By Iqbal Ahmad Khan[1] Abstract Iran’s size, energy resources and strategic location combine to make it a major player in the peace and stability of the Gulf region and beyond. The current standoff between Washington and Tehran on the latter’s nuclear programme is fraught with serious consequences. Military action against Iran would ignite a long […]
Iran, the United States and Regional Stability Read More »
By Shahwar Junaid[1] Abstract There are defining moments in the history of nations that set their course for decades to come. Defining moments in the national history of a state can have a lasting impact on its allies as well as its adversaries the foreign policies of Britain and the United States had a profound
Defining Moments: The Political Implications of State Policy Read More »
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
Need For a Pak – Afghan Treaty on Management of Joint Water Courses Read More »
By Khaled Ahmed[1] Abstract The sectarian violence in Pakistan which has marred the final years of the last century continues in the present and has cost thousands of lives. Shia-Sunni tensions were largely concealed through layers of governance and prevented from degenerating into confrontation during the British Raj. Soon after the emergence of Pakistan, the
The Roots of Sectarianism in Pakistan Read More »
By Zamir Akram[1] Abstract For the past sixty years the Kashmir dispute has resulted in wars and incessant Pakistan-India tensions. As a consequence of the 1998 nuclear tests conducted by the two countries, this core issue has become a dangerous flashpoint. Courageous leadership and a paradigm shift in thinking are required for a lasting settlement
Kashmir Dispute: is There a Viable Solution Read More »
by Ishrat Husain* *Ishrat Husain is a former governor of the State Bank of Pakistan. Abstract The formulation and implementation of economic reforms generate winners and losers. The former are normally silent, the latter critically vociferous because the trickle-down benefits of growth come too late. The leader who ignores populist sentiments places himself in political
The Politics of Economic Policy Reforms Read More »
comment As the final 2007 issue of Criterion goes into print, increasing extremist violence and election-year political uncertainties have exposed the state’s inability to enforce its writ and demonstrated that sixty years after its independence, Pakistan has yet to establish a stable constitution-based political system. The Political Process Musharraf’s 6 October re-election as a military president is
Political Uncertainty and Extremist Violence Read More »
The tolerance level for a rational discussion on any topic relating to Islam has never been so minimal as it is now. Admitted that during the course of Muslim history certain rulers made a divergence from the official doctrine punishable, but the punishment was accorded by the state. As for today, groups of self righteous
Some Reflections on Islam and Governance Read More »
