Comments

PoK
Governance deficit, Grievances, and the Criminalisation of Dissent:  The Crisis of Constitutional Legitimacy in AJK(PoK)


Mohammad Usman Bhatti

This comment examines the constitutional crisis in the so-called Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK), detailing how contested refugee seats and federal overreach sparked mass protests, leading to a state-sponsored anti-terrorism crackdown ahead of the 2026 elections

PoK
Azad in Name, Controlled in Reality: The Colonial Contradictions of Pakistan-Occupied Kashmir


Idrees Aftab

Behind Pakistan’s narrative of “Azad Kashmir” lies a region marked by political control, constitutional restrictions, and recurring unrest. The contrast between Pakistan’s rhetoric and its record in AJK(PoK) deserves closer scrutiny.

Pak Army’s Desperation in AJK(PoK)
Pak Army’s Desperation in AJK(PoK): How Brute Force Shattered Pakistan’s Kashmir Narrative


Idrees Aftab

As repression intensifies in AJK (PoK), the very people, whose cause Pakistan claimed to champion, are increasingly turning against it. What is unfolding today is not merely a law-and-order crisis, but a challenge to the narratives that have shaped Pakistan’s Kashmir policy for decades.

Issue Briefs

Bangladesh
Fall of Hasina and Political Transition in Bangladesh: What has Happened and Why?


Ankita Sanyal

This Issue Brief seeks to analyse the events leading to the ouster of Hasina from power, identify the issues that brought about her fall, and the stakes for India in the evolving situation on Bangladesh.

Pakistan Flag
Pakistan’s UPR National Report: Hides more Than it Reveals


Zaheena Naqvi

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.

Chahbar Port
The Chabahar Port and India-Iran Agreement


Ashish Shukla

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.