October 2018

An imperative to reducing tax evasion To pay debt servicing charges of $7.479 billion (principal amount of debt $5.186 billion plus interest amount of $2.293 billion) for the fiscal year 2018, the government is in dire need of funds. Therefore, to meet its obligations and to finance budget of Rs 5,103.8 billion during 2018-19, the government will be searching new …

Among many daunting issues and challenges Prime Minister Imran Khan has inherited from the PML-N government on internal and external fronts, the one related to handling Afghanistan crisis is perhaps the most critical. In his very first telephonic conversation with US Secretary of State, Michael Pompeo, the issue of terrorism and fighting militancy in Afghanistan became a hot topic and …

By: Andrew Korybko Towards a Strategic Partnership? Russia and Pakistan are well on their way to reaching a strategic partnership in the light of four very high-profile events that have taken place during the recent weeks, and sticking to the roadmap of “Rusi-Pakistani Yaar Yaar” (“Russians and Pakistanis are buddies”) could allow their relations to blossom to the point of …

Mike Pompeo’s Visit and the Future of Troubled Ties During the past few weeks, there have been a lot of developments – both positive and negative – in bilateral relations of Pakistan and the United States. The latter has been dealing heavy blows to Pakistan; inclusion of Pakistan’s name in the Grey List of the Financial Action Task Force, barring …

By: Safdar Ali China is the largest buyer of Iranian oil, Iran’s largest trading partner, and arguably its most important positive political relationship. What do Trump’s statements mean for China’s relationship with Iran, and with the greater Middle East? And how would war—or peace — between the United States and Iran affect China’s interests? The Trump Administration’s chaotic foreign policy …

By: Mahnoor Awais What it might mean for Britain The United Kingdom is scheduled to leave the European Union at 11pm UK time on Friday 29 March 2019. As both parties have, for long, failed to agree on terms of their divorce, concerns have been rising that Britain may crash out of the bloc with a no-deal Brexit. In August, …

By: conn Hallinan Trump’s Stubbornness and the Changing Face of Asia  “Boxing the compass” is an old nautical term for locating the points on a magnetic compass in order to set a course. With the erratic winds blowing out of Washington these days, countries all over Asia and the Middle East are boxing the compass and re-evaluating traditional foes and …

The gravest crimes under international law On August 27, the United Nations Fact-Finding Mission on Myanmar, which was tasked with investigating alleged human rights abuses in Myanmar, with a focus on Rakhine, announced their initial findings whereby it has been suggested that senior members of the Myanmar military, including commander-in-chief Senior General Min Aung Hlaing, “be investigated and prosecuted” for …

The inaugural session of US-India Ministerial 2+2 Dialogue was held in New Delhi on Sep 06. Major takeaways from this dialogue were the signing of the Communications Compatibility and Security Agreement (COMCASA) and setting up of a hotline between Indian ministers of external affairs and defence with their American counterparts. What is 2+2 Dialogue? A ‘2+2 dialogue’ is a term …

Implications for the region On July 30, the United States Department of Commerce granted the Strategic Trade Authorisation-1 (STA-1) status to India, making it the world’s 37th and Asia’s only third country – after Japan and South Korea – and the only South Asian country to get this status. The biggest gain for India in this is the relaxation in …