Pakistan witnessed a gruesome suicide bombing in a mosque on 30 January 2023 in Peshawar, Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (KP). Over 100 people were killed and more than 220 wounded. Omar Mukaram Khorasani, the head of the Jamaat-ul-Ahrar (JuA), a splinter group of the Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) claimed responsibility for the attack.1 The TTP denied the claim and insisted that it does not […]

If we are talking about geopolitics, we must apply an integrated and complex approach that combines power (primarily hard power – military strength and economic) and a certain view on the territory issues. The key concepts in geopolitics are Land Power, Sea Power and Manpower. The first two categories relate to geographical determinism and people are more likely to adjust […]

In the world of international affairs, there are no permanent allies or adversaries; rather, only interests are paramount. This guideline is followed by every nation state in the globe, and Pakistan is no exception. The foreign policy direction of Pakistan has always been vibrant. As the globe moves from uni-polarity to multi-polarity, Pakistan must adjust its foreign policy priorities to […]

In the backdrop of US invasion of Afghanistan, Pakistan has been embroiled in countering an insurgency in its tribal areas. The War on terrorism (WOT) was initiated in Afghanistan, and its fallout was ensued with the creation of insurgent groups. These insurgents in their attempt to profit from the war began to become mercenaries for hire. By capitalizing on the […]

At least two soldiers and two militants have been killed in an attack by a group of armed men on the central police station in Karachi, Pakistan. Karachi police say that in addition to the dead, six rangers and three policemen were injured and transferred to the hospital for treatment. Murtaza Wahab, a government adviser, confirmed that police and paramilitary […]

Senior Taliban leaders rarely publicly disagree with official policies issued by the group’s supreme leader, but there are signs of increasing internal dissent as the Taliban struggles to gain international recognition after one and a half years in power. The Taliban’s acting defense minister, Mullah Mohammad Yaqoob, in an event marking the 34th anniversary of the Soviet withdrawal from Afghanistan, […]

The chaotic U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan in August 2021 and the Taliban’s swift takeover of the country thereafter ushered in a host of geopolitical challenges for South and Central Asia. The resulting power vacuum in Afghanistan could lead the country to become a safe haven for transnational terrorist organizations, including al-Qaeda, much like it did prior to the 9/11 attacks. […]

China’s efforts to build economic and political influence in South Asia are running into significant headwinds, including with its longtime ally, Pakistan. Chinese relations with historic rival India remain tense over periodic border clashes and New Delhi’s participation in several U.S.-backed regional security groupings. Pakistani citizens have demonstrated against the conditions imposed by China for investments in Pakistan under Beijing’s […]

A member of the Canadian parliament has called on the Liberal government to lift barriers preventing Canadians from providing aid in Afghanistan. On Thursday, a motion from New Democratic Party Foreign Affairs Critic Heather McPherson was adopted unanimously by the House of Commons Foreign Affairs and International Development Committee, calling on the government to immediately amend sections of the Criminal […]

Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) warned Saturday of more attacks against law enforcement officers, a day after four people were killed when a suicide squad stormed a police compound in Karachi. The police are often used on the frontline of Pakistan’s battle with the TTP and are frequently a target of militants who accuse them of extra-judicial killings, AFP reported. Last month, […]