The Indian government’s refusal to attend the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) summit in Pak in 2016 had pushed the organization almost into a state of oblivion. With India leading the charge, Bangladesh, Afghanistan and Bhutan had turned down a desire to attend the summit in Pak. As per rules of SAARC, even if one nation turns down […]
Bangladesh goes to the polls later this year. In Asia, this election will be closely watched. It will be of special interest to India and China. Politics in Bangladesh is run by two major political parties, both led by dynastic rulers. The present ruling party, the Awami League is headed by Sheikh Hasina, the daughter of the founding father of […]
The much-touted China Pak Economic Corridor (CPEC) is unlikely to either be a part of the Belt Road Initiative (BRI), nor benefit either nation to the extent it was supposed to. It would only add to financial difficulties of Pak in the long term. The CPEC moves through the Karakoram Pass, which remains closed for six months in a year, […]
In recent times, especially since President Abdulla Yameen assumed power, there has been a stream of anti-India actions. It has moved closer to China, imposed emergency and jailed political leaders while turning down Indian requests for participation in the Indian naval exercise, Milan. It also refused to send any delegation to the Indian defence expo and asked India to retake […]
President Ashraf Ghani recently gave a call for talks with the Taliban, while addressing an international conference in Kabul. In his call, he offered to allow the Taliban to establish itself as a political party as also work to removing sanctions against them in addition to other incentives. There have been mixed reports following the President’s call. One report stated […]
Maldives is back on the boil. The Maldives Supreme Court in a judgement ordered the release of political prisoners and demanded their retrial. The release order included that of former Vice President Ahmed Adheeb Ghafoor, former Prime Minister Mohamed Nasheed (presently in exile) and reinstating 12 members of parliament, thus giving the opposition a majority in the country’s assembly. Post […]
As per Pakistan’s Dawn newspaper reports, the US Chairman Joint Chiefs of Staff, General Joseph Dunford, and the Defence Secretary, James Mattis, are expected to visit them shortly, seeking cooperation from them in their war against the Taliban in Afghanistan. The visit comes after the US announced completion of deployment of an additional three thousand troops in the country and […]
Pak has always used the US to its advantage, taking funds, making promises but failing to deliver. It paid Pak millions of dollars, provided it equipment, supposedly for targeting terror groups, in actuality for employment on the Indian front, yet got no support, in return. India understood the Pak game, having faced it over the years, cried hoarse to the […]
The strategic initiative displayed by India when it moved its first shipment of wheat to Afghanistan through the Chabahar port has been well established. Bypassing Pakistan changed the narrative of the region. Simultaneously has been the opening of an air corridor between the two countries. All this, while the US increases deployment of its troops, adopts a new strategy for […]
Rex Tillerson, the US Secretary of state arrived, spoke what he was expected to and left. Now it is time to take stock of what this awaited visit meant for India and Pakistan. India was his final stop in Asia as part of his six-nation tour. He spent a few hours in surprise visits, possibly due to security reasons, in […]