A Review of the National Judicial Policy (2009) in Pakistan
To bring a semblance of structure and convenience within the judicial sphere of Pakistan, the National Judicial Policy 2009 was framed. The authors, Alyan Waheed, Palwasha Khan, Shaheer Ahmed, and Syed Hassam Ali, discuss the policy’s underpinnings and address its failures and drawbacks.
Understanding the Russian Invasion of Ukraine
Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has left the world quaking. President Zelensky and the people of Ukraine are presently resisting the assault of the Russian forces on their sovereign state. The authors, Alyan Waheed and Muskan Moazzam, discuss the events that set the scene for the current war.
Alternatives to Egypt’s Suez Canal: Russia’s Northern Sea Route & Israel’s Ben-Gurion Canal
In March 2021, a container ship called “Ever Given” blocked Egypt’s Suez Canal for six days. On one hand, the blockage of the canal cost the world around $10 billion in trade each day, while on the other hand, it provided Russia and Israel with the perfect opportunity to garner support for their respective sea route projects. The authors, Alyan Waheed and Muskan Moazzam, note that Russia’s Northern Sea Route (NSR) and Israel’s Ben-Gurion Canal can act as alternatives to the Suez Canal and reduce the international community’s dependency on it. As such, to prevent states from opting for these routes, Egypt will have to make several changes – one of them is lowering the trade barriers.
The Hypocrisy of Democracy in America: From Military Interventions to the Recent Summit
Though America considers itself the true representative of democracy, its actions prove otherwise. The hypocritical nature of the United States is apparent from its propensity to get militarily involved in other states, like Afghanistan, Syria, and Iraq, in the name of promoting democracy. The authors argue that contrary to establishing a democratic regime, the US military interventions have worsened the instability in these states. Moreover, the US itself is a dysfunctional democracy and even the Summit for Democracy can be seen as an effort to divide the world and preserve the US hegemony.
The Non-democratic yet Democratic State Led by the Communist Party of China
Though China considers itself to be a “socialist democracy”, it is not a democratic state in the eyes of the West. The authors, Alyan Waheed and Muskan Moazzam, note that while the West is busy contemplating the state of democracy in China, it has failed to realize that despite being “non-democratic”, China is a better leader, and more beneficial for the international community, under the control of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). As per their argument, the CCP has ensured that the nationalist element in the Chinese does not become overpowering and that China remains a pragmatic and rational status quo power.
What is Olympic Diplomacy?: The Case of the 2022 Winter Olympics
Olympics diplomacy is a type of diplomacy that hasn’t garnered much attention in the international diplomatic arena. Both (the hosting and the participating) states try to assert dominance through the performance of their athletes. The Olympics can also build alliances, which was the case with China and the US in 1971. However, China’s alarming human rights violations have called for a boycott of the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing.