Issue Briefs

Pakistan’s UPR National Report: Hides more Than it Reveals
Months after its Universal Periodic Review (UPR) report on the human rights condition in the country was approved by the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) during its 53rd Session on 30 October 2023, Pakistan continues to violate most of the agreed recommendations to alleviate the concerns of all the stakeholders and improve the rights situation in the country.
The Chabahar Port and India-Iran Agreement
On 13 May 2024, India and Iran signed a 10-year long-term contract for operation of Shahid Behesti terminal at the Chabahar port in Iran, eight years after concluding the general framework of cooperation on the Chabahar port. A memorandum of understanding (MoU) was signed in May 2015 for the development of this port by India and on 23 May 2016, the contract was executed during the visit of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to Iran.
Widening gulf between Pakistan and AJK
Although most of the demands have been accepted― of course, not before securitizing the political issue by deploying FC, Rangers along with police to use force against the protesters― the people of AJK are unlikely to forget the ordeal they have had to pass through, for the last more than six months, which has certainly steeled their nerves.


Comments
Rundown to the Gilgit-Baltistan Assembly Elections 2026: An Analysis
Zainab Akhter
Gilgit-Baltistan’s 2026 elections may face delays until October due to harsh weather and budgetary constraints. The caretaker administration may see extended powers amidst rising local political movements.
BNP's India Policy: Shifting Towards Pragmatism?
M.A. Hossain
BNP’s return to power forces a strategic rethink of its India policy. Geography, economic interdependence, and security realities push the party toward pragmatism over rhetoric in managing its most consequential bilateral relationship.
Resetting the Equation with a BNP Led Bangladesh: India’s Strategic Dilemmas
Ankita Sanyal
Bangladesh’s historic BNP victory reshapes Dhaka–Delhi dynamics. This analysis explores shifting rhetoric, water disputes, China’s growing role, and whether pragmatic engagement can stabilise ties in a post‑Hasina political landscape.