In a brazen on-camera interview, Sirajuddin Haqqani, Afghanistan’s acting interior minister, said in response to a question on how Afghan women feel unsafe to leave homes under the Taliban rule, “We keep naughty women at home.”
Mask Drops in Islamabad: How Pakistan’s Terror Calculus Came Undone
The strategic equation has irrevocably shifted. Pakistan’s long-standing attempt to separate itself from its proxies has failed, replaced by the reality of a state struggling with the infrastructure it created. As these groups operate with increasing autonomy, the world community is left with a clear conclusion
Water Diplomacy Through Riverine Networks: The India-Nepal Mahakali Sambad Example
Supported by the Transboundary Rivers of South Asia Programme (TROSA), this led to formation of grassroots networks, including the India-Nepal Joint Action Forum (INJAF) through which civil society organisations and local communities could raise common riverine concerns with officials in their respective countries. Many women in the community participate in these programs, leading to development of women’s empowerment centres (Mahila Mandals).
China-Pakistan Boundary Commission Activation has Grave Regional Implications
The Pakistan-China Boundary Joint Commission needs to be viewed in backdrop of the fast-changing geopolitics of South Asia and its military implications. The Shaksgam Valley sits immediately north of the Siachen Glacier and just west of Aksai Chin under China's control. By controlling Shaksgam, China can jointly monitor Indian military movements from the north while Pakistan does so from the south.
Bangladesh Skips BRICS 2026: The Diplomatic Opportunity That Left Dhaka behind
The question, therefore, is not whether Bangladesh could have secured a particular agreement simply by attending. There is no guarantee that participation in a summit automatically produces investment or diplomatic breakthroughs. The question is whether Bangladesh benefited by being absent.
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China poses no threat to the multi-faceted India-Bangladesh partnership
The accompanying data and graphs indicate that random charges about Bangladesh tilting toward China are just hype and with no basis in facts. Unlike Pakistan and Sri Lanka, Bangladesh has conducted prudent macroeconomic management in order to avoid overdependence on China.
Helpless pawns in a bilateral dispute: No relief in sight for poor Indian and Pakistani fishermen
The current process shows the insensitivity of our systems and highlights how fishermen and others are of the lowest priority as they remain incarcerated without reason in the other country's prisons.
The Rohingya refugee dilemma: Does a sustainable solution lie in their integration into Bangladesh?
While the Rohingya issue remains complex and multi-faceted, the potential for the coming generations to integrate into Bangladesh seems natural and realistic. As we move into a seventh year since their major influx, it's evident that repatriation efforts have made limited headway.
Six years later, Bangladesh's Rohingya refugee crisis sees no signs of resolution
Declining funds, deteriorating camp conditions, growing insecurity, and the adverse impact of the refugees on the host community have made Bangladesh a desperate host looking to reduce the burden. This crisis is also destabilizing regional security.
Rivers as network: Towards a pluriverse South Asia
The Indus, the Brahmaputra, and the Ganges, as well as the Kabul river basin, which is interconnected to South Asian nations, are perennial rivers that have shaped and influenced South Asia's history, politics, culture, economy, and civilizations for many millennia on a shared basis.
Will BRICS create a new balance in the global order?
If BRICS can truly identify issues of larger common interest and move forward on the basis of consensus, it can become the new leader of the post-Western world order where the NDB will be the primary competitor of the World Bank and IMF.
Why despite few returns India remains invested in Afghanistan
A few months back the members of the Taliban regime in Kabul attended a four-day ‘India immersion’ online course offered by the Ministry of External Affairs through IIM Kozhikode. The course was part of the capacity-building assistance through the ITEC (Indian Technical and Economic Cooperation) programme to developing countries, including Afghanistan.
Can a Modi-Xi meeting at Johannesburg break the border standoff?
The Major General-level talks (initially described as confidence building) apparently aim for a conducive atmosphere when Modi comes face to face with Xi at Johannesburg for the BRICS summit August 22-24.
Will Bangladesh benefit by joining the RCEP? The pros outweigh the cons
If Bangladesh applies to join this year, it can be a member of RCEP from 2025 onward. Apart from Bangladesh, Nepal, and Sri Lanka are also reportedly eager to join the China-led trade bloc.
Hydropolitics of the Helmand River: Iran-Afghanistan water-sharing dispute could imperil regional security and ecology
The Helmand River water issue has the capacity to escalate into a protracted and intense conflict, drawing both countries into a state of violence.
Pakistan: Military rule by proxy continues and will continue
It is apparent the Pakistani military is the sole decision-maker for Pakistan and the arbiter of its destiny. The probability of a prolonged interim government under caretaker PM Kakar is a strong possibility during which time the Pakistani military will call the shots through its puppet figure.
South Asia's overcrowded prisons: Lock-up culture needs to give way to reformation and empathy
Some South Asian countries have taken welcome steps toward the release of undertrial prisoners, including India, Pakistan, Nepal, Bhutan, and Bangladesh. These measures need to be implemented and applied consistently. Biraj Patnaik, Amnesty International's South Asia Director, says, “South Asia’s prisons are a blight on the region’s conscience...
Another round of India-China military talks : Obfuscating ground realities?
The latest round of military-to-military talks was orchestrated to time with Prime Minister Narendra Modi attending the BRICS Summit in South Africa on August 22-24 and the G20 Summit in New Delhi on September 9-10, which Chinese President Xi Jinping is slated to attend.
Crisis-ridden Pakistan battles an Afghan dilemma
The ISKP’s current objective is to prevent the Taliban from accomplishing its objective as a government in Kabul and prevent it from fulfilling its promises to the Afghan people. In order to achieve this, ISIS/ISKP will continue to target not just Taliban fighters but also nations that may have alliances with the Taliban government, such as China, Russia, and Pakistan.
