The violent uprising in Pakistan occupied Jammu and Kashmir (PoJK), euphemistically called “Azad Jammu and Kashmir” by Pakistanis, has left Pakistan in shock and awe. The scale, spread, and ferocity of the insurrection took the Pakistani authorities by complete surprise. Efforts were made by Islamabad to impose an information blackout on PoJK—the internet was suspended, mainstream electronic mediacovered the widespread […]

An “education emergency” is a term used to describe a scenario when a government acknowledges a state of urgency in order to address serious weaknesses within the education system. It is an acknowledgement of the urgent and extensive actions required to improve the availability of high-quality education for every individual in society. Education emergencies often include a variety of actions, […]

India’s nuclear test of 1974, codenamed “Smiling Buddha,” signalled a critical shift from peaceful nuclear technology to military applications in the history of South Asia. This alleged Peaceful Nuclear Explosion (PNE) was the first case of horizontal nuclear proliferation since the Nuclear Non-proliferation Treaty (NPT) was formally adopted in 1967. The test, conducted at the Pokhran-1 site, used plutonium that […]

The fear of US sanctions has failed to deter India from signing a 10-year contract with Iran to develop and operate the Iranian port of Chabahar. The deal is expected to enhance regional connectivity and facilitate trade involving India, Iran, Afghanistan, and other nations. India’s Shipping Minister Sonowal had called the agreement a “Historic moment in India-Iran ties” while Jaishankar […]

In his November 2022 farewell address, outgoing Pakistan army chief Gen Qamar Javed Bajwa conceded that the main reason for the Pakistan army being “criticised from time to time,” was its unconstitutional “involvement in politics for the last 70 years,” and claimed that “the army [had] decided after a lot of deliberation that it will not interfere in any political […]