ViewsWeek Views from around the world
The choice of vaccines by countries has thus become the epitome of global geopolitics. And this is not an empty phrase. The US Department of Health and Human Services admitted that it used "diplomatic relations" in order to force Brazil, one of the worst-hit countries in terms of the COVID-19 pandemic, to reject the Russian coronavirus vaccine Sputnik V.
April, 2021
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11 April
Pakistan-China Relations Not As Usual Any More
Geo-strategic location is no blank cheque for unqualified external support. The recent Chinese-Iran strategic cooperation deal is perhaps a warning that Beijing is not likely to rely on the nuclear-armed goliath which is hamstrung by the burden of its own inaction, tardy governance system, policy contradictions, and partially delusional romance with its super geo-strategic location which meanwhile is more of a liability than advantage.
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7 April
Pakistan-India Water Talks Resolve Little, But Raise Hope for Dialogue
Even as Pakistan's questions about Indian hydropower projects went unanswered, both sides at the Indus Waters Treaty meeting showed an intention to engage.
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5 April
Afghanistan: Peace Still a Far Cry
While the US, Russia and China have their own interests in the matter one should be careful to try to put pressure on a process that is supposed to be ‘Afghan-led and Afghan-owned; the experience with the Bonn conference in 2001 that tried to prescribe conditions to Afghans have rather not been helpful. And the threat of the US to delay their troop pull-out is a game-breaker looming large over the situation.
March, 2021
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27 March
Pakistan’s Democracy on Trial
The creditability of elections of Pakistan over the decades has remained weak, for many citizens a power game of the ruling elite and of the ‘establishment’.
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23 March
Uzbekistan Eyes Pakistan’s Gwadar Port for Exports
A southbound logistics corridor via the Gwadar Port can increase regional connectivity and trade, offering Central Asian states direct access to the deepsea port. Plans are also afoot to connect Uzbekistan with Pakistan via Afghanistan through railway.
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20 March
Pakistan in Grip of COVID-19’s Third Wave: PM Khan Among the Infected
The South Asian country is in the grip of the third wave of coronavirus but much of its population remains in denial mode, showing little respect for personal and public safety, stoking the infection rate to dangerous levels.
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20 March
Pakistan Pays Heavy Price for Excess Power Generation Capacity
Pakistan’s dilemma is a surplus of power generation capacity – a problem it has avoided since the late 1990s. Today it is embroiled in a fierce debate over whether it was poor planning or bad management of the power sector, and the wider economy, that has burdened the country with excess power generation capacity. What is harder to debate, however, is the mounting bill.
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13 March
The Making of a Criminal State
A democracy with a modicum of control is far better than a corrupted democracy protecting criminals. What can one expect from criminals? Under most circumstances, one does not advise killing them but certainly, they cannot be allowed to subvert democracy at the peril of the State, argues Ikram Sehgal.
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12 March
FATF Grey List – A Bitter Reality for Pakistan
To reconcile with the outside world and insert Pakistani narrative better would require actionable events. This would be for any ruling party or government, now or in the future. Even if this seems like a case of ‘politics’, Pakistan will still need to focus their efforts in complying with the remaining points. Will Islamabad do the needful before a further backslide takes place?
