Pakistan’s Ticking Youth Bomb
Those in authority must act now and take the necessary steps before Pakistani youth take matters into their own hands
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Cover Story
Pakistan’s Gen Z Moment
Pakistan is sitting on a powder keg of economic and political discontent, and a frustrated Gen Z could eventually emulate the youth movements that have shaken other South Asian countries
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Between Fear and Fury
People in Pakistan need a trigger to find common purpose and overcome fear to stand against a repressive regime. But the country’s Gen Z isn’t there yet.
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A Movement in the Making?
Pakistan appears to have all the conditions for a youth-led political movement, yet such a movement has not materialised
Read moreBEAT ’EM, OR JOIN ’EM?
Pakistan’s youth do not lack political consciousness; what they lack is a credible mechanism for turning that consciousness into meaningful structural change.
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From Hashtags to History
Pakistan’s Gen Z is digitally connected and faces political polarization and economic pressures, creating fertile ground for collective action—yet several barriers continue to inhibit such mobilization
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Winning The Wars Within With Peace
From its very birth, confronted by two inimical neighbours, Pakistan has tended to regard war as an external threat. Yet an equally grave challenge has been the failure to address development priorities with the same clarity of purpose, resource mobilization and determination brought to meeting external dangers.
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A Nation Against Itself
Pakistan’s greatest challenge is not external aggression but the urgent need for democratic governance, institutional reform and national renewal
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The Crisis Within
Pakistan is unlikely to overcome its internal challenges unless the state combines effective security measures with political reconciliation, representative governance, and economic justice
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Between Glory and Gloom
Pakistan’s growing diplomatic stature abroad should be matched by meaningful reforms and stability at home
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Fault Lines First
Despite the widening internal fault lines, Pakistan’s ruling elite appear to lack the commitment, capability and vision required to steer the country out of its multiple crises
Read moreFrom ‘Form 47’ to ‘Federation’
Any changes to the 18th Amendment would seriously violate the foundational principles of the Federal system as outlined in the 1973 Constitution
Read moreTo Be or Not to Be?
Instead of just minor legislative tweaks, Pakistan truly needs significant, meaningful changes to its Constitution that can make a real difference
Read moreDictatorial Democracy
Mature democracies successfully strike a balance between governance and popularity, but unfortunately, Pakistan has struggled to do so
Read moreReform, Not Ruin
If the 28th Amendment passes, the country will lose whatever remains of decentralisation, which forms the building block of a federation
Read moreCharter of Convenience
Following the enactment of the 26th and 27th Amendments, the proposed 28th Amendment would further restrict civilian authority
Read moreArab vs. Arab
The UAE’s decision to leave OPEC highlights a growing rift between the UAE and Saudi Arabia and signals a drastic move away from the system shaped by Saudi Arabia
Read moreGreat Gulf Realignment
The ongoing rivalry between the United States and Iran has brought about increased political, economic, and strategic challenges throughout the Middle East
Read moreGulf Within Gulf
What is emerging instead is a harsher reality: a Middle East defined less by shared Arab identity than by logistics corridors, transactional alliances, and overlapping cold wars
Read moreMen of the Match!
In marked contrast to November of 2022, today’s Pakistan has evolved as an international peace headquarters, thanks to the rise and rise of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir
Read moreChanging Global Order
The transatlantic relationship, once the cornerstone of global order, is rapidly losing its centrality, giving way to a more fractured, post-American, multi-bloc world
Read moreBetween Humiliation and Escalation
Sooner or later, Pakistan may need to reevaluate the merits and drawbacks of persisting with its mediation efforts, considering U.S. President Donald Trump’s tendency to attribute his shortcomings to others
Read moreFools Fooling Fools
The persistent stalemate between Iran and the United States exemplifies how U.S. President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu tend to overestimate their capabilities while underestimating the strength and resilience of their adversaries
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