Badi Soch: Pakistan’s next government
This daily column includes Gateway House’s Badi Soch – big thought – of the day’s foreign policy events. Today’s focus is on the elections and new government in Pakistan.
This daily column includes Gateway House’s Badi Soch – big thought – of the day’s foreign policy events. Today’s focus is on the elections and new government in Pakistan.
Pakistan’s national elections will take place in the backdrop of a troubled economy, severe energy crisis, and frequent terrorist attacks. Can these problems be solved if the next leadership agrees to open its territories for trade and transit purposes between India and Afghanistan?
With Pakistan geared for a defining general election scheduled for May 11, Gateway House’s Ambassador Neelam Deo in a debate, titled ‘The civil-military equation in Pakistan has begun to tilt in favour of civilians,’ argues against the motion.
The road to reconciliation between India and Pakistan is likely to be a long and treacherous one. But perhaps economic compulsions can overtake political ones. That is the hope in Karachi, whose business community has started to make its journey across the border to India.
After each terror attack in india, there are strident demands for military action against Pakistan. ‘Surgical’ strikes and limited war in a bilateral nuclear age are not really options. What is needed is more decisive action on non-military fronts
India’s relations with Islamic nations, many of which are members of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), have become even more prolific over the last decade. While India does not visualise becoming a member of a religious international body, many reasons militate against our formally joining the OIC.
Domestic politics are impacting overall SAARC relations. As the largest SAARC economy, we must strive to minimise differences with our neighbours by understanding how they perceive our policies, and uphold the promise of this regional bloc
In the past few years, the SAARC region has seen promising engagements in mutual cooperation between nations. For these developments to hold, new ideas must be discussed
Imran Khan is coming to India to speak at the World Economic Forum to be held from 6 to 8 November in Gurgaon. What does Pakistan’s potential next prime minister have in store for India?
As the NATO troops prepare to pull out of Afghanistan in 2014, India is already positioned to take on a larger, pro-active role, which can radically alter the balance of power in South Asia. However, what will determine the future of security in the region, is how India and Afghanistan deal with Pakistan.