Recent Articles
Here are some of our recent publications
The Color Line
The convulsions of the year 2020 roiled the United States in at least two important ways: (1) they re-opened the gaping wound of racial inequities in an already divided society, and (2) they worsened […]
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Bracing For The New Year Challenges
While a new year always brings new hopes and aspirations, this is indeed a sobering start of 2021 with a multitude of challenges. At the dawn of the new year, countries across the globe […]
294 views
Protesting Farmers and the Indian Agrarian System
India’s farmers are witnessing a harsh winter, literally and figuratively, ever since the Modi-led Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government passed three farm bills in late September. Nation-wide protests and strikes have erupted across the […]
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The Second Wave of COVID-19 in Pakistan
The second wave of COVID-19 has once again disrupted the daily lives of Pakistanis and has brought uncertainty regarding how long the situation will last. The first COVID-19 case in Pakistan was reported on […]
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The Interplay of Free Speech & Economic Growth
Many disciplines within the social sciences teach us that policies and legislation that are inclusive, meticulous, thoroughly debated, and patiently executed fare much better in achieving their intended goals than do those which do […]
329 views
Carving up Cartels
The vitality of capitalism is premised on markets that do not exhibit distortionary behaviors, such as cartel behavior and mass tax evasion. Yet recent examples from two major Pakistani industries, sugar and cement, indicate […]
320 views
US-China Rivalry: Implications for the World
Amid the Sino-US rift, the world is caught between two giants. Their growing antagonism has compelled many states to seek refuge behind either of these globally contending hegemonic powers. Notably, the notion applies more […]
388 views
Can The Pakistani Youth Keep Themselves Away From The Toxic Political Milieu In The Country?
The Coronavirus Relief Tiger Force (CRTF), a youth-led initiative in Pakistan, has mobilized support and relief for the needy during the lockdown. However, the real challenge is how to keep the youth away from […]
356 views
Right-wing Nationalism is Creating Ripples in the World
A few decades ago, right-wing nationalism unleashed by Hitler in Germany metamorphosed into an extremist ideology of hatred and subjugation of the ‘other’. It ultimately led to the bloodiest war of the century killing […]
285 views
The Hindutva Rate of Growth
India’s economic growth in the early decades following independence was extremely low. Between 1950 and 1980, its economy grew on average 3.5 percent per annum, which translated into a per capita income growth of […]
458 views
Populism - Fanning the Flames of Islamophobia
“Islam is a religion that is in crisis all over the world today,” the French President, Emmanuel Macron exclaimed, in the wake of the ghastly beheading of a French history teacher by a Muslim […]
685 views
The Labour of Leisure
It was recently announced by the Minister of Science and Technology Fawad Chaudhary that a special program of animation and videogames would be launched to encourage young people to be part of the large […]
328 views
IMF & Pakistan’s Inflationary Conundrum
The economy of Pakistan is in hot waters once again. With the second wave of COVID-19 sweeping through the country, rising expenditure heads, and mounting debt obligations, it seems that the return to the […]
327 views
The Case for Cryptocurrencies
There is a burgeoning conversation in Pakistan around the use and ownership of an asset class commonly known as “cryptocurrencies.” While heightened investor, academic, and regulatory interest in this new form of economic capital […]
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On Strategic Competition between China and US
US-China partnership is deemed paramount in the 21st Century. Nonetheless, strategic rivalry between the two states has been intensifying in recent months. White House officials have lashed out at China at various world forums, […]
635 views
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COVID-19 & the Global Supply Chains
The year 2020 has been characterized by great tumult: political upheavals, polarized elections, economic downturns, lockdowns, and job layoffs. In fact, in most cases, we can establish direct causation between the COVID-19 pandemic and […]
334 views
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Exploring Peace beyond Dogmas: Intra-Afghan Dialogue
Direct negotiations between the Taliban and the Afghan government began in Doha, Qatar on September 12, 2020 after a major demand regarding release of 5000 Taliban prisoners held by the government was met. The […]
337 views
Globalisation Undeterred
For all the pundits who have been heralding a firm and decisive “retreat” of globalisation in the past few years, there is now a stunning counterexample of resurgent globalisation in the world. In the […]
384 views
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Modern Technologies and Future Warfare: Drawing Lessons from Armenia-Azerbaijan Conflict
As diplomatic and political efforts for three decades failed to resolve the tensions between Azerbaijan and Armenia over the disputed territory of Nagorno-Karabakh, the two former Soviet republics apparently once again settled their political […]
478 views
Summit of the Democracies
With President-Elect Joe Biden having declared victory in the 2020 presidential race, a new tenor for international economic and diplomatic engagement is likely to be set, which in Biden’s words is to “renew the […]
313 views
The Interplay of Economics & Defence
The second week of October unfolded as a sombre one for Pakistani citizens, especially our Armed Forces. On Thursday, October 15, terrorists ostensibly from banned outfits attacked and killed members of the armed services […]
296 views
COVID-19 and the End of Globalization: True or Not So Much?
COVID-19 has taken the world by storm, emerging in China in late 2019, the virus has infected more than 10 million people worldwide and has upended our way of life as we know it. […]
604 views
Sectarian Rift a Serious but not Endemic Issue in Pakistan
Pakistan has been unfortunate that even after seventy-three years of independence, it struggles to become a cohesive nation-state. While the pluralist character of Pakistani society and the challenges this poses to national integration are […]
241 views
The Need for a Cohesive National Action Plan
While warfare is as old as human history and its basic objectives remain unchanged, its methods, means and techniques have continuously transformed with the evolution of technology. In modern times, the unacceptably high cost […]
654 views