Introduction The closest formulation of Pakistan’s Nuclear Security doctrine, if any, was enunciated in an article appearing in The News, in October 1999, written by former Foreign Minister Agha Shahi, former Foreign Secretary Abdus Sattar and Air Chief Air Marshal (retired) Zulfiqar Khan. It was India-specific and spoke of credible, minimum deterrence - it would be flexible in response in a dynamic threat environment. India’s offer of `No First use’ was rejected - instead, Pakistan offered a `No War Pact’, which was not acceptable to India.

VIF hosted an interaction with a three-member delegation of Bangladesh Tariqat Federation Party (BTF) and members of the Awami league led 14 party alliance. The discussions centred around the trend of a particular section of Bangladesh’s polity attempting to move the narrative further right, while the other section would not only wish to arrest that trend but also promote a secular fabric which is inclusive and representative of entire Bangladesh.

The VIF, in collaboration with Confederation of Indian Industry (CII), organised a conference on ‘Assessing India’s Connectivity with its Neighborhood’ with the participation of industry, intelligentsia and policy makers.

Security situation in Afghanistan faces greater challenges. Besides the Taliban, the rise of ISIS opens up another front for the embattled Afghan state. At a time when the Afghan national election draws closer, security challenges necessitate greater assistance and coordination of efforts from Washington, whose South Asia strategy was unveiled last year with the aim of forcing the Taliban to the negotiating table.