2018

Six Principles of Political Realism

Six Principles of Political Realism

“Politics is an art and not a science, and what is required for its mastery is not the rationality of the engineer but the wisdom and the moral strength of the statesman.” ― Hans J. Morgenthau In 1948, noted political scientist Hans J. Morgenthau published his famous book “Politics Among Nations: The Struggle for Power and Peace”. This classic text, …

Read More »

What is the Kishanganga Water Dispute?

What is the Kishanganga Water Dispute?

The dispute revolves around a hydroelectric power plant on the Kishanganga River, which is a tributary of the Jhelum and is known as Neelum in Pakistan. On May 19, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the project – which includes a dam on the tributary – barely metres away from the Line of Control in the disputed Kashmir region. The …

Read More »

In Conversation with M. Awaid Irshad Bhatti (PAS), 1st in Pakistan CSS-2017

In Conversation with M. Awaid Irshad Bhatti (PAS), 1st in Pakistan CSS-2017

WTI’s teachers as well as the administration, led by Sir Adeel Niaz, have been a constant source of motivation and support for me in this process. Jahangir’s World Times (JWT): First of all, please tell us about your educational background? Muhammad Awaid Irshad Bhatti (MAIB): I completed my high school education from Aitchison College, Lahore. Later, I did BSc from …

Read More »

The FATA-KP Merger & the Challenges Ahead

The FATA-KP Merger & the Challenges Ahead

Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) does not exist anymore with the same name and status. The outgoing PML-N government did a historic job when it merged the region administered by the federation with the adjacent province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa through the 31st constitutional amendment. However, it is to be noted here that this merger was not a decision taken overnight …

Read More »

Elections 2018 and Our Future

Elections 2018 and Our Future

By: Raqeeb Kakar Need for introspection before casting the vote Come forward, share your opinion. It is to establish an idea (though models and narratives are state-owned). Get slammed for the presentation proffered and surely whittle down living in a bubble. Mao Zedong likely emphasises, “You cannot make an omelette without breaking eggs.” Surely, freedom of speech is a flamboyant …

Read More »

Radical Tax Reforms

Radical Tax Reforms

Need for Making Tax System Equitable Income tax is the major levy in almost all the developed countries, which, therefore, have direct tax collection as the largest share in their overall national tax collection. In these countries, income inequalities are minimal and the living standards of the people are high, yet almost similar. A stranger hardly finds poor people in …

Read More »

The Gilgit-Baltistan Order 2018

The Gilgit-Baltistan Order 2018

A Promising Start or mere eyewash? On May 24, the long wait for full citizenship of Pakistan for the residents of Gilgit-Baltistan finally ended after the local government formally promulgated the Gilgit-Baltistan Order 2018. The piece of legislation, which received presidential assent on June 01, replaces the Gilgit-Baltistan Self-Governance Order 2009. While spelling out the provisions of the Order, the …

Read More »

National Internal Security Policy 2018-2023

National Internal Security Policy 2018-2023

On May 29, the outgoing PML-N government unveiled the National Internal Security Policy (NISP) 2018-23 to address terrorism, extremism and other crimes effectively. The new policy, which is the continuation of the NISP 2014-18, has ascertained Daesh as the biggest national security threat to Pakistan by saying that “[t]he emergence of Daesh in close proximity to Pakistan has raised new …

Read More »

Federally Administered Tribal Areas

Federally Administered Tribal Areas

Redefining the National and International Law Introduction Does the law constitute a state or does the state constitute the law? To this query, no binary answer can be proffered. Pakistan as a state, besides being a product of politics, was very much a product of constitutional law. Just days before the end of the constitutional period of the last PML-N-led …

Read More »

The Missile Race in South Asia

The Missile Race in South Asia

A tool to expand India’s hegemony  Proliferation of military technologies and unremitting arms race between India and Pakistan are the outcomes of the divergent threat perceptions of both countries. These perceptions are based on their respective competitive security narratives and, more importantly, their track record of unending hostility between them. Missile technology is among the major military technologies that eat …

Read More »