Pakistan

China’s pipeline dream in Pakistan
China’s pipeline dream in Pakistan
The China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) is one of the flagship projects of the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). It initially attracted US$46 billion in investment, which was…
The key to peace in Afghanistan? Eliminate Taliban sanctuaries
The key to peace in Afghanistan? Eliminate Taliban sanctuaries
Following meetings this week in Kabul between Afghan President Ashrafi Ghani and senior Pakistani military and intelligence officials, the president’s office stated that the…
Gwadar Port: New Dubai or pie in the sky?
Gwadar Port: New Dubai or pie in the sky?
The small port town of Gwadar, in the south-west of Pakistan, is the centre stage of the $50 billion China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) project, the Pakistan component of…
Why South Asia may come out of Covid-19 crisis better than many expect
Why South Asia may come out of Covid-19 crisis better than many expect
Many people assume that South Asia is a sitting target for coronavirus, with potentially millions of deaths leading to an impoverished and destabilised region just around the…
Minority rights are suddenly the new turf for India-Pakistan rivalry
Minority rights are suddenly the new turf for India-Pakistan rivalry
A general rule of South Asian politics might be that every action taken by India has an equal and opposite reaction in Pakistan. This may not be strictly true, but it gives a…
Afghan transit a game changer for Gwadar port
Afghan transit a game changer for Gwadar port
On a sunny Tuesday in the third week of January, a cargo ship named Diyala docked at Gwadar seaport, in south-west Pakistan. The enthusiastic port staff quickly unloaded the cargo…
Stepping up in the Pacific at the expense of Pakistani women and girls
Stepping up in the Pacific at the expense of Pakistani women and girls
Since coming into office in 2013, the Coalition has cut aid by 17% in nominal terms and 27% adjusting for inflation. More cuts are in the pipeline, and by 2021 aid will have been…
Shifting alliances in the Gulf a boon to China
Shifting alliances in the Gulf a boon to China
In the wake of escalating US-Iran tensions in the Persian Gulf, the geopolitical realities of the Asian region are rapidly changing. New strategic alliances are being formed as…
SCO-style economic cooperation: Treading slowly
SCO-style economic cooperation: Treading slowly
Over its 18-year existence, Shanghai Cooperation Organisation has mostly been in the spotlight as a forum for security cooperation, starting with the 2001 Convention that branded…
India draws the line on Kashmir
India draws the line on Kashmir
On 2 November, the Government of India’s Press Information Bureau released two maps that show all of the former (but contested) princely state of Jammu and Kashmir as now…