Afghanistan’s persisting outlook on Pakistan: Lessons for Islamabad’s Afghan policy

1. Introduction and background Pakistan has a unique relationship with Afghanistan. The two countries share a 2,570 km long border, also called Durand Line, and have numerous cultural, ethnic and religious connections. The former Afghan leader Hamid Karzai once described the two countries as “joined together like twins” and “inseparable.”[1] Yet relations between the two … Read more

Killings in Karachi: down, but not out

With the Rangers-led targeted operation aimed at restoring peace to Karachi entering its fourth year, there was marked improvement in the overall law and order situation in the city in the year 2016. However, even as fatalities from political violence and gang wars sharply declined in Karachi amid the ongoing operation, the city continued to … Read more

Militant economy of Karachi

Karachi is Pakistan’s financial hub and its most populous city with an estimated population of 23.5 million as of April 2013 (Khan, 2012a). While Islamabad is the political capital, Karachi is the country’s foremost commercial and financial centre. It accounts for the lion’s share in Pakistan’s gross domestic product and generates at least 60 percent … Read more