FIFTY years ago, in May 1974, India detonated its first nuclear device, calling it Operation Smiling Buddha. While the world remained largely silent, Pakistan’s foreign minister declared Pakistan would “never submit to nuclear blackmail” or “accept Indian hegemony over the subcontinent”. Earlier, Zulfikar Ali Bhutto had expressed the resolve that if India ever built a […]

NOTHING seems to make Israel stop its murderous spree and war crimes in Gaza. Besides killing and injuring thousands, Israeli military operations have impeded humanitarian access, pushing Gaza to the brink of famine. On May 20, the International Criminal Court’s chief prosecutor applied for warrants to arrest senior members of the Israeli and Hamas leadership. […]

THAT Modi would win his third term was never in doubt. However, contrary to expectations, he did not achieve the landslide he was hoping for. Why has ‘Modi ki guarantee’ (a boastful commitment to people’s welfare) not delivered the two-thirds majority to which he aspired? Several reasons are being cited: high unemployment rates, rising inflation, […]

PRIME MINISTER Shehbaz Sharif recently visited China to further stren­gthen the ‘Pakistan-China All-Weather Strategic Cooperative Partnership’. Besides a three-hour meeting with President Xi Jinping and another one with Premier Li Qiang, dozens of MoUs and agreements were signed. A joint statement described the bilateral relationship “as unshakable as a mountain”, “solid as a rock”, and […]

THE leaders of G7, a grouping of seven highly industrialised countries (Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the UK and US), met in Apulia, Italy, on June 13-15, 2024. It was the 50th session of the group, which has been meeting regularly since 1975, essentially to preserve the existing world order predicated on multilateralism, universal human […]

JINNAH left this world soon after the creation of Pakistan. What if the then leadership of Pakistan had followed his advice to firmly place the country on the path of democratic governance by evolving a constitution much sooner than it did, establishing an appropriate civil-military equation at the outset, and forging foreign ties based on […]

DEVELOPING confidence-building measures is a time-tested practice to reduce tensions between adversaries. The term was first used during the Cold War. Ever since, CBMs have sought to manage the risk of conflict escalation. In that sense, they are a kind of preventive diplomacy. Since the signing of the 1972 Shimla agreement, India and Pakistan have […]

SINCE 2015, China has invested billions of dollars in Pakistan. Has that bolstered our economic development? Opinions vary. Most people feel that Chinese investments, led by CPEC, have contributed to improving the country’s road, electricity and port infrastructure. A smaller segment is sceptical, arguing that these investments have contributed to Pakistan’s debt trap. A dispassionate […]

AT the Nato Summit in Washington this month, marking 75 years of the alliance’s existence, the Russia-Ukraine war dominated discussions. The summit declaration condemned Russia for its “brutal war of aggression” against Ukraine, and its “irresponsible nuclear rhetoric and coercive nuclear signalling”. Expressing full solidarity with Ukraine, Nato’s 32 members pledged long-term security assistance for […]

WHAT will Pakistan look like in 2047, a century after it achieved independence? Given its unstable politics, weak economy and fragile law and order, and the rapidly evolving global and regional geopolitics, it is not easy to predict Pakistan’s future. Therefore, projections must be based mainly on proposed reforms the country should legislate on and […]