The CPEC is a collection of infrastructure projects for Pakistan (current size $45 billion, expected size $62 billion). With the key projects being Gwadar Port, planned to be a central hub in the connectivity scheme. Starting in November 2016, Chinese cargo with transported overland was shipped to Africa and West Asia. Transport projects for $11…
At a panel discussion organized by Pathfinder and Martin Dow Group during Davos 2020 Dr Abdul Hafeez Shaikh spoke about understanding CPEC and making it work. He provide the context of CPEC by sharing the “Big Facts” about the two economies of China and Pakistan, the current international economic environment, the main features of the…
The speeding process of globalization and the visible shift of economic and political momentum towards Eurasia because of China and its BRI project necessitates a thorough analysis of the course that Pakistani’s foreign policy should take. The term ‘neutrality’ has been used at some occasions regarding Pakistani foreign policy. But neutrality in international relations is…
With a population of about 1.4 billion of which about 80% of Indians are Hindus, 14% Muslim and 2% Christian, 4% follow other religions. Until the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), a Hindu nationalist party, assumed power India was among countries with a perception of a high level of tolerance, particularly religious tolerance. Historically India loves…
An independent and impartial international organization for public-private cooperation, the World Economic Forum’s (WEF) primary objective is to improve the state of the world. It is perhaps the only organisation of its kind that does not promote any political, commercial or personal interests and unlike other entities it also does not use the names of…
Dear Readers, Held every year the World Economic Forum’s (WEF) Annual Meetings are truly unique, being totally impartial and aiming to drive positive change. Since 1971, politicians, business leaders, academics, journalists and representatives of civil society have been travelling to the Swiss ski resort of Davos, the town immortalized by Thomas Mann in his novel The…
Pakistan recently welcomed the President of Turkey Recep Tayyip Erdogan on an official visit. This cemented the long standing friendly relations between the two countries and lifted them to a new level. Much of this is due to the efforts of President Erdogan, who for the last 16 years has been central in directing the…
There is a misconception in the world in general and the region in particular about the strength and capabilities of the Bangladesh Armed Forces. As Korea and Vietnam have shown, a land war in Asia depends primarily on the effectiveness of ground troops in their own environment. True, preponderance of Air Force may have a…
Three centuries ago, the area now comprising Bangladesh was renowned as the bread basket of India, multiple increases in population later, Kissinger called Bangladesh an “international basket case” in the 1970s. Starting from the 1942 food famine, this has been a sorry litany of natural and man made disasters, the poor Bangladeshis have been on…
Dear Readers, With its invasion of Afghanistan in Oct 2001 the US has been embroiled in a war that has become America’s longest war after Vietnam. As the war dragged on, it became clear that this would be an unwinnable war having gone on for almost two decades without any prospect of real peace. The…
