Author name: Khalid Aziz

by Khalid Aziz* Introduction The world’s best armies, composed of US and NATO forces, have battled in Afghanistan against the Taliban since December 2001 and by the end of 2014, the US had spent more than $ 1 trillion and the allies had lost numerous soldiers killed and many more injured.v Pakistan has suffered considerably […]

by Khalid Aziz Abstract The provinces are yet some distance away from the Constitutional aspiration to devolve power to the local level; if that is achieved it will greatly strengthen civil society. It remains an ideal that still needs to be pursued. To a large extent the barrier in achieving this goal is the unwillingness

By Khalid Aziz* (Criterion wishes to thank Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung (FES), a German political foundation working in Pakistan and its country Director for allowing the publishing of the following article on “Drivers of Radicalism and Extremism in Pakistan.”) Introduction It may be asked whether there was a need for another paper on the drivers of radicalism and

By Khalid Aziz[*] A trajectory of population growth combined with the melting of the glaciers in the Hindu Kush and the more than three decade long drought that prevails in the Afghanistan – Pakistan region is creating an Apocalypse in the Indus Basin. However the word is used in the sense of ‘discovery’ connected with

By Khalid Aziz [*] Abstract The radicalization of Pakistan and Afghanistan with its attendant extremist violence has destabilized both countries. The process began with the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan in 1979 and the subsequent resistance to its decade-long occupation of the country. The liberation struggle was spearheaded by the mujahideen who were trained, financed, armed and

By Khalid Aziz[1] Abstract This paper examines the endemic water scarcity in parts of Pakistan, Afghanistan and Central Asia since the early 1970s. The dislocation caused in the agrarian economies has resulted in the loss of livelihoods for millions;  it has created environmental refugees, some of whom have resorted to political struggle to wrest control

By Khalid Aziz[1] Abstract Pakistan was denied its rightful share of military and civilian assets when it emerged as an independent state in 1947. The new nation had only a weak and ill-equipped military to protect its interests in the disputed state of Jammu and Kashmir which had been occupied by India. In the Kashmir