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DEVELOPMENT OF JOINT CHEMICAL, BIOLOGICAL, RADIOLOGICAL AND NUCLEAR (CBRN) RESPONSE CAPABILITY IN SOUTH ASIA: CURRENT STATUS & FUTURE PROSPECTS
Full text linkProtection against the consequences and impacts of Chemical, Biological, Radiological, and Nuclear (CBRN) events remains a top concern in the national and international security framework of nation-states around the globe. The growing threats in the CBRN domain warrant attention to enhance capabilities for an effective CBRN response. The South Asian region requires even more comprehensive and integrated efforts to establish a mechanism for addressing these threats, given the region\u27s complex geostrategic and security dynamics. The area lacks a well-developed coordination mechanism for sharing information and addressing cross-border contamination scenarios in the event of a CBRN incident. This paper aims to explore potential areas of cooperation, integration, and coordinated action among South Asian states at the regional level. A doable framework is proposed to develop joint regional capabilities for prevention, improved preparedness, and incident response strategies. It will focus on integrating the communication mechanism between the regulatory institutions of the participating states. It is emphasized that cooperation among states is crucial for practical accident assessments and the coherence of responses, which are essential for preventing CBRN events. It will help ensure the unified implementation of protective action plans, independent of national border lines, to effectively respond to CBRN incidents that could have critical regional and international implications.
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Choudary, Saman and Muhammad Usman Asghar. 2025. "Development of Joint Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear (CBRN) Response Capability in South Asia: Current Status & Future Prospects." Margalla Papers 29 (1): 96-112
GREAT POWER RIVALRY IN A CHANGING INTERNATIONAL ORDER
No full textThe article aimed to comprehensively analyse the great powers\u27 rivalries in the current international political and geopolitical landscape, which may be leading to a changing global order. Great Power in the Changing International Order refers to the intensifying competition and conflict among the major powers, especially the US, China, and Russia. It covers various issues such as trade, technology, security, human rights and global governance. The emergence of this rivalry has challenged the existing international order, shaped mainly by the US and its allies after the Cold War. It has created new opportunities and risks for the middle and smaller powers caught between the great-power axis. The latter half of the 20th century saw a shift toward a multipolar world due to globalisation, the collapse of the Soviet Union, and technological advances. However, the 19th and 20th centuries were marked by the dynamic nature of multipolarity, with periods of stability and instability. The receding US influence, the rise of other power centres, and the transition from geopolitics to geoeconomics are among the main factors driving the transition in the world order.
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Permpul, Thanai, Abdeel Kadir Bello, Ahmad Abdalaziz Alnusfir and Meshal Abdullah Salman Almaliki. 2025. "Great Power Rivalry in a Changing International Order." Margalla Papers 29 (2): 54-67
ROBOTIC REPLICATION OF LIVING THINGS AND IMPLICATIONS FOR WARFARE
Full text linkThe paper discusses nature-inspired robotic replications, their potential military applications, implications for warfare, and the perspective of International Humanitarian Law (IHL). Historically, animals have been used in war, helping to turn the tide of battles and the fortunes of many combat soldiers. However, in modern times, there is a growing interest in replicating characteristics of natural creatures in AI-enabled robotics for military purposes. Key mechanics of natural systems, such as manoeuvrability, agility, and aerodynamics, as well as intelligence factors like coordination, swarming, task sharing, and cooperation, have inspired the development of military robots. These robots, equipped with the instinct of survivability alongside features such as self-organization, self-adaptability, and self-learning, are well-suited to navigate the battlefield\u27s challenges and engage in warfare despite the inherent unpredictability and chaos involved. By leveraging the evolutionary advantages of nature, military robots can enhance their effectiveness through biomimicry, as they tend to be more adaptable to unforeseen scenarios. This increased adaptability improves their ability to learn and evolve in response to environmental changes, thereby significantly enhancing mission outcomes. The findings of this research show that, in addition to presenting significant moral, ethical, and legal challenges, rapid advancements lead to the militarization of nature and significantly alter the nature of warfare. The study also provides recommendations for an international consensus on legally binding instruments.
Bibliography Entry
Ullah, Atta and Sher Ali Kakar. 2025. "Robotic Replication of Living Things and Implications for Warfare." Margalla Papers 29 (1): 80-95
EMERGING SECURITY ARCHITECTURE IN ASIA PACIFIC: IMPACT ON PAKISTAN
Full text linkThe evolving security paradigm in the Asia-Pacific is closely tied to the intensification of great power rivalry. Many nations are pursuing hedging strategies to protect their interests and guard against the fallout of the competition between major powers. A new equation has emerged with China’s ascent on the world stage, positioning Asia to become the hub of geopolitics. The United States (US) views China’s rise and Russia’s resurgence as challenges to its dominance in a unipolar world. Washington is establishing a security arc, evident in initiatives such as AUKUS, QUAD, Squad, and others, across the Asia-Pacific and beyond, in partnership with its Asian and Oceanian/Pacific allies to counter Beijing’s rise. The US Strategic Defence documents (National Security Strategy 2017, National Defense Strategy 2018, and Indo-Pacific Strategy 2022) have already emphasised the containment of China through the militarisation of Asia-Pacific. It also alluded to the transferring of critical technologies and growth in foreign alliances and regional partnerships. Washington’s repositioning in the region and its support for India as a net security provider in the Indian Ocean and beyond, through defence cooperation, have heightened concerns for Pakistan, which is already situated in a challenging geostrategic neighbourhood and has contentious relations with its eastern neighbour, India. Moreover, the US has accorded India a prominent position at the regional and global level to enforce its great power ambitions in the future. This will have far-reaching implications for Pakistan. The paper employs a qualitative research method based on a secondary assessment of academic sources.
Bibliography Entry
Khan, Muhammad Nawaz. 2025. "Emerging Security Architecture in Asia Pacific: Impact on Pakistan." Margalla Papers 29 (1): 113-134
DISCOURSE ANALYSIS OF GAZA’S CHILDREN: THEIR VOICES AND THEIR PORTRAYAL
No full textThis study investigates how the voices of children in Gaza are represented, marginalised, and reshaped across digital and mainstream media discourses. While global media often highlight the humanitarian crisis at a surface level, the lived experiences and self-articulated narratives of Gaza’s children remain largely absent or filtered through political and institutional agendas. Using Critical Discourse Analysis (CDA), this research examines a corpus of verified social media testimonies alongside selected mainstream news reports to identify patterns in linguistic framing, emotional representation, and narrative positioning. Findings reveal three consistent tendencies: first, children’s self-expressed accounts emphasise agency, grief, and the desire for normalcy, whereas mainstream representations predominantly portray them as passive victims. Second, the mediation and translation of children’s testimonies frequently dilute emotional intensity and political clarity, contributing to subtle ideological distortions. Third, the visual and verbal framing employed by international outlets reinforces a humanitarian-but-depoliticised narrative that obscures the structural and historical dimensions of their suffering. By contrasting firsthand voices with institutional portrayals, the study demonstrates how discourse shapes global perceptions of Gaza’s children and contributes to the broader politics of visibility, empathy, and erasure. The findings underscore the urgent need for media frameworks that preserve narrative integrity and foreground children not as symbols, but as speaking subjects with agency.
Bibliography Entry
Kanwal, Saman. 2025. "Discourse Analysis of Gaza’s Children: Their Voices and their Portrayal." Margalla Papers 29 (2): 131-145
MODI GOVERNMENT’S HYBRID STRATEGIC POSTURE: IMPLICATIONS FOR NATIONAL SECURITY OF PAKISTAN
No full textOver the period, the strategic approach adopted by India towards Pakistan has characteristically recalibrated and modelled around compellence, lawfare and diplomacy. The paper examines New Delhi’s evolving posture under Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who emphasises a more audacious framework and has shifted how it manages regional security and bilateral tensions with Pakistan. Hence, it examines how it has affected Pakistan\u27s internationality. This study draws on regional security literature, i.e., Hybrid warfare, Compellence, Diplomacy, and Law fare, to critically assess the underlying logic of India/Modi’s posture and its implications for crisis stability in the South Asian region. Moreover, this paper contextualises sequences of state actions over time, including across the Line of Control (LoC), legislative changes in Illegally Occupied Jammu & Kashmir (IIOJ&K), and coercive diplomatic engagements in multilateral forums, as part of a strategic signalling approach. Within this compellence, diplomacy, and lawfare lens, state actions empirically validate and support the literature on “hybrid warfare architecture” as an all-encompassing theoretical framework for 21st-century conflict characterised by multi-model strategic competition. Thus, the study explores whether these developments represent an enduring, strategically planned, tactically calculated and deliberately initiated transformation or merely a context-based response to security and internationality-related challenges for Pakistan. Lastly, the current integrative approach enhances conceptual clarity and promotes cross-domain analysis. The governance perspective examines the broader implications for Pakistan’s diplomatic manoeuvrability, deterrence, development and the future trajectory of Pakistan/Modi-India relations in a nuclearised environment.
Bibliography Entry
Mirza, Sulman Naeem. 2025. "Modi Government’s Hybrid Strategic Posture: Implications for National Security of Pakistan." Margalla Papers 29 (2): 146-171
INDIA’S ACQUISITION OF STRATEGIC NON-NUCLEAR WEAPONS IN THE THIRD NUCLEAR AGE: IMPLICATIONS AND WAY FORWARD FOR PAKISTAN
Full text linkThe advent of the Third Nuclear Age has transformed the global security environment, as this era is marked by the integration of emerging and disruptive technologies into the military and nuclear policies of major and regional powers. It weakens the traditional deterrence postures and adds to the complex global security environment. The challenges of these technologies are staggering in South Asia, where two nuclear-armed neighbours, India and Pakistan, are engaged in an enduring rivalry. Moreover, India’s acquisition of strategic non-nuclear weapons (SNNWs) such as offensive cyber capabilities, anti-satellite capabilities (ASAT), and hypersonic missiles has blurred the lines between conventional and nuclear strikes. Since India has been heavily developing and deploying SNNWs, their implications for Pakistan’s security and regional strategic stability are profound, as they shorten response time and raise the probability of miscalculations. In this context, the recent escalation-cum-retaliation mini-war has been briefly assessed in this study through the lens of SNNWs. Lastly, this paper attempts to analyse the types of SNNWs, India’s advancements in this domain, and their impact on the existing deterrence framework in South Asia. This paper hypothesises that India’s acquisition of SNNWs can have profound implications for Pakistan’s security and would undermine strategic stability in South Asia. It also provides valuable policy inputs to Pakistani policymakers and stakeholders to sustain a credible deterrence posture amid India’s technological developments.
Bibliography Entry
Khan, A. Anum, Maryyum Masood and Amna Saqib. 2025. "India’s Acquisition of Strategic Non-nuclear Weapons in the Third Nuclear Age: Implications and Way Forward for Pakistan." Margalla Papers 29 (1): 18-40
INDIA’S GROWING STRATEGIC BEHAVIOUR IN THE INDIAN OCEAN: IMPLICATIONS FOR REGIONAL STRATEGIC ENVIRONMENT
Full text linkIndia’s strategic behaviour in the Indian Ocean is important, given its geographic location, economic and military power expansion, and growing regional footprint. The Indian Ocean, a critical conduit for trade and energy, with major sea lanes passing through it, is significantly influenced by India’s strategic behaviour and intentions. The mounting sea-based nuclear forces, as a crucial and survivable component of nuclear deterrence, have also emerged as a concern for assessing the state of a credible second-strike platform. Therefore, the significance of naval nuclear forces has stimulated a continual, global focus shift from land to the seas. In this context, South Asia has also developed this major component of national power in the last few decades. This paper discusses the main features of ongoing naval build-up in India and Pakistan, the motivations and aspirations of both India and Pakistan and the ongoing debate on naval nuclear-capable developments in the Indian Ocean region. Also, how will naval nuclear developments be assessed for escalation risk and crisis stability in the maritime domain? The implications of India\u27s naval build-up for the regional strategic environment are profound, influencing neighbouring states\u27 and external stakeholders\u27 policies and actions.
Bibliography Entry
Rehman, Huma. 2024. "India’s Growing Strategic Behaviour in the Indian Ocean: Implications for Regional Strategic Environment." Margalla Papers 28 (1): 30-44
TREADING TURBULENT WATERS: PAKISTAN’S READINESS TO THE LOOMING THREAT OF MARITIME TERRORISM
Full text linkHouthis’ recent attacks on Merchant ships in the Red Sea have renewed focus on maritime terrorism. These attacks have pushed the global power centres to think seriously about this intensifying threat to international maritime trade and movement. South Asia, particularly India and Pakistan, have already faced the issue of marine terrorism, yet it has remained primarily a neglected field of enquiry, particularly in Pakistan. This paper aims to fill this void in the literature by critically analysing the threat of Maritime terrorism to Pakistan and how prepared it is to counter this problem. This paper attempts to dissect the threats that exist in the Arabian Sea and how maritime terrorism has the potential to push Pakistan and India into a new conflict, which may have grave consequences for the global community. The paper starts with an overview of maritime terrorism and how it has evolved over time and with technological advancements. This follows an analysis of marine terrorism incidents in India and Pakistan and how Pakistan has built up its organisational structure to cover the threats posed by it. It contends that Pakistan has a ready organisational structure; it requires improved inter-departmental coordination and more importantly, constitutional cover. In the end, the paper provides policy recommendations at the organisational, national and regional levels to address the issue of maritime terrorism.
Bibliography Entry
Shahid, Mubashar Hassan and Rizwan Zeb. 2024. "Treading Turbulent Waters: Pakistan’s Readiness to the Looming Threat of Maritime Terrorism." Margalla Papers 28 (1): 211-225
UNITED NATIONS PEACE OPERATIONS ON STATE-BUILDING AND GOVERNANCE IN POST-CONFLICT AFRICAN STATES: A CASE STUDY OF SOUTH SUDAN
Full text linkThis study examines the role of United Nations (UN) peace missions in state-building and governance when recovering from conflicts, focusing on South Sudan grappling with post-independence challenges in 2011 due to ongoing violence and political turmoil that disrupted governance efforts. The United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) is crucial in promoting peace and rebuilding the state structures. The study delves into the roles and shortcomings of UNMISS in fostering stability and curbing violence while bolstering governance structures. It also investigates the dynamics among the UN mission\u27s local governance entities and international stakeholders by employing a qualitative methodology approach to shed light on achievements and hurdles, with suggestions to boost the efficiency of upcoming UN peacekeeping ventures in akin scenarios. The results emphasise the importance of collaboration between actors and domestic organisations to uphold lasting peace and governance in African nations emerging from conflict.
Bibliography Entry
Minko, Abraham Ename. 2024. "United Nations Peace Operations on State-Building and Governance in Post-Conflict African States: A Case Study of South Sudan." Margalla Papers 28 (2): 33-49