Pak Affairs

The US National Intelligence Council recently released its quadrennial report titled “Global Trends: Paradox of Progress” wherein it predicted a nuclear war between India and Pakistan in 2028. The report pointed out that “India will be the world’s fastest growing economy during the next five years” and that “Pakistan will feel compelled to address India’s economic and conventional military capabilities …

The health sector in Pakistan has been under perpetual crisis since long. The neglect of those at the helm of affairs can be seen in the fact that Pakistan is among the four countries in the world – others being Cameron, Laos and Nigeria – having lowest percentage of GDP spending on health. Even the war-torn Afghanistan was spending more …

The debate on FATA reforms has entered into a decisive stage, and the Federal Cabinet, in its latest meeting on February 07 was supposed to approve it but due to unending scuffle among the FATA parliamentarians and few pro-status quo politicians, FATA Reforms Bill, once again, remained off the agenda and was not discussed in the meeting. The conflict of …

China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), the strategic, game-changer project that involves an investment of $46 billion—roughly 20% of Pakistan annual GDP— is poised to change the future of not only both China and Pakistan but also of the entire region. Gwadar port promises to offer huge dividends not just to Pakistan and China but has the potential to bring about benefits …

Recently, a British newspaper the Daily Mail accused the British government of squandering more than £1 billion in foreign aid given away in cash over the past five years. It took umbrage at one scheme in particular: the Benazir Income Support Programme (BISP), which provides families in Pakistan with an amount of over 1500 rupees per month with the objective …

Mistrust, mudslinging and divergent regional objectives are the issues that have impeded both India and Pakistan from improving the chronically-strained relationship. Despite huge potential of bilateral trade as well as of security cooperation, both countries continue to remain at loggerheads and are reluctant to improve their ties and harness their resources through greater regional economic connectivity. Since coming into power …

In the recent years, climate change has emerged as a bigger threat to Pakistan than terrorism, but still there is little realisation of it at public and government levels. Global warming is to inflict more harm than any other problem but it is not at the priority of the government while masses continue to struggle to remain afloat. Floods cause …

In July 2016, a report was presented at an international Aids conference held in Durban, South Africa. The report, which consisted of the findings of the meta-analysis coordinated by the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME) at the University of Washington in Seattle, USA, should have rung alarm bells but it went largely unnoticed. It suggested that the prevalence …

The year 2016 proved a watershed for Pakistan in terms of foreign policy and external relations. It was in the second half of this year that the newfound bonhomie between Pakistan and its Cold War adversary, Russia, started becoming more and more spirited and lively. In September, troops from both countries held their first-ever joint military exercises— the Friendship 2016—in …

Pakistan’s relations with the United States have deteriorated significantly in the final months of the Barack Obama presidency. Obama feels that foot-dragging by Pakistan has not helped him to deliver on his ambition to withdraw from the wars initiated by his predecessor George W. Bush. Islamabad, in Washington’s view, could have done more to eliminate the sanctuaries in Pakistan’s tribal …