Why is Pakistan concerned about Afghanistan? Bharat Shakti 30 Jun 2021 In an interview to Tolo News of Afghanistan last week, Pakistan Foreign Minister, SM Qureshi stated, ‘if you try and create this impression that violence is high (in Afghanistan) because of the Taliban…again, that would be an exaggeration. Why do I say that? Aren’t there other elements over […]
Defining the contours of a Kashmir agenda The Statesman 29 Jun 2021 Last week, PM Modi met a group of politicians from J and K seeking to break, what he termed, ‘dil se doori, dilli se doori.’ The group included former chief ministers, deputy chief ministers and representatives of major political parties of the UT. There was free and […]
Hypocrisy, thy name is Pakistan The Excelsior 26 Jun 2021 The attack on a Muslim family in London, Ontario, Canada led the entire Pakistan political hierarchy claiming Islamophobia must be curbed. The same day, within Pakistan, local protestors blocked the funeral of an Ahmadi woman. It took a day of discussion between the provincial government and protestors to permit […]
India must not always be on the backfoot The Statesman 22 Jun 2021 Kargil in 1999 and Ladakh in 2020 had few commons, the most obvious being surprised and subsequently reacting. Indian polity had closed its mind to the fact that China was a threat, while in 1999, it never expected Pak to risk an offensive manoeuvre, considering differences […]
India must change its China policies India News Network 17 Jun 2021 The Galwan incident, the turning point in Indo-China relations, occurred just over a year ago. There was loss of lives on both sides, with India accepting 20 casualties. Disengagement and de-escalation on both banks of the Pangong Tso was successfully completed in February, this year. Since then […]
Throwing the blame on the polity The Excelsior 16 Jun 2021 A collection of retired bureaucrats, claiming to have no political affiliation, have written to the Prime Minister on the centre’s poor handling of COVID. At first glance, it appears that the bureaucracy, which failed in correctly advising the polity in every adverse situation that the nation has faced, […]
The dilemma Pak faces The Statesman 15 Jun 2021 It is confirmed that the US, while withdrawing from Afghanistan, are seeking drone bases in the region for monitoring, engaging terrorist targets and supporting Afghan forces in their operations against the Taliban. Simultaneously, it is pushing for an agreement within Afghanistan, resulting in the establishment of a coalition government. It […]
China in our neighbourhood NAAD Jun 2021 In the third week of May, the Sri Lankan parliament passed a law termed as the ‘Colombo Port City Economic Commission Bill’ that converted 660 acres of reclaimed land on Colombo’s waterfront into Chinese territory. China had already taken over the Hambantota port, the construction of which was approved, by the current regime […]
Pakistan views Kashmir through Afghan prism The Statesman 08 Jun 2021 Connecting dots flowing from recent statements and incidents provide an understanding of the dilemma faced by Pakistan on ties with India and Afghanistan, especially with the ongoing withdrawal of US and NATO forces. Currently, a ceasefire, part of backchannel talks, is underway between India and Pakistan, while US […]
A year since Ladakh The Excelsior 07 Jun 2021 What were Chinese intending to convey by intruding into Ladakh in May last year remains a mystery. Its intentions could have varied from occupying claim lines to warning India against moving closer to the US or militarizing the QUAD. It could also have been projecting superior capability of the PLA […]