Issue Briefs

Pakistan’s UPR National Report: Hides more Than it Reveals
Months after its Universal Periodic Review (UPR) report on the human rights condition in the country was approved by the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) during its 53rd Session on 30 October 2023, Pakistan continues to violate most of the agreed recommendations to alleviate the concerns of all the stakeholders and improve the rights situation in the country.
The Chabahar Port and India-Iran Agreement
On 13 May 2024, India and Iran signed a 10-year long-term contract for operation of Shahid Behesti terminal at the Chabahar port in Iran, eight years after concluding the general framework of cooperation on the Chabahar port. A memorandum of understanding (MoU) was signed in May 2015 for the development of this port by India and on 23 May 2016, the contract was executed during the visit of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to Iran.
Widening gulf between Pakistan and AJK
Although most of the demands have been accepted― of course, not before securitizing the political issue by deploying FC, Rangers along with police to use force against the protesters― the people of AJK are unlikely to forget the ordeal they have had to pass through, for the last more than six months, which has certainly steeled their nerves.


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Xi Jinping’s High-Stakes Military Purge: Raises Questions Over China’s Taiwan Readiness
Imran Khurshid
China’s dramatic purge of its top generals is not merely an anti-corruption drive — it is a ruthless test of loyalty. The upheaval exposes deep insecurity at the heart of Xi Jinping’s control over the Party-army.
Washington’s Embrace of Islamabad Fuels Repression on Minority Ethnic and Religious Groups
Senge Sering
US and Arab support has emboldened Pakistan’s military, worsening repression of Baloch, Pashtun and Hindu minorities. Rising disappearances, torture, media control and religious persecution signal a deepening human rights crisis across the region.
Ambiguity and Unrest: AJK and GB in a Perpetual Constitutional Limbo
Mohammad Usman Bhatti, Muneeb Yousuf
While 2025 saw widespread protests against governance and economic hardship in Pakistan Occupied Kashmir (PoK)— including both ‘Azad Jammu and Kashmir’(AJK), and Gilgit Baltistan (GB)— followed by a violent state response leaving at least 10 people dead....
From Bullets to Ballots: A New Development Roadmap for India’s Maoists
P. V. Ramana
Following mass surrenders in 2025 and 2026, this proposal outlines a transition roadmap for former Maoists. It advocates for a community-led development agenda to replace armed struggle with democratic participation.