aashna-china Courtesy: Gateway House
14 May 2018

Gwadar: trade hub or military asset?

China’s ostensible intentions are to turn Gwadar port into a focal point of the China Pakistan Economic Corridor. But the geography of the region is a major stumbling block in the realisation of these ambitions and raises questions about the project’s underlying motives

2017_10$largeimg11_Wednesday_2017_013201128 (1) Courtesy: The Tribune
18 April 2018

Punjab’s unshakable drug smuggling networks

Since 2017, the Punjab government has been cracking down on drug networks. The campaign has so far targeted small-time drug peddlers, but deep smuggling networks that cross international as well as state borders remain intact, posing a major national security threat

CableMap-web Courtesy: Gateway House
5 April 2018

Version 1: China’s strategic edge in covert communications

China is steadily deploying state-of-the-art communications systems to connect its strategic and economic assets in Asia. It is then linkingthe Asian mainland to Africa, and Africa to South America. The investment spree is rapidly making Beijing a major player in global telecommunications – and ‘informationisation warfare’.

1200px-Malé_im_Landeanflug Courtesy: Wikipedia
27 February 2018

The politics of doing business in the Maldives

The recent crisis in the Maldives is a pertinent time to revisit an old case, highlighting the political uncertainties in the island nation due to growing Chinese influence and its impact on businesses and investors

15maldives-master675 Courtesy: New York Times
15 February 2018

Maldives: the Quad’s first crisis

The crisis in the Maldives is a case study of Chinese investments undermining democratic institutions in smaller countries. It poses long term threats to India’s economic and political security. And almost overnight, it has turned the Indian Ocean into the Indo-Pacific

04 Courtesy: Sameer Patil & Shah Maieen
8 February 2018

The Rohingyas and India’s difficult choices

A recent trip to Cox’s Bazar showed that despite numerous health, social and security challenges, the Rohingya refugees are reluctant to return to Myanmar. India will have to walk a tightrope, keeping in mind humanitarian, security, and geopolitical priorities

labaik-ya-rasool-allah-rally-held-1350502885-2234 Courtesy: Pakistan Times
14 December 2017

Pakistan’s risky experiment of mainstreaming extremism

As Pakistan prepares for general elections, its Army is working to bring terrorist and radical religious groups into the political mainstream. Its leisurely response to recent anti-blasphemy protests by the Tehreek Labaik Ya Rasool group and release of terrorist mastermind Hafiz Saeed are a part of this strategy