Dear Readers, In today’s inter-connected world, Pakistan stands at a critical juncture having a poor reputation internationally for a various reasons including corruption and mis-governance practices. Endemic in Pakistan, corruption is evident in multiple complex forms including political and financial corruption, pervasive bribery, embezzlement, nepotism and misuse of power that has cascaded into the system…
A strong connection between the country’s prosperity and military power or put simply, economy and security are two sides of the same coin; without political stability, without security and without peace it is difficult to develop an economy. An economy will only thrive when there is security for the people. The economy needs a secure…
Because of superpower rivalry and evolving geopolitical circumstances a group of countries of this region are coming together in a natural economic alliance. The regional economic integration of trade, including both goods and services, and investments can potentially unleash dynamic paths of growth and development. Established in 1985 as a substitute for the US/UK-inspired Regional…
Thanks to the untiring efforts of former Foreign Minister of Bangladesh Iftekhar Ahmed Chowdhury and a former Finance Minister of Pakistan Shahid Javed Burki, Research Professors at the Institute of South Asian Studies (ISAS) and the National University of Singapore (NUS), NUS and ISAS hosted a Workshop on Sept 11 on “Pakistan at 70: Politics,…
Dear Readers, Many people now use technology for almost everything, especially through the means of social media but like everything else, this can have positive and negative effects. A very real is posed by fabricated stories posing as serious journalism, this is not likely to go away having become a means for some writers to…
A month or so ago Indian troops trespassed and forcibly halted China extending a border road through Donglang plateau (called Doklam by India) at a junction between China, Sikkim (annexed by India) and Bhutan. Sourabh Gupta says it “is wholly a matter between Beijing and Thimpu (Bhutan’s capital). Until such time, Bhutan – let alone…
This week the Panama case entered its last, and possibly decisive round. On May 16, 2016, the PM had unequivocally stated in the National Assembly (NA) that a complete record of all his sources of income and assets was available, these have neither been provided to the JIT or the SC. While Justice Ejaz Afzal…
Living in desperate times, former Prime Minister Mian Nawaz Sharif is toking desperate measures to avoid the storm that looms large. After the PanamaGate verdict by the Supreme Court disqualifying the PM from holding office and instructing NAB to file references against the PM, his sons and daughter, the PML (N) has gone on the…
Misplaced loyalty for corrupt individuals is not only betrayal of the community but complicity in their crimes, it lies at the heart of virtually every scandal. Carrying obfuscation and obduracy too far, Nawaz Sharif insisted before the PML (N) Parliamentary party, “I still do not understand the grounds for my dismissal I am only content…
Recent reports coming out of Washington suggest that the proposal by US National Security Adviser (NSA) Mr. MacMaster for a moderate rise in the number of US troops or their private security company substitutes has been rejected by President Trump. If this is true it would at least conform with Trump’s declared goal to put…
