Pakistan’s Central Asian Dream: What’s Standing in the Way of Its Ambitions?

The primary reason on the list of issues is security. With the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP*), Islamic State Khorasan Province (ISKP*), and the Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA* attacking Pakistan's security forces at will, it will keep any investor from bringing business to the country, Syed Khalid Muhammad, founder and executive director of CommandEleven, a foreign policy and national security think tank based in Islamabad, pointed out.
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Pakistan: Security Challenges and the Hard State Dilemma

Pakistan’s security situation has long evolved as a consequence of the complex intersection of multiple factors, including geopolitical dilemmas, internal dissension, and history. The recently suggested notion of Pakistan being a hard state—one that prioritises security over other aspects of governance and socio-economic development—is being widely debated in drawing rooms, a select few editorials and op-eds, and YouTube vlogs.
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Politicisation of Pakistan’s Civil Awards: Honor or Political Gimmick?

The conferral of civil awards in Pakistan has always been a subject of debate, but the investiture ceremony held on March 23, 2025, under President Asif Ali Zardari has sparked particularly intense discussions. This year, the inclusion of Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto (ZAB), as a posthumous recipient of the Nishan-e-Pakistan, has led to accusations of political favoritism, while the recognition of certain journalists has further ignited controversy.
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