April 2021

The Power of Womenomics The idea of women as rivers of a nation’s economy can be understood by ‘Womenomics’ – a term coined by Kathy Matsui, a strategist at Goldman Sachs, and launched by former Japanese prime minister Shinzo Abe in 2013 to stimulate his country’s economic growth and promote gender equality in the workforce. Womenomics is not just a …

Strategic Police Reforms in Pakistan Latest Developments in Years 2019-20 Police are the entry point of the criminal justice system. Though the pull of the status-quo forces is much stronger than the push of the forces for change in the country, the perennial struggle between the two continues unabated. The landscape of police reforms, in this regard, serves as a …

Re-evaluating the Role of Universities Even from the start of the 21st century, students have flocked to universities as the principal sites of learning. However, online access to virtual libraries and audio/video resources from the most renowned institutions has added another dimension to teaching and learning that must be considered when looking at the role of a future university. The …

Afghanistan-Pakistan Border Fence A fresh milestone in Pakistan’s efforts to curb terrorism on its soil is going to be achieved soon. In February this year, it emerged that almost 90 percent fencing work on the Pakistan-Afghanistan border, which passes through rugged mountains, densely-forested valleys and narrow rock passages, has been completed, and the remaining work would be completed within four …

Pakistan FATF The recently concluded Financial Action Task Force (FATF) meeting in Paris has decided to keep Pakistan on its Grey List, demanding compliance again on three of the remaining 27-point action plan that was given to the country in June 2018. The decision came after a three-day virtual meeting of the FATF that began on February 22, during which …

PAKISTAN-CHINA Ironclad Friendship China-Pakistan friendship has a time-honoured history. As late Chinese Premier Zhou Enlai said friendly exchanges between the Chinese and Pakistanis can be traced as far back as the dawn of history. Over 2,000 years ago, China and Pakistan were already connected by the ancient Silk Road, when our peoples visited each other amid echoes of camel bells. …

ISLAMABAD SECURITY DIALOGUE On March 17-18, the first-ever Islamabad Security Dialogue was organized by the National Security Division. The Dialogue has been launched with an aim to unveil Pakistan’s new strategic direction based on a comprehensive security framework. While inaugurating this two-day event, PM Khan talked about the concept of national security and said it needs to be more comprehensive. …

IMRAN KHAN’S FIVE-POINT PLAN TO END POVERTY, HUNGER In his virtual address at the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) moot, Prime Minister Imran Khan reminded the world that some 600 million people suffer from hunger, and 100 million will be pushed into poverty because of the impact that the pandemic has had on their lives. Even more worrying is …

FATA’s Merger with KP Part II Prospects, Challenges and Opportunities   Associated with the political will is the need for an unwavering commitment to the provision of funds for the development of the merged districts. Initially, there was a willingness to spend 3% of the federal divisible pool for the socio-economic development of ex-FATA for a period of ten years. …

Ecosystem Restoration A Solution to Climate Crisis It seems the nature is finding it harder and harder to tolerate human encroachments. From intensified hurricanes to ravaging wildfires, from dwindling water supplies and ocean acidification to growing desertification, from rapid extinction of flora and fauna to melting of the permafrost; nature is using all weapons in its arsenal to warn the …