Vivekananda International Foundation | Seeking Harmony in Diversity

Pakistan

VIF Virtual Talk by H.E. Rahmatullah Nabil, former head of Afghanistan’s NDS

The complete withdrawal of U.S. troops from Afghanistan before September 11 is turning out to be a complicated affair. Taliban is gaining a strong foothold in Afghanistan. It has not shown any seriousness in negotiations over intra-Afghan dialogue...

July 30 , 2021

Afghan Lives Matter: Part 1- Role of Pakistan and her Emerging Dilemma

(This article is Part 1 of two parts’ series; second part will be on the Taliban role and what to expect from them and what does one make of the chorus of voices one sees in favour of Taliban and why any such outreach will take us nowhere.)...

July 30 , 2021

Uzbek President’s Call for Connectivity, Cooperation, Dialogue and Trust in Central Asia-South Asia Region: Pakistan’s Obduracy is the Obstacle

President Shavkat Mirziyoyev of Uzbekistan hosted an important conference ‘Regional Connectivity Between Central Asia and South Asia – Challenges and Opportunities’ in Tashkent on 15-16 July 2021. The conference was proposed by the Uzbek President...

July 20 , 2021

Why are Central Asian Republics wooing Pakistan?

The emerging regional security threats post-US withdrawal from Afghanistan has led to an active engagement between Pakistan and Central Asian republics (CARs). The US and NATO forces were scheduled to be withdrawn from Afghanistan by 11 September...

July 15 , 2021

Pakistan remains under the scrutiny of FATF

Amidst the changing regional and geopolitical dynamics, Pakistan remains mired in complexities and uncertainties. It continues to remain under the scrutiny of the terror-financing watchdog Financial Action Task Force (FATF) and is under immense...

July 7 , 2021

Appalling state of Press Freedom in Pakistan

A strained relationship exists between the media and state in Pakistan. Pakistan has gradually and systematically strengthened a tyrannical grip over freedom of expression1. More sophisticated and complex methods of silencing dissenting voices have...

July 3 , 2021

Political Initiatives and Peace Building in J & K: The external and Internal Dimensions

India’s political community and leadership has always been bold in experimentation, especially when it comes to J&K. Instances come to mind of past events such as the decision to conduct elections in 1996 when the externally sponsored campaign...

June 28 , 2021

Monthly Compilation of Views of VIF Expert Groups: May 2021

In May 2021 six experts group discussions were organised by the Vivekananda International Foundation through webinar on events and topics affecting India’s interests worldwide. The diversity of the expertise of each of the members of the expert...

June 18 , 2021

Comments on the IISS paper of May 2021 titled: “Nuclear Deterrence and Stability in South Asia: Perceptions and Realities”<sup>1</sup>

The recent IISS paper titled “Nuclear Deterrence and Stability in South Asia: Perceptions and Realities” is something of a letdown. Though it contains some nuggets of value such as the assessment that, given the China factor, the conventional armed...

June 2 , 2021

US / NATO Withdrawal from Afghanistan and its Implications

The author had the opportunity to attend on 5 May 2021 a very engaging round table jointly hosted by the Vivekananda Foundation, New Delhi, and Hudson Institute, Washington DC on the imminent US/NATO withdrawal from Afghanistan and its impact on the...

May 12 , 2021