UNIVERSITY OF THE PUNJAB
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Water War Thesis: Perspective from South Asia
No full textWater war thesis argues that water scarcity due to climate change and population surge has resulted in water disputes in different arid regions of the world. Absence of water treaties amongst co-riparian states of a river, or stress in the treaties, hydrohegemonic behavior, and deviation from international water law on the part of a regional power, domestic water disputes and the subsequent pressures for more water could snow ball the water disputes into water wars. Such a water war could take place in the Middle East. This paper analyzes the basis premises of the water war thesis in the context of regional hydro-politics of South Asia. It argues that the region of South Asia is equally vulnerable to the water war thesis and recommends serious consideration
Contemporary Ecological Paradigms and Emerging Challenges of Water Security Nexus for Pakistan
No full textWater Securitization is key hindrance to socio-economic and human developmentfor a water-based economy. The trajectory relations among states, hydrologicalvulnerabilities, multi-faced water meagerness with crucial water sharing challenges are prompting geo-strategic and geo-political arduousness in South Asia. The chief intension of research is to elaborate the eminence of extreme water belligerences related with traditional state security concerns predominantly in case of Pakistan and India which are co-basin rival states of Indus Rivers System. Pakistan being single basin and lower riparian is profoundly reliant on Indus Basin (a lifeline for the country) due to its agrarian economy. The ever-increasing gap between demand and supply is instigating water scarceness, possessing numerous domestic aspects, political and climatic factors, Indian hydro-hegemonic intensions, etc. The ideology of water securitization along with national security is toxic in body politics, ensuinghydrological security complexes, security dilemmas and sufferer anxiety syndrome for Pakistan, elaborated by Securitization Theory paradigms. The research is based on descriptive and deductive reasoning approaches, mixed research methodology and utilization of secondary data resources. There is a dire need of dynamic responses, establishment of operative institutions, mutual cooperation at all levels, with de-securitization of riparian and hydrological security discourses can be valued, if not then it could intensify the human, national and hydro-security challenges for concerning states
Thinking beyond Democracy and Freedom: A Post 9/11 War on Terrorism Scenario
No full textThis paper is going to explore the world beyond democracy and the shroudedconcept of freedom. In the world of 'globalution' where revolution comes throughMultinational Corporations and any specific form of government does not work but tolerance. Tolerance for this paper is all about respect for each other’s' ideology, opinion, and status. It makes us wise enough to make our surroundings a harmonized and liveable place. The dichotomous nature of societies demands space for each other. However, we humans are supposed to respect each other's existence without any specifications. We are just human beings instead of Confucianists, Communists, Capitalists, Hindus, Christians, and Muslims. Humans are born free but their specifications have made them intolerant towards each other. Tolerance is a basic ingredient of democracy, which is a means to an end, not an end itself. Freedom can only be observed with impositions and impositions are against the concept of freedom. Thus, this paper will conclude the outcome of the nature of the modern sovereign state system. It is teemed with liberalism (a mixture of liberalism and realism) and liberacantilism (a mixture of liberalism and mercantilism). Misinterpretations of the West have made certain errors during the post 9/11 socalled war against terrorism. These errors cumulatively transform terrorism into 'errorism'. This 'errorism' is bringing home the world that inequality and imbalances are occurring horizontally and vertically making this world disorder. Industrialization is going on in the West and the population is increasing in the rest, breaking the "iron cage of liberalism." It demands a glocal system of governance that could sustain people's co-existence at home and abroad. The triangulation method with primary and secondary sources would be used in the process of this research
The Kargil Crisis 1999 and Pakistan’s Constraints
No full textKargil crisis has its links with unsettled dispute over Kashmir and Siachenglaciers between India and Pakistan. The Kargil war gave the realization tothe World that Kashmir is an important dispute/issue between India andPakistan and must be resolved.Pakistan had various objectives, motives andassumptions for initiating this conflict.Pakistan appears to have taken thedecision to launch operations in Kargil to take advantage of a weak politicalgovernment in India. But due to a lack of coordination among the political andmilitary leadership, the effort ended into a failure. The Kargil war totally undermined Pakistan- India relations. India no longer trusts Pakistan. The Kargil conflict did not emerge in a vacuum.The long history of the Kashmir dispute between India and Pakistan generated the Kargil conflict and showed Pakistan’s reaction to the Indian military policy in Kashmir, which culminated in the occupation of the Siachen Glacier in 1984. Pakistan had seen erosion in its position from India and especially the occupation of the Siachen Glacier buttheSimla Agreement could not prevent it. Kargil crisis had produced military,political and strategic constraints for Pakistan. There was inadequate interinstitutional co-ordination and lack of operational clarity was seen throughout the Kargil operation.As a result, world pressure was imposed on Pakistan to withdraw
The Resonance of “Islam Versus the West” in Pakistan’s Foreign Policy – 1947 to 1957
No full textThe ideational construct that postulates a confrontation between Islam and theWest is potent and resilient. This paper studies the case of Pakistan’s foreignrelations and seeks to understand how the Islam versus West construct resonated in the country’s first decade after independence. This decade longperiod was important in laying the foundations of future security alignments for Pakistan. The security concerns for Pakistan in the first decade of independence involved a primary threat from India and, to a lesser extent, threats from Afghanistan and the USSR. These threats were addressed in a context that included an internal debate within Pakistan on the place of Islam in politics and governance. This period also saw Pakistan faced with a lack of strong support from the Muslim countries of the Middle East. Pakistan at this critical juncture of its history chose to align with the West. Thus the resonance of the construct Islam versus the West was not very consequential in the foreign policy of Pakistan during the foundational first decade after independence
Central Asia: Crossroads for Global Economic Stratagem
No full textCentral Asia has remained the center for global economic attention ever sinceits independence and even though this region largely remains either ignoredor under-developed, the global economic paradigm shift has it in its crosshairs. The paper aims to assess the predominant issues surrounding Central Asia and evaluates possibilities of Central Asia transforming from being a Russian resource depot to becoming the alternative to Middle East. This paper aims to examine the role of regional and global stakeholders in shaping and recalibrating role of Central Asia as an alternate economic corridor both for international commerce and for resource exploitation and to assess challenges to Central Asia in maintaining its grip over domestic and trans border issues. This paper aims also to point out the environmental challenges to Central Asia that would prospectively reshape regional and global economic archetypes and might create a potential global flashpoint in the years to come
Construction of Pakistan Army in the Western Media: Discourse Analysis of Leading Articles of Time and The Economist
No full textMedia do not present, but represent and construct images by framing people and events in a way that may or may not be based on realities. This is merely done following the agenda set by the bodies influencing the media and its policies. After 9/11, Pakistan has given the US full support to counter terrorism. Various operations were carried out by the Pakistan Army in order to fight off terrorism, which resulted in heavy loss of military lives. Yet it was a common notion that the US media did not support Pakistan or its Army in its contents. The aim of this study was to see as how Pakistan‟s Army was constructed in the Western media -Time (US) and The Economist (UK). The articles were retrieved using Lexis Nexis from April 2010 to April 2012. The discourse analyses were carried using corpus modus to understand the underlying meanings. Analyses from both newsmagazines were then compared
Post-9/11 US Policies and South Asia
No full textThe administration in the US has made up its mind with regard to rectifying its policies towards the South Asian region. The extremist forces, having established their credentials as a global risk, remain a serious threat to global peace and stability. The Obama administration is especially concentrating on the South Asian region, keeping in mind its colossal strategic significance. Recently, Washington executed her new policy on the issue of how to handle the Taliban in Afghanistan. The US has also persuaded India and Pakistan, two central regional stakeholders, about her benefits in Afghanistan. The US has to understand the interests of both Pakistan and India, two nuclear antagonistic neighbours in the region, when it comes to resolving the Afghanistan issue. Pakistan is anxious about her relative strategic depth, the unsettled Kashmir issue and oppressive Indian objectives. In addition to all this, the US administration has accepted the responsibility, before the international community, of dealing with the challenges of extremist forces in the South Asian region
Nationalization of Education in Pakistan: Z. A. Bhutto’s Policy and Implementation
No full textThe history of education in Pakistan is the most significant topic which needs to be highlighted and examined. This paper thoroughly describes and explains various vistas of the policy of Nationalization of education that was adopted by Prime Minister Zulfikar Ali Bhutto in 1972. The policy of Nationalization of education left long lasting impact on Pakistan’s society and culture. The paper also covers the effect of the policy on teachers and students and their reaction to the policy has been recorded historically. While there were some merits of the policy it also created difficulties for the educational institutions. These merits and demerits of the policy have also been studied in the course of discussion
British Policy and the Transfer of Power in India
No full textThe political and economic situation that developed at the global front during the Second World War, coupled with the political consciousness and the anti-colonial attitude of the Indians, was a clear indication of the ultimate pack up of the British rule from India. Initially, the British tried different options to sustain or at least to prolong their departure, but eventually Prime Minister Attlee announced the decision of the British withdrawal on February 20, 1947. To execute the idea, Mountbatten was selected and was sent as the last British Viceroy to India. It was expected from the man with a career of unbroken success, that he would not only transfer the power in a peaceful environment but would also take all stakeholder on board while making the decisions. However, Mountbatten’s friendship with Nehru and tilt towards the Congress has left many question marks on his credibility as well as on the objectivity of the process. His decision to fast forward the partition process resulted in a massive bloodshed on short term basis and permanent hatred and disputes for the generations to come. History of South Asia might have been different had the British adopted a policy for the transfer of power in India with better intensions and planning