recent elections to the European Parliament astounded leaders and political scientists alike. The rise of the far right is being seen as a threat to the very existence of the EU, as indicated by British government’s overtures. This is the most crucial time in the history of Europe as a great paradigm shift has been witnessed. The …

A famous English writer and poet Walter Savage Landor once said, “We talk on principle, but we act on interest.” The undeniable reality about relations among states is their vault on interests. Interest only is the permanent thing that sets the overall goal and agenda of a country’s foreign policy. With the turn of events in the international arena, a …

Very little is known to the Pakistani public about the depth and breadth of Pak-Russia relations. Spectrum of this relationship is very wide on the canvas that is deprived of the proper colours to complete the picture. One can only blame the media and the bureaucracy of Pakistan for this sorry state of affairs. Nevertheless, it is an undeniable fact …

During the Cold War, when the world stood divided between socialist and capitalist camps, foreign policy of any country was reflective of its internal policies. Theoretically, countries having pro-people, welfare-oriented policies were considered socialists whereas those subscribing to unbridled capitalism were in Western or capitalist camp. There were also non-aligned countries, but from those, India and Pakistan were not only …

Crafting a more effective foreign policy constitutes a challenge in a political environment in which non-state actors and their sympathisers have come to occupy a position of strength. Common sense suggests that Pakistan should have friendly relations with all neighbours and with global powers that hold sway. Such a level-headed foreign policy requires realism and has little room for knee-jerk …

Chinese president Xi Jinping has four major reasons for delaying his high-profile state visit to Pakistan. Xi was set to visit Pakistan as part of a tour that also included India and Sri Lanka, with Islamabad being the likely first stop. On 6 September, however, the Chinese foreign ministry released a statement stating that the trip would be cancelled for …

Back to Square One, Peace is Still Elusive, Spilling the Beans?, Nature’s Wrath or Sheer Ineptness?, Better Late Than Never!, A Wake-up Call, It’s A Big No!, Historic Yet Insignificant, Imposed Reconciliation, A Never-ending War, Back to Square One! On Aug 18, New Delhi called off the Aug 25 meeting of foreign secretaries of the two countries because of Pakistani …