Comments

PoK
A Region on the Edge: The Deepening Governance Crisis in PoJK


Syed Eesar Mehdi

This comment analyses the escalating 2026 crisis in Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir (PoJK). Driven by the Joint Awami Action Committee, widespread economic grievances over inflation and resource exploitation have transformed into a powerful political movement. This systemic collapse of public trust directly challenges Pakistan’s governance and regional narrative.

Trump-Xi Jinping Meeting
From Assertion to Deference: How the Iran War and Shifting Power Dynamics Redefined Trump’s China Visit


Imran Khurshid

The visit was defined more by symbolism than substance, where Beijing projected confidence while Washington appeared strategically constrained. The Trump–Xi meeting in Beijing highlighted shifting power dynamics, with China setting the terms of engagement across key geopolitical issues.

Indian-Pakistan
Terrorism, Trust, and India-Pakistan Relations: Peace Remain Elusive


Afroz Khan

Pakistan's state-sponsored terrorism has pushed India toward aggressive, kinetic retaliation, weakening Islamabad's nuclear deterrence and making genuine bilateral rapprochement impossible without visible, credible actions against extremist networks.

Issue Briefs

Gilgit-Baltistan
Widening gulf between Pakistan and AJK


Nazir Ahmad Mir

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.

UPR45
National Report by China in the 45th UPR Session: Hiding More than it Reveals


Ankita Sanyal

China’s report on human rights in the 45th session of the UPR on 23 January 2024 has drawn the attention of human rights activists worldwide. It has painted a rosy picture of the human rights situation within China.