Notwithstanding all the tall talk of closer cooperation between them, the third Trilateral Summit of Afghanistan, Iran and Pakistan which was held in Islamabad in the third week of February was for all intents and purposes more an exercise in diploma....
Hambantota port is situated approximately 10 nautical miles from one of the busiest shipping lanes, in southern Sri Lanka. About 200 cargo vessels use it every day and it can handle vessels up to 100, 000 DWT. The Sri Lankan government hopes to bene....
It is generally believed that India has not handled its neighbourhood well and that this failure has diminshed its capacity to play a more prominent international role. Yes, India’s soft image, its perceived internal disarray, its inability to guar....
According to some observers, “The significance of the Gilgit-Baltistan region of Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) in terms of geo-strategy only seems to be rising given the fluidity of strategic equations in South Asia”.1 The Chinese �....
Representatives from Monitor 360, a US-based consultancy firm executing a project for the US Department of Defence and engaged in research and study of global strategic and analytical challenges, visited VIF on Feb 14, 2012. Their visit ostensibly ai....
In a surprising turn of events, even for many of Maldivians, Mohamad Nasheed, the first democratically-elected head of the state of Maldives, resigned on 07 February 2012 in the wake of anti-government protests and police mutiny. Although Mohamad Wah....
The civil-military relations in Bangladesh have always been unstable, in a country that has been marred by numerous military coups in the past. The Bangladeshi army has been known for factionalism and politicization of its forces. The recent revelati....
To start believing that democracy is taking root in Pakistan because the political confrontation between Prime Minister Gilani and General Kayani has not resulted in a military coup would be premature. There have been moments in Pakistan’s politica....
As is customary, official circles in India have hailed External Affairs S M Krishna's four-day visit to Sri Lanka from January 16th to 19th 2012 as 'successful.' Whether or not it was indeed 'successful' demands an examination of what transpired duri....
Is the current institutional conflict in Pakistan an indication that it is increasingly becoming a dysfunctional state, or is it a sign that the political system is now becoming more democratic? The Zardari government is at loggerheads with the judic....