On September 17, 2025, Saudi Arabia and Pakistan signed a Strategic Mutual Defence Agreement (SDMA) in Riyadh, formalising decades of military cooperation into a binding […]
Why does the Military Dominate Pakistan?
On September 17, 2025, Saudi Arabia and Pakistan signed a Strategic Mutual Defence Agreement (SDMA) in Riyadh, formalising decades of military cooperation into a binding pact in which aggression against one is considered an act against both. The pact comes in the wake of Israeli airstrikes on Doha, growing scepticism over American security guarantees within the Arab world and mounting pressure on Islamabad to adapt to changes in the South Asian trade and security. The bonhomie between Riyadh and Islamabad complements the prospering relationship between Ankara and Islamabad. In recent years, Türkiye has emerged as a close partner of Pakistan, supporting Pakistan’s cause on various international forums and contributing to the bourgeoning relationship between the two nation-states. Origins of a…
Why does the Military Dominate Pakistan?
On September 17, 2025, Saudi Arabia and Pakistan signed a…
From Diriyah of 1727 to Vision 2030: History, Legitimacy, and the Reinvention of Saudi National Identity
History is never a neutral archive of bygone events but…
Tryst with a knife: Hassan Blasim and The Corpse Exhibition
Thomas De Quincey, the inaugurator of addiction literature in the…
No Dilli, No Pindi: BNP’s Mandate for Change and the Future of Bangladesh
The much-awaited Bangladesh’s 13th national election, held on 12 February,…
From Revolution to Resistance: The Crisis of Legitimacy in the Islamic Republic of Iran
The recent wave of protests in Iran, which began on…
Settler Colonialism as Structure: From French Algeria to Zionist Palestine
In moments of extreme violence when cities are flattened, populations…
From Haram to Deterrence: How the Israel-US Aggression May Have Reversed Iran’s Nuclear Policy
For decades, Iran insisted it did not seek nuclear weapons.…
The Saudi Arabia–Pakistan Strategic Mutual Defence Agreement and Its Implications for Iran’s Security Outlook
Saudi Arabia and Pakistan formalised their longstanding security cooperation through…
Deterrence or Diplomacy? Iran’s Nuclear Path After the Israel Strikes
The 12-day Israel-Iran war (June 13-25) marked a major escalation…
Türkiye’s Steel Dome: Redefining Air Defence and Strategic Autonomy
Recent decades have witnessed a transformation in the notion of…
From Diriyah of 1727 to Vision 2030: History, Legitimacy, and the Reinvention of Saudi National Identity
History is never a neutral archive of bygone events but is rather a political resource. It has been used by nations to revisit and reinterpret […]
Tryst with a knife: Hassan Blasim and The Corpse Exhibition
Thomas De Quincey, the inaugurator of addiction literature in the West and an essayist of consummate variety, wrote an essay titled “On the Knocking at […]
No Dilli, No Pindi: BNP’s Mandate for Change and the Future of Bangladesh
The much-awaited Bangladesh’s 13th national election, held on 12 February, was hailed as ‘historic’ for marking the first election since the ouster of Sheikh Hasina […]
From Revolution to Resistance: The Crisis of Legitimacy in the Islamic Republic of Iran
The recent wave of protests in Iran, which began on 28 December 2025, sent many shockwaves, including questioning the legitimacy of Ayatollah Khamenei’s power. The […]
Beyond SAARC? The Limits of Pakistan’s India-Excluded South Asian Vision
In December 2025, Pakistan advocated for a new South Asian bloc without India’s participation. The vision was articulated by Pakistan’s Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign […]
Beyond Ceasefires: Gaza Board of Peace and the Limits of Technocratic Peace
U.S. President Donald Trump’s “Comprehensive Plan to End the Gaza Conflict” has been sold as the exit ramp from Israeli-unleashed ruins of Gaza following the […]
Survival or Hegemony? Why Iran Can’t Kill its Nuclear Ambition
In the summer of 2025, at the behest of Israel, the US launched massive air strikes on three Iranian nuclear sites- Fordow, Natanz and Isfahan. […]
How US trade diplomacy reflects the Beijing Consensus on WTO reform
In the immediate aftermath of the Cold War, American political scientist Francis Fukuyama famously proclaimed the “End of History,” arguing that Western liberal democracy had […]
If You Are Not at the Table, You Are on the Menu: Canadian PM Mark Carney.
Calls on Middle Powers to adopt “Principled and Pragmatic Path” in International Affairs in his address at the World Economic Forum in Davos Below is […]