How will the resurgence of terrorism impact Pak-US relations?
The BLA attack, however, cannot be entirely separated from the recent India-China clash along the LAC.
How crucial is Pakistan-Iran cooperation for Afghanistan?
Pakistan and Iran can potentially assist in achieving peace in their war ravaged neighbourhood
COVID-19 and Cybersecurity
Author: Muhammad Shoaib The COVID-19 pandemic has caused unprecedented global social disruption and also altered the threat landscape in the domain of cybersecurity. The landscape is characterised by changing patterns of behaviour and consequently an increase in incidents of coronavirus-related cyberattacks. This trend of exploitation of a global pandemic is not unique. Hacktivists tend to…
The Increasing Significance of Anti-drone Technology for Pakistan
Author: Fareeha Shamim On June 5, the Pakistan Army shot down an Indian spy drone that violated Pakistan’s airspace by intruding 500 meters inside Pakistan’s side of the Line of Control (LoC). This is the 8th Indian spy drone the Pakistani forces have intercepted and shot down in 2020. In the wake of recent Indian provocations leading to…
Pakistan’s Nuclear Compulsion
Author: Moiz Khan Pakistan’s nuclear programme is based primarily on realpolitik considerations and driven by necessities of national security, territorial integrity, and strategic stability. The raison d’être for acquiring a nuclear deterrent was to ensure its security by redressing the balance of power in the region, which India had tried to tilt in its favour…
The Global Ramifications of the Turkey-Russia S-400 Deal
Over the last couple of months, a heated debate as to whether Turkey would deploy the purchased regiment of S-400 batteries from Russia or whether it would succumb to American pressure has engaged policy circles across the globe. Ankara has, however, maintained that the delay in the deployment of the air defence system is caused by ongoing global pandemic and the country will ultimately bring the system into operation. The geopolitical compulsions behind the deal and implications it bears on the restive region also demand that Ankara not back off from operationalising the system.
The Cyber Threat Facing Pakistan
The threat of Indian cyberattacks against Pakistan becomes more serious given India’s growing cybersecurity cooperation with Israel
Second Strike: Explaining Sea-based Deterrence in South Asia
by Amina Afzal Submarine-based nuclear capabilities are considered the most survivable leg of a nuclear triad. While conventional submarines are constrained by their fuel requirements and limited underwater endurance, nuclear powered submarines have greater endurance and enhanced tactical and strategic capabilities. Both a nuclear-powered attack submarine (SSN) and a ballistic missile submarine (SSBN) are nuclear-powered,…
Growing Islamophobia Amid the Coronavirus Pandemic
Islamophobic sentiments transcend boundaries. In February 2020, at the height of the coronavirus pandemic, a gunman killed nine people at two shisha bars in the German city of Hanau. A few days earlier, the German police had arrested 12 men on suspicion that they were planning to attack “persons of the Muslim faith”. In the same month, the London mosque stabbing incident, albeit under different circumstances, added to the growing incidents of violent attacks against Muslims.
The Simla Agreement: Is It Still Relevant Today?
Kashmir has remained the subject of a long-running dispute between Pakistan and India, the roots of which can be traced to their shared colonial past. Pakistan desires a solution and wants global powers to play a role in resolving the Kashmir issue. While India has long bristled at any suggestion of third-party involvement over Kashmir insisting it is an “integral part” of the country. Where India finds it difficult to escape Kashmir’s reference by simply terming it an “integral part,” it takes another approach by describing it a “bilateral issue” between Pakistan and India as set out in the 1972 Simla agreement.