Can Pakistan’s Tourism Exceed the Maldives’?
Pakistan is striving to develop maritime tourism to broadcast its image as a tourist-friendly country and to prosper economically. The authors, Akseer Ali Saif Janjua, Sarah Kiyani, Saliha Waseem, and Saqib Ameen, explore the country’s tourism potential, and the development carried out in the sector by comparing it to the Republic of Maldives—a country which was once considered unsuitable for tourism but is now one of the world’s top tourist destinations.
A Book Review of Pakistan Under Siege
Madiha Afzal’s “Pakistan under Siege” explores extremism, terrorism, and the narratives of the state in Pakistan. She notes how religious radicalism has strongly influenced the political actors in the country. The author also offers an incisive view of the actors’ deep-rooted relationships with terrorism.
Cyberbullying in Pakistan: The Case of Cyber Harassment Against Women
Aside from facilitating communication, trading, and education, the internet has brought along with it an immense amount of harassment and bullying. Forty percent of women in Pakistan have been victims of cyberbullying in the form of sexual harassment, blackmailing, hate speech, stalking, identity theft, and physical threats. Haleema Bhatti explains how when it comes to the female victims of cyber harassment in Pakistan, only 28% of women report the harassment, while the rest don’t – mainly because they’re embarrassed.
An Analysis of the National Health Vision Pakistan (2016-2025)
The Covid-19 pandemic revealed the inadequacy of the health infrastructure in Pakistan. In Pakistan’s case, after the 18th amendment, provinces were given the right to devise health policies. The public sector is inadequately staffed and has below-average job satisfaction and work environment. The authors discuss Pakistan’s National Health Vision (2016-2025) and compare it with Bangladesh’s health policies.
The Strategic Importance of the Indian Ocean to China and India
The changing dynamics of global politics has pushed the Indian Ocean region into the limelight, and so the author, Allah Nawaz, examines the strategic policies and alliances of China and India. Although both China and India have a huge disparity in conventional and non-conventional capabilities, the US and Israel’s role in making India a regional power has intensified Indo-China relations.
Animal Farm by George Orwell (Book Review)
George Orwell’s “Animal Farm” is a symbolic representation of the pre and post-revolution Soviet Union. Through the characters of the book, Orwell has aptly captured the corruption, propaganda, and power politics that exist in human society. He depicts how even after the Russian Revolution, the cycle of exploitation continued – only the actors had changed.
The Digital Economy in the 21st Century: Blockchain for Real Estate
Digital currencies have been turning heads since their emergence. They have the ability to operate independently of a central authority, raising alarm for some and relief for others. The author, Ayesha Zafar, also gives a sketch of blockchain’s influence on the real estate business.
The Religious Minorities of Pakistan: An Uncertain Future
The author, Ali Hassan, underscores how Pakistan has treated its religious minorities over the years. He explores the reasons for minority injustice and the steps that have been taken to fill this lacuna. He finally concludes that unless existing social and legal structures are challenged, minorities in Pakistan will never be equal to Muslim majority citizens.
Iran: A Common Enemy of Israel and the Arab Countries
The relations of the Arab states, namely Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Bahrain, Egypt, and Oman, with Israel have always been based upon what they perceive as a threat and what benefits them. The authors, Rubab Nawaz and Kanza Tahir, explain that initially, these Arab states viewed Israel as the enemy but now, they’ve started to align themselves with it to counter the threat of a Shi’ite and nuclear Iran. This threat has been securitized to gain legitimacy from the masses. For the sake of this Arab-Israel alliance, the Gulf states seem to have sidelined the issue of Palestine.
Re-examining Pakistan’s NFC Awards
Pakistan has introduced seven National Finance Commission (NFC) awards for the distribution of revenue between the center and provinces since 1975. The author, Mohammad Ali Zafar, argues that while the 7th NFC Award has increased the share of the provinces in the divisible pool, it has also raised concerns for the center, especially when it comes to debt servicing and defense. Moreover, since the provinces of Pakistan have been, somewhat, unable to generate provincial revenues as per their capacity, they have remained financially dependent on the center.
The Lawyers’ Movement in Pakistan Through the Lens of Social Movement Theory
This paper explores the Lawyers’ Movement in Pakistan from 2007 to 2009 through the lens of social movement theory. This study focuses on four factors: leadership and decentralised organisation, effective communication, non-violent discipline, and external support. The Lawyers’ Movement signified the lawyer community’s united effort to restore the ousted Chief Justice of Pakistan’s Supreme Court by then-President General Pervez Musharraf.
Russia’s Conflict with Ukraine: An Analysis of the Past & Present
Since October 2021, the number of Russian troops at the Russia-Ukraine border has reached more than 127,000. Moscow’s decision to deploy more troops is a cause for concern for Ukraine and the NATO member states, especially the US, as they believe that Russia is preparing to invade its neighboring state. Zuha Tiwana explains that Russia’s conflict with Ukraine has now become a global issue. She argues that if the conflict persists, and NATO imposes new sanctions on Russia, the latter might retaliate by cutting off its natural gas supply to Europe.
Is There a Link Between Slavery and Capitalism?
The paper critically examines the essence of capitalism and how it functions in the many social systems across the world. It also looks into the relationship between capitalism and slavery, and whether or not capitalism has any characteristics that are similar to slavery.
The UK’s Ode to Brexit
The author, Muhammad Yasir, presents a comprehensive analysis of the historical trajectory of Europe in the realm of power politics, religion, and the economy as well as the culmination in the recent phenomenon of Brexit.
How Climate Change in Afghanistan Is Forcing Migration
The drastic changes in climate have left millions of people vulnerable, causing them to migrate from their homelands in search of more stable environments. The effects of climate change have been particularly devastating for Afghanistan. Rooha Javed explains that droughts, earthquakes, and floods have become increasingly common in the state. In 2019 alone, 287,000 people, mainly from the western and northern regions of Afghanistan, had been displaced due to a drought.
All Eyes on the Republics of Central Asia’s Resources
The onset of the geopolitics of energy and resources in the international political system has redefined the regions’ importance in terms of the reservoirs of resources. Central Asia, in this respect, stands out with its abundant, unexplored, and top-notch natural resources. The paper highlights the factors behind the arousing interests of Pakistan, China, and the United States in the Central Asian republics. The future of Central Asia’s political, economic, and geostrategic landscape shall be determined by the member countries’ course of policies and actions towards Pakistan, China, and the United States.
Is China’s Soft Power Being Affected by Its Negative Global Image?
China’s “wolf warrior diplomacy” and its human rights abuses have caused its global image to become increasingly negative. With China’s soft power declining, and its policies becoming aggressive, the international community has started to distrust the state. As a consequence, states like the US, Australia, and Britain have boycotted the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics. The author, Zuha Tiwana, asserts that this mistrust has caused the favorability of the Belt and Road projects, among the European states, to decline. The European Union has even put investment agreements with China on hold.