Returning to a repressive order
THE brutal killing of a comedian in Kandahar last week and a spree of reported executions raise questions about the claim of the resurgent Afghan Taliban having reformed. It’s not just the…
US spies elevate China rivalry to war of ideologies
In a move that could harden Washington's posture toward Beijing for years, the US intelligence community has characterized relations with China as a global ideological showdown that will not be…
The imagined threat of the ‘modern’ woman
Last week marked the first death anniversary of Qandeel Baloch, murdered by her own family members. While it led to an outpouring of sympathy for the victim, it also instigated…
Winner takes all
Macron won in part because older voters in particular were frightened by his opponents’ hints at leaving the European Union, which they have been indoctrinated to consider necessary to prevent…
The threat is still there
AS Pakistan’s militant landscape evolves, we continue to ignore the emerging threats, deeming them insignificant. It seems the security institutions also do not want to shift their focus away from…
Revolution today
IT is New Year’s Day, 2050. Pakistan’s 400 million people make it the world’s third most populous country. A four-decade-long youth bulge is as intense as ever, with half of…
Era of nonpolarity
FOR much of the past century, the global order has oscillated between distinct poles of power. The ideological, technological and geopolitical rivalry between Washington and Moscow during the Cold War…
A rising Pakistan: keeping the promise
The year 2025 was not just another year for Pakistan. It was a year in which the country, in several unprecedented ways, made its mark on the regional and global…
Trump’s NSS 2025
The US’ newly released National Security Strategy (NSS) under the Trump administration marks one of the most significant recalibrations of American strategic thought in decades. Although an NSS is never…
A festival for the water we are losing
I normally write about events once they have taken place or are at least in progress; it feels safer that way, more empirical and less speculative. One observes, analyses and…
