Articles in Courtesy: South Asia Monitor

Pakistan revives Controversial Military Courts: A Substitute for Judicial...

Pakistan revives Controversial Military Courts: A Substitute for Judicial...

By: Mahendra Ved | Issue: Courtesy: South Asia Monitor | Date: 14 Jan , 2017

In a U-turn that is as remarkably swift as it is inexplicable, Pakistan’s civil and military leadership on January 9, 2017 decided to “hold consultations” on continuing with the military...

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India should not be Sucked into an Arms Race

India should not be Sucked into an Arms Race

By: Dr Manpreet Sethi | Issue: Courtesy: South Asia Monitor | Date: 12 Jan , 2017

India closed 2016 with the successful test of its long-range ballistic missile, the 5,000-km-range Agni V. The country heralded the New Year with the test of Agni IV, a ballistic missile with a...

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IS-Khorasan in Afghanistan: The new menace on the extremist block

IS-Khorasan in Afghanistan: The new menace on the extremist block

By: Chayanika Saxena | Issue: Courtesy: South Asia Monitor | Date: 02 Jan , 2017

Facing challenges on many fronts, Afghanistan is battling various anti-state forces at once. Caught in spiralling insecurity, the conflict-ridden nation now faces the latest anti-state element to...

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China-Nepal Relations: The new Normal may be Troubling for India

China-Nepal Relations: The new Normal may be Troubling for India

By: Anuradha Rai | Issue: Courtesy: South Asia Monitor | Date: 30 Dec , 2016

Beginning a new level of bilateral military engagement, Nepal will hold its first ever joint military exercise with China on February 10, 2017 named Pratikar-1 that will be on training Nepali...

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Emerging Russia-Pakistan Strategic Ties may become India's Newest Bugbear

Emerging Russia-Pakistan Strategic Ties may become India's Newest Bugbear

By: Dr Bawa Singh | Issue: Courtesy: South Asia Monitor | Date: 25 Dec , 2016

Realist theorists like Hans Morgenthau hold that in international relations, there are no permanent friends or foes but always national interests. It will remain very interesting to see the...

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CPEC: Pakistan's newest Holy Cow could also become its Millstone

CPEC: Pakistan's newest Holy Cow could also become its Millstone

By: Shabir Choudhry | Issue: Courtesy: South Asia Monitor | Date: 19 Dec , 2016

Pakistan faces many serious problems — and among them is the status and invulnerability of holy cows, and people who are above Pakistani laws. The China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) is not a...

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Pakistan Navy's New Task Force has Serious Implications for Region

Pakistan Navy's New Task Force has Serious Implications for Region

By: Mahendra Ved | Issue: Courtesy: South Asia Monitor | Date: 14 Dec , 2016

The establishment of Pakistan Navy’s special ‘Task Force-88’ (TF-88) on December 13, 2016, exclusively for maritime security of Gwadar port, is the next logical step that China and Pakistan have...

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Great Game in Afghanistan: Pak Terror, Russian Roulette and Chinese Checkers

Great Game in Afghanistan: Pak Terror, Russian Roulette and Chinese Checkers

By: Lt Gen Prakash Katoch | Issue: Courtesy: South Asia Monitor | Date: 08 Dec , 2016

The recently concluded Sixth Ministerial ‘Heart of Asia’ Conference at Amritsar, attended by some 30 countries and international and regional organisations, emerged as a platform for stronger...

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Border Tension Leaves India-Pakistan Trade in Crisis

Border Tension Leaves India-Pakistan Trade in Crisis

By: Amitava Mukherjee | Issue: Courtesy: South Asia Monitor | Date: 05 Dec , 2016

Increased tension along the Line of Control (LOC), particularly in the wake of reported Pakistan-sponsored terrorist attack at Uri and Indian surgical strike in response, has left its mark on...

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Heart of Asia Conference in Amritsar: Opportunity or Exercise in Futility?

Heart of Asia Conference in Amritsar: Opportunity or Exercise in Futility?

By: Lt Gen Prakash Katoch | Issue: Courtesy: South Asia Monitor | Date: 28 Nov , 2016

The SAARC summit scheduled in Islamabad in November 2016 was shunned by all SAARC countries forcing Pakistan to sheepishly ‘postpone’ the meet but blame India for ‘influencing’ other member...

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China's Af-Pak Gameplans: Signals to incoming US Administration?

China's Af-Pak Gameplans: Signals to incoming US Administration?

By: Lt Gen Prakash Katoch | Issue: Courtesy: South Asia Monitor | Date: 23 Nov , 2016

China’s President Xi Jinping is seeking an early meeting with US President-elect Donald Trump. In his congratulatory message to Trump, Xi mentioned China’s keenness to move forward on a ‘new...

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Gulbuddin Hekmatyar: A New Sinister Factor in the Afghan Imbroglio

Gulbuddin Hekmatyar: A New Sinister Factor in the Afghan Imbroglio

By: Amitava Mukherjee | Issue: Courtesy: South Asia Monitor | Date: 18 Nov , 2016

The peace agreement between the Ashraf Ghani government of Afghanistan and Gulbuddin Hekmatyar may further obfuscate the already confused Afghan scenario. There are reasons behind the suspicion...

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India May gain a lot from the Trump Presidency

India May gain a lot from the Trump Presidency

By: Brig Anil Gupta | Issue: Courtesy: South Asia Monitor | Date: 15 Nov , 2016

The almost two-year-long process to elect the 45th President of the United States (POTUS) came to a dramatic end on 9/11. September 11 2001(popularly known as 9/11) is synonymous with the date...

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India Needs to Project itself as a Responsible and Muscular Power

India Needs to Project itself as a Responsible and Muscular Power

By: Dr Sudhanshu Tripathi | Issue: Courtesy: South Asia Monitor | Date: 11 Nov , 2016

Though foreign policy of any country happens to be a well-planned, consistent, predetermined and calculated statement of its goals and objectives and their priorities and also about the...

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Trade vs Terror: Time for China to Choose

Trade vs Terror: Time for China to Choose

By: Sanjay Kumar Kar | Issue: Courtesy: South Asia Monitor | Date: 07 Nov , 2016

India-China relations have been severely impacted by China’s open support for Pakistan on many fronts. One of the important areas where China seems to be least worried is cross-border terrorism...

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Xi Visit to Bangladesh: Why Dhaka sees Beijing and Delhi ties through...

Xi Visit to Bangladesh: Why Dhaka sees Beijing and Delhi ties through...

By: Dr Sreeradha Datta | Issue: Courtesy: South Asia Monitor | Date: 02 Nov , 2016

Arriving at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport, Dhaka is always a happy moment for me. It was no different earlier this month when I went as a participant at the South Asia Economic...

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China-Pakistan Corridor against India's Strategic Interests

China-Pakistan Corridor against India's Strategic Interests

By: Jai Kumar Verma | Issue: Courtesy: South Asia Monitor | Date: 30 Oct , 2016

The much touted $46 billion, 3,000-km-long China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) links Gwadar port in the troubled state of Balochistan to China’s restive autonomous region of Xinjiang. The...

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India should not Gloat over a Moderate Tactical Success

India should not Gloat over a Moderate Tactical Success

By: Lt Gen Kamal Davar (Retd) | Issue: Courtesy: South Asia Monitor | Date: 26 Oct , 2016

The last three weeks may not have been historically momentous, as some in the establishment would like us to believe, but certainly India has been in the news, both within and globally, and more...

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Can BBIN Work as Antidote to Failures of SAARC?

Can BBIN Work as Antidote to Failures of SAARC?

By: Amitava Mukherjee | Issue: Courtesy: South Asia Monitor | Date: 22 Oct , 2016

As Pakistan is now aiming for a greater South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) with China and the Central Asian states in its fold, the importance of the emerging...

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Does SAARC have a Future?

Does SAARC have a Future?

By: NS Venkatraman | Issue: Courtesy: South Asia Monitor | Date: 19 Oct , 2016

The recent cancellation of the 19th summit of South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) that was scheduled to take place in Islamabad on November 15-16 has led to serious doubts as...

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