Why Pakistan Refuses to Sign the NPT
Of the nine nuclear-weapon states, only the P5 states have consented to be bound by the Non-Proliferation Treaty or the NPT. Pakistan, India, North Korea, and Israel are not parties to the treaty.
In this piece, Hurria Binte Abdullah describes the three major reasons behind Pakistan’s resistance to the treaty.
The first reason is mistrust and disappointment with the US as a strategic and security ally, the second is India’s non-acceptance of the NPT, and the third is the fact that there are inherent loopholes within the NPT itself that raise concerns about future commitments and effectiveness of the treaty.
How a Bloody & Battered TTP Made a Comeback in Pakistan
It is difficult to understate the deadly threat of the TTP’s resurgence in Pakistan. With the country already in economic distress as it is, the growing militancy has further enfeebled the state. Sarmad Ishfaq deems three primary reasons for the TTP’s revival: the Taliban takeover in Afghanistan, the peace negotiations with the TTP, and Imran Khan’s ouster.
The Evolution of Nuclear Strategy
“The Evolution of Nuclear Strategy” by Lawrence Freedman, a renowned academic and historian, was first published in 1981.
The fourth edition of the book presents different political and regional developments that paved the way for policymakers to come up with different nuclear strategies at different times.
Importance of Geographic Information System (GIS) in Securing Pakistan
Muhammad Osama Asghar discusses a feeble branch of geography that can prove to be a vital source of security in Pakistan.
If implemented in an effective manner, the Geographic Information System (GIS) can be the lifeline that sustains the Pakistani economy while allowing us to prepare ourselves for impending natural, external, or domestic calamities.
David vs Goliath: The Epic Military Mismatch Between Palestine and Israel
While the mainstream media is cognizant of the military discrepancy between Israel and the Palestinians, the consequences of this discrepancy are almost never commented on.
Applying Lederach’s Conflict Transformation to the Israel-Palestine Issue
John Paul Lederach’s concept of conflict transformation provides a set of lenses through which one can draw attention to specific aspects of a conflict, and bring the overall meaning of a conflict into sharper focus.
Asra Zahid applies the model to the Israel-Palestine situation, with each of the three points of inquiry of the model bringing a specific aspect of conflict into focus.
The Global Refugee Crisis, State Sovereignty, & the Politics Behind it All
The dynamic relationship between refugee flow, rebel groups, and civil wars are often used by states to justify the rejection and expulsion of refugees.
While respecting the principle of state sovereignty, Shazeen Waseem discusses how it is necessary to establish a depoliticised and law-based framework to properly address the situation of the millions of refugees worldwide.
No Peace for Afghan Women
Hamra Tariq is unsettled by the way Afghan women have been exploited, both by the US and the Taliban.
She believes that a deeper look into colonialism and the feminist ideology of the Global South has to be considered. This is needed in order to reframe the opinion about Afghan women and to unveil the stakes of larger geopolitical feminist epistemology.
Myths Around Pakistan’s Nukes & National Security
Brig Syed Mushtaq Ahmed (Retd) dispels four virulent myths that have been making the rounds. These include:
1. Balkanization of Pakistan
2. Pakistan is a failed state
3. Pakistan is an epicentre of terrorism
4. The threat to Pakistan’s nuclear arsenal.
He believes that the common objective is to debilitate and defang Pakistan—the only Muslim nuclear power that could threaten US, India, and Israel.
NATO 2022 Strategic Concept: A New Cold War
At the NATO Summit this year in Madrid, the 2022 Strategic Concept was presented and adopted by the alliance’s representatives. The latest strategic doctrine underscores one of the most significant policy shifts in NATO’s deterrence policy since the end of the Cold War.
The document declared the People’s Republic of China as a security challenge.
The alliance has now also categorically recognized the Russian Federation as the most significant and direct threat to the security and stability of the Euro-Atlantic region.
Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Powerplant: The Looming Radiation Disaster
Built between 1984 and 1995, Ukraine’s Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant is the largest nuclear power plant in Europe, and one of the top 10 largest power plants in the world.
The plant was taken over by the Russian forces on 4th March, 2022, consequently severing its connection to the Ukrainian grid.
As it is located right in the middle of the war zone, concerns of a radiation disaster have been mounting.
The Long Awaited 2022 Parliamentary Elections of Nepal
Nepal has had a bitter history of power transitions and political instability. In yet another attempt to maintain democratic structures and bring political stability, Nepal is poised to hold its parliamentary elections on 20th November.
This will be the 11th such election since 2008, after Nepal abolished its 240-year-old monarchy.
The Middle East Quartet & Its Role
The Middle East Quartet was set up in 2002, primarily to help mediate the Middle East peace negotiations. It has also been supporting Palestinian economic development and institution-building in preparation for eventual statehood.
The platform has an informal structure, but it provides fluidity to members to navigate crises.
Pakistan-US Relations: As Fickle as the Weather
The US has had a turbulent relationship with Pakistan since the country’s independence in 1947. Over the course of 75 years, minor changes have occurred in the way bilateral exchanges are conducted between the two nations.
Despite the rollercoaster relationship, the US has assisted Pakistan by providing necessary loans, humanitarian aid, and military equipment during exigent situations.
Moreover, the US is a major foreign direct investor in Pakistan’s economy, and its largest export partner.
However, bilateral relations between the two have been deteriorating because of scathing remarks and underhanded activities.
Pakistan Grants Tajikistan Access to Gwadar
Due to its strategic location, Pakistan is a country that the Central Asian Republics cannot ignore. Areej Haider aims to explain the recent access to Gwadar for Tajikistan, its importance for both states, and future implications.
EU and GCC: Energy Partnerships Under Crisis
Facing one of its toughest winters, Europe looks to the Gulf countries to provide it with the energy that Russia had been providing for a long time.
Previously, the EU’s inclination for renewables and climate change—and GCC’s immutable investment in fossil fuels—stood in the way of an energy partnership.
Suhaib Shaukat explains the opportunities and challenges of cooperation between the EU and the GCC states. Some of the glaring obstacles include geopolitical decisions and critical infrastructure needs.
Arab NATO: Key to the Middle East Dilemma?
In recent years, the Gulf states have started to view Israel in a new light. Backed by Saudi Arabia and the US, these states – United Arab Emirates, Egypt, Jordan, Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, and Qatar – no longer think of Israel as a geopolitical threat but rather, consider Iran the enemy.
This sentiment has increased the prospect of an Arab coalition against Iran, particularly since the signing of the Abraham Accords.
Muhammad Bilal Farooq notes that although the Saudi-led coalition against Iran is supported by the US, the Arab states have become aware that they cannot solely rely on Western powers to be security guarantors.
