Courtesy: Flickr/CreativeCommons
Chinese Premier Li Keqiang’s visit to India next week is unlikely to fast-track a resolution of the Sino-Indian territorial dispute. Li may suggest confidence-building mechanisms on the border, but these proposals need scrutiny. China’s border agreements with other neighbours are indicators of what India can expect
Courtesy: Al Jazeera English/Flickr
Two years ago, during the Arab Spring uprisings in several West Asian nations, youth and pro-democracy movements flared up on the Persian Gulf island of Bahrain. In light of these events, this paper assesses how Bahrain’s policies toward its Shia constituency have affected relations between Sunni and Shia groups.
Courtesy: PML-N
The high level of enthusiasm expressed by New Delhi – for former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif’s expected return to power – may perhaps be premature. India be patient with the new government in Islamabad.
Courtesy: Benchill/WikimediaCommons
The national election in Pakistan looks like a game of polarisation, but if democracy is meant to provide some relief and prosperity, all political parties have flopped, bottom up. The field is now wide open, and anything can happen - including a hung parliament.
Courtesy: Eric Draper/WikimediaCommons
With Pakistan geared for a defining general election scheduled for May 11, Council on Foreign Relations' Daniel Markey, in a debate, titled ‘The civil-military equation in Pakistan has begun to tilt in favour of civilians,’ argues for the motion.
Courtesy: Steve Webel/Flickr
The Chinese army’s trespassing of the Sino-Indian Line of Actual Control near Ladakh has fuelled serious security concerns in India. This signals a sharper policy from Beijing towards India; it is also why its response must be firm, and the Chinese must be seen to back off.
Courtesy: Phoenix7777/WikimediaCommons
Political disputes and popular passions in North East Asia argue for discreet diplomacy and the provision of mutual assurances to prevent conflict and escalation.
Courtesy: Courtesy: Petersnoopy/Flickr
The new provocations from Pyongyang heighten the risk of a military showdown with the U.S., South Korea and Japan. China, the only power with sway over the regime, is exercising limited options for peace on the peninsula.
Courtesy: Furmeyer/WikimediaCommons
Maritime piracy is one of the several grave security issues faced by today’s world. This problem, however, isn’t a new phenomenon, and nations have long-battled this issue. How did piracy manifest itself in the Indian Ocean in the 19th century, and what was the nature of counter-piracy efforts during that period?
Courtesy: Election Commission of Pakistan
Pakistan’s Chief Election Commissioner, Fakhruddin G. Ebrahim, faces a host of challenges as he oversees the transition of the country’s first civilian government to complete its full five-year term. Will he be able to overcome the hurdles and ensure the free and fair polls Pakistan has so far been deprived of?