Zainab Akhter

Research Analyst, Manohar Parrikar IDSA, Dr. Zainab Akhter’s commentary ‘Political Shenanigans Continue in Pakistan’ has been published in All India Radio (AIR) World Service, an External Services Division of AIR, on January 05, 2020.

Amid the political brinkmanship, the Imran Khan government, in a rare display of fighting against terrorism; has arrested Zaki-ur-Rahman Lakhvi, one of the masterminds of the 26/11 Mumbai terrorist attacks after 5 years of bail. This is to only to impress the Paris based anti-terror funding watchdog, Financial Action Task Force (FATF); whose plenary is scheduled to take place next month to decide if Pakistan remains in the ‘grey-list’ or is further down-graded to the “black-list, writes Dr. Akhter.

Read Complete Article [+]

• Published: 5 January, 2021

Research Analyst, Manohar Parrikar IDSA, Dr. Zainab Akhter’s article ‘Pakistan Towards A Political Stalemate’ as been published by the All India Radio (AIR) World Service, an external services division of AIR, on November 24, 2020.

Pakistan is moving towards a political impasse. Corona cases in the country are also increasing. It remains to be seen how the military establishment reacts to break the stalemate. Would the Pak army break its vow not to interfere in the country’s politics? This possibility cannot be ruled out!, writes Dr. Akhter.

Read Complete Article [+]

• Published: 24 November, 2020

Research Analyst, Manohar Parrikar IDSA, Dr Zainab Akhter's write up 'Peoples Democratic Movement & FATF: PTI Government In A Fix' has been published by the External Service Division, All India Radio (ESD-AIR), on October 24, 2020.

The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf (PTI) government led by Imran Khan is in a tight spot, writes Dr Akhter.
Read Complete Article [+]

• Published: 24 October, 2020

Research Analyst, Manohar Parrikar IDSA, Dr Zainab Akhter’s commentary ‘Imran Khan’s Illusive Dream of Riyasat-E- Madina’ has been published by All India Radio (AIR) World Service, an external services division of AIR, on September 17, 2020.

Imran Khan had promised to redefine the image of his country with his dream of a ‘Naya Pakistan’, one which is corruption-free. Most importantly, he pledged to turn Pakistan into an Islamic welfare state, one based on the model of the State of Madina and on the guiding principles of the Prophet. With a battered economy, allies leaving his coalition government, internal disputes within the party and the fear of blacklisting by the Financial Action Task Force (FATF), the balance sheet of the PTI government on the completion of its the second year in power, certainly does not look encouraging, says Dr. Akhter.

Read Complete Article [+]

• Published: 17 September, 2020

Research Analyst, Manohar Parrikar IDSA, Dr. Zainab Akhter’s article ‘Bajwa’s Saudi Visit: An Attempt To Mend The Fences’ has been published by the All India Radio (AIR) World Service, an External Services Division of AIR, on August 22, 2020.

The recent bickering between Islamabad and Riyadh point to the fact that all is not well between the two nations. Thus, Bajwa’s visit was an attempt to salvage the deteriorating relationship.

Read Complete Article [+]

• Published: 22 August, 2020

Research Analyst, Manohar Parrikar IDSA, Dr. Zainab Akhter’s article ‘The Sino-Indian Conflict in Ladakh: An Explainer’ has been published in South Asian Voices, on August 14, 2020.

In order to understand the standoff, it is important to understand the geostrategic significance of its location and socio-cultural aspirations of the region in question, Ladakh. Often referred to as a “cold desert” and known for its international tourism, Ladakh’s history provides fertile ground for exploring the roots of the current standoff, writes Dr. Akhter.

Read Complete Article [+]

• Published: 14 August, 2020

Research Analyst, Manohar Parrikar IDSA, Dr. Zainab Akhter’s article ‘Exploring Ladakh’s Turkic links’ has been published in Stawa Magazine on August 04, 2020.

Owing to its geo-strategic location, Ladakh has historically played an important role in ancient trade especially the Silk Route. It was the melting point of culture that connected the Indian subcontinent with Central Asia, China and Tibet. There was a special connection between Ladakh and Turkestan in Central Asia, writes Dr. Akhter.

Read Complete Article [+]

• Published: 4 August, 2020

The Pakistan state has clearly failed to suppress the voice of the Pashtuns in the face of their indomitable courage to fight for their rights, and as they say, within the confines of the Pakistan Constitution.

• Published: June 18, 2020
• IDSA Comments

Research Analyst, Manohar Parrikar IDSA, Dr. Zainab Akhter’s article on Indo-China Ladakh dispute, titled ‘Understanding the India-China standoff in Ladakh’ has been published online by Stawa Magazine.

Ladakh is geo-strategically very important for India as it shares frontiers with China as well as Pakistan and is also home to the mighty Siachen glacier that gives India a vantage point over Pakistan. A fresh Ladakh policy must be charted, which should include suggestions from local communities including ones who live in the frontier regions. We also need to bridge the void between frontier villages and the local administration, writes Dr. Akhter.

Read More[+]

• Published: 10 June, 2020

Research Analyst, Manohar Parrikar IDSA, Dr. Zainab Akhter’s article on India-Pakistan partition, titled ‘Lingering pain of Partition’ has been published online by Stawa Magzine on May 26, 2020.

The Partition of India and Pakistan was not just a separation of land but also a division of thousands of families, writes Dr. Akhter.

Read Complete Article [+]

• Published: 26 May, 2020