By Dure Akram, from Lahore / Pakistan No state can ignore armed groups crossing its borders to kill its citizens. Pakistan’s strikes inside Taliban-ruled Afghanistan must be understood first in that context of self-defense. Years of escalating attacks inside Pakistan have convinced its leadership that the Afghan frontier can no longer be treated as a passive security problem. Washington has ...
Following the US and Israeli attack, Iran responded regionally. The effects of the conflict are beginning to be felt worldwide. What are the perceptions of politicians and experts in South Asia? We asked leaders and experts in Bangladesh and Pakistan. Bangladesh Workers’ Party: Iran the latest chain after Venezuela, Cuba With a population of 170 million, Bangladesh is the seventh ...
By Dure Akram, from Lahore / Pakistan The latest UN sanctions-monitoring report puts a hard edge on a question the region has tried to keep diplomatic: whether Taliban-ruled Afghanistan is merely unstable, or functionally permissive for the kind of cross-border militancy that turns trade maps into casualty lists. In its most recent assessment, the UN Security Council’s Analytical Support and ...
Mohammed Sabreen, from Cairo / Egypt The Middle East appears poised for major alliances that will leave their mark on regional balances and the prospects for resolving long-standing issues in the region. Informed sources have revealed that Türkiye is seeking to become a member of a new defense agreement with Saudi Arabia and Pakistan. These sources also confirmed Türkiye’s imminent ...
By Dure Akram, from Lahore / Pakistan The Brahmaputra is no longer just a marvel of nature. It has become a fulcrum of geopolitical power. From its origin in the highlands of Tibet to the crowded deltas of Bangladesh, the river now moves not just water, but strategy, pressure, and consequence. China has begun constructing the Medog (Motuo) hydropower project ...
By Dure Akram, from Lahore / Pakistan The recent capsizing of four migrant boats off the coasts of Yemen and Djibouti, resulting in 186 individuals missing, has once again spotlighted the perilous journeys undertaken by migrants seeking better opportunities abroad. These migrants, often fleeing economic despair and seeking brighter prospects, find themselves ensnared in a deadly game manipulated by ruthless ...
By Dure Akram, Lahore, Pakistan Going by assumptions, many sitting outside Pakistan conclude it is “divided, disorganized, economically backward, corrupt, violent, unjust, often savagely oppressive towards the poor and women, and home to extremely dangerous forms of extremism and terrorism.” However convincing as it may seem, the international narrative does not consider the resilience of both nation and state to ...
By Dure Akram – Lahore, Pakistan 10 days is too long of a time for any parliamentary democracy to decide who deserves to be given the baton next. Haunted by a long-drawn-out delay, the 12th general polls in Pakistan held on February 8 were supposed to bring about at least a semblance of stability. Although brought on by a unique ...
By Ryan Grim, Murtaza Hussain The U.S. State Department encouraged the Pakistani government in a March 7, 2022, meeting to remove Imran Khan as prime minister over his neutrality on the Russian invasion of Ukraine, according to a classified Pakistani government document obtained by The Intercept. The meeting, between the Pakistani ambassador to the United States and two State Department ...
By Dure Akram for UWI reporting from Lahore, Pakistan In an interview to UWI, the former Prime Minister of Pakistan speaks of India’s foreign policy as an example to follow, calls Afghanistan “a future life line” and blames his government of not establishing according relations “due to fear from the U.S.”. Mr. Khan also predicts progress of de-dollarization and hails ...
by Dure Akram reporting for UWI from Lahore, Pakistan This is the first part of the interview focused on domestic Pakistani politics. Tomorrow follows the second part with Imran Khan’s views on foreign policy and regional relations – UWI. Revolutionaries come in all shapes and forms and while former Prime Minister Imran Khan may not look like one, his energetic ...
By Taimur Khan* In spite of the world experiencing all-encompassing stagnation due to a surge in the COVID-19 global pandemic, the geopolitical environment remains in a state of constant flux. International relations continue to move forward with global developments proceeding as usual, underscored by conflict, commercial activity, and political realignments. Since the beginning of the new decade wherein the course ...