Religion once forged Pakistan’s identity, but today it threatens to destroy it from within. The same zeal once used to unite is now fuelling division, violence, and decay. This piece exposes how religious extremism, weaponised by the state and exploited by enemies, is now eating the country from the inside out, and why only bold, coordinated reform can stop it.
As attacks on Chinese nationals in Pakistan intensify, Islamabad faces tough choices about its relationship with Beijing and its own strategic sovereignty. Balancing security imperatives with regional pressures, Pakistan confronts harsh realities: can it safeguard Chinese interests without sacrificing autonomy, or will growing dependence reshape its alliances? This strategic recalibration may redefine Pakistan’s role in a region where China’s expectations and Islamabad’s security challenges continue to clash.
The security challenges in the Sahel are continuing the trajectory of moving southwards towards the Gulf of Guinea. And it appears that a new flashpoint may be arising as well.
The UK's counter-extremism programme has spectacularly failed repeatedly to identify attackers while downplaying the role of Islamist ideology, a highly critical review has concluded.
Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) has ended its ceasefire, and it has ended it with a literal bang, or in fact several bangs.
Pakistan faces a war-like situation on its western front, which was created by the Taliban's takeover in Afghanistan, which was hugely supported by Imran Khan who now has widespread support in Pakistan.
The current Maldives government's coalition partner, the Islamist party Adhaalath, has declared yoga to be a 'haram' practice while the Home Minister Imran Abdulla has vocally endorsed the policy of Adhaalath, local media reported.
The precarious security situation within Iraq continues to garner interest without a major crisis yet, but still manages to provide ample commentary while maintaining the same cast of characters: Shia militias that act as proxies for Iran, Mustafa al-Kadhimi the former head of the National Intelligence Service and current Prime Minister and the National Intelligence Service itself. The moves that the Shia groups are making can be interpreted as part of a power play.
When USCIRF (United States Commission on International Religious Freedom) released its 2022 report last month, one of the countries that were recommended for the Special Watch List (SWL) was Indonesia.