Publications

Economic Affairs & National Development

Knowledge: Its Supply and Demand

As with any commodity, or commoditised corpus, knowledge too can be squeezed into the neoliberal matrix of microeconomic analysis, where knowledge is framed as a function of supply and demand. If one proceeds from this constraining prism, then one might surmise that the developing world as a whole, and a country such as Pakistan more specifically, suffers from a supply of knowledge. One may deduce this from the low literacy and numeracy rates, from low rankings of universities on international tables, from the percentage of GDP accorded to public and private education or R&D.
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March 20, 2024
India

Indo-US MQ-9B Drone Deal: A Threat to Pakistan’s National Security?

The US government last month approved the deal of selling 31 MQ-9B drones to India for an amount of USD 3.99 billion. The agreement besides drones, also included 170 Hellfire AGMs, 310 GBU-39/B glide bombs, anti-submarine equipment, training kits and spare parts. As part of the transaction, the Indian military will get 16 Sky Guardian drones to be equally divided between the Indian Army and Air Force, whereas the Indian Navy will receive 15 Sea Guardian drones.
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March 19, 2024
India

The Plight of Indian Farmers

The recent national horizon of Indian politics has significantly been characterised by the farmers’ protests since 13thFebruary. The farmers, hailing mainly from the northern Indian states of Punjab and Haryana, initiated the ‘Delhi Chalo’ movement with their list of demands, in which assured crop prices are at the top.
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March 18, 2024
PAF

Aiming for J-31 Stealth Fighter

Ensuring military readiness to confront future challenges and uncertainties has always been imperative for the armed forces. The approach often requires a consistent and steadfast commitment to innovation and modernisation. Central to this concept is the acquisition and integration of new and cross-cutting technologies. The possibility of Pakistan Air Force (PAF) acquiring the Shenyang J-31 stealth fighter has created a buzz recently.
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March 12, 2024
India

Geopolitics of Defence: Analysing the Indo-Israel Partnership

In recent times, the Indo-Israeli defence partnership has reached a fundamental juncture.  The bilateral relationship between the two states has shown a significant growth over the past few years since the inception of their diplomatic relations in 1992.  A crucial episode of this relation began when Narendra Modi became the first Indian Prime Minister ever to have visited Israel in July of 2017.
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March 8, 2024
Economic Affairs & National Development

Development and Democracy: Part and Parcel of One Another

Whether democracy is a precondition for development is a debate that continues to stimulate scholarly reflection till the present day. While this intellectual reflection is praiseworthy, the discussion could have been settled long ago when Amartya Sen redefined the concept of ‘development’ as ‘freedom’– a notion that strongly resonates with the human spirit.
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March 4, 2024
Emerging technologies

Evaluating the Potential of Carbon Capture and Storage Technology in Pakistan

Technology and innovation are emerging dimensions of climate discourse in contemporary times. Climate technologies  are rapidly becoming instrumental in reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and adapting to the detrimental impacts of climate change. Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) technology has the potential to expedite endeavours towards climate change mitigation in environmentally vulnerable countries.
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February 29, 2024
India

Operation Swift Retort: Five Years On

The nature of Indo-Pak relations has been turbulent right from the onset. Numerous events have influenced the trajectory of this bilateral relationship over time. In this regard, February 2019 stands out as both countries were on the verge of military escalation and nearly went to war, was it not for the foresight and restraint of Pakistan’s leadership.
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February 27, 2024
Emerging technologies

3J’s in PAF’s Fighter Fleet: A Lethal Combination

The Pakistan Air Force (PAF), known for its forward-thinking approach, has consistently embraced cutting-edge technologies, boasting a fleet composed of advanced aircraft. Currently, the PAF operates two formidable ‘J series’ fighters: the JF-17 and J-10C, alongside other potent fighters like the US F-16, French Mirage, and Chinese F-7P (originally J-7) aircraft.
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February 20, 2024
India

India’s Jingoistic Nationalism

A grand Hindu temple – Ram Mandir – has been inaugurated in the Indian city of Ayodhya. The Indian Prime Minister, Narendra Modi, attended – or led (as he would like history books to remember) – the consecration along with other Bharatiya Janata Party stalwarts, leaders from the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh and even Modi’s opponents from the Congress.
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February 16, 2024
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