Jihadist ideology and the radical Islamism the blasphemy law has spawned is unlikely to be uprooted altogether—for it is the sole source of domestic and regional leverage for Pakistan’s rulers. Read More Here
The mass protests reflect six years of disappointment and resentment on the part of locals who have seen no benefit from Chinese investment projects. Read More Here
Chinese debts are squeezing Pakistan’s pinched finances as external payments are set to balloon to US$14 billion at the end of this financial year. Nearly half is owed to Chinese commercial banks, largely for Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) related projects. Read More Here
Islamabad and the Khan network together built nuclear bombs for Pakistan and helped spread the technology around the world. Iran and North Korea are countries that benefitted. Read More Here
A routine transfer of a spymaster in Pakistan, believed to have been encouraged by China, has embroiled the powerful army and the prime minister’s office in a controversy on who appoints or transfers the head of the premier spy agency. Read More Here
It is increasingly conceivable that a new generation of U.S. policymakers less trustful of Islamabad and less concerned with Pakistani sensibilities may question whether it would be a U.S. interest for Balochistan to follow suit. Read More Here
Pakistan got what it wished for—but will come to regret it. A Taliban takeover will leave Pakistan more vulnerable to extremism at home and potentially more isolated on the world stage. Read More Here
With the Taliban more powerful than ever and poised to reclaim power in Afghanistan, the only external victor will be Pakistan’s Inter-Services Intelligence agency. But as the ISI knows, the problem with creating and sponsoring militant groups is that they do not always remain under your control. Read More Here
Leading analysts argue, for example, that the United States should take advantage of new leadership in Washington, impending U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan, and a growing Pakistani need for foreign investment, not just to engage Pakistan, but to reset U.S.-Pakistani relations. Read More Here.
Pakistan-Saudi Arabia ties are back on track after a rough patch, as both long-time allies put aside geopolitics and ideology to focus on geo-economics. When Pakistan’s military chief General Qamar Javed Bajwa and Prime Minister Imran Khan recently visited Saudi Arabia, they had one main agenda point: re-establishing relations after a year of turmoil and […]
looking beyond borders 