Zainab Akhter

Research Associate under the Pakistan News Digest Project, IDSA, Dr. Zainab Akhter’s article on Pakistan’s fight against COVID-19, titled ‘COVID-19: Pakistan Caught Off Guard’ has been published by the All India Radio (AIR) World Service, an External Services Division of AIR, on April 24, 2020.

Pakistan’s fight against COVID-19 has been marred with controversies since the time the first few cases were reported towards the end of February. So far about 10,000 positive cases have been reported with more than 200 deaths; but Pakistan has been reportedly under-reporting the number of cases each passing day. This underlines that the pandemic might be spreading very fast in the country, writes Dr. Akhter.

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• Published: 24 April, 2020

It is feared that Imran Khan’s move to sideline the already alienated opposition and continuous bickering between the federal and provincial governments would undermine the national effort against COVID-19.

• Published: April 10, 2020
• Issue Brief

Research Analyst, Manohar Parrikar IDSA, Dr. Zainab Akhter's article on Ladakh corridor, titled 'Could the Kartarpur corridor herald a Ladakh corridor for the Baltis?' has been published by the Asia Dialogue, University of Nottingham, on March 25, 2020.

A Ladakh corridor like the Kartarpur one will bring an end to the miseries of these mountain people and add another chapter to the confidence-building measures of India and Pakistan, writes Dr. Akhter.

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• Published: 25 March, 2020

Research Associate under the Pakistan News Digest Project, IDSA, Dr. Zainab Akhter’s article on tenure extension of Pakistan’s Army Chief, titled ‘Pakistan In A Bind Over Extension To Army Chief’ has been published by All India Radio (AIR) World Service, an external services division of AIR, on January 11, 2020.

The article analyses the ambiguity over the Services Act Bill that is meant to regulate the tenures of not only the Army but all the services’ chiefs.

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• Published: 11 January, 2020

Research Associate under the Pakistan News Digest Project, IDSA, Dr. Zainab Akhter’s article on the United Nations (UN) designated terrorist, Jamaat-ud-Dawa (JuD) chief, and the mastermind of the 26/11 Mumbai attacks Hafiz Saeed, titled ‘Is The Indictment Of Hafiz Saeed A Farce Or Real?’, has been published by All India Radio (AIR) World Service, an external services division of AIR, on December 13, 2019.

Although the US has welcomed the move to indict Saeed, India needs to watch carefully and see whether the Imran Khan government is any different from the previous Pakistani governments. Hafiz Saeed has been arrested before and sent to jail but finally ended up being released by the Pakistani authorities many times, writes Dr. Akhter.

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• Published: 13 December, 2019

With a failing foreign policy and a crippling economy, and growing domestic opposition as well as criticism within the army, Imran Khan and his government is clearly caught between the devil and the deep sea.

• Published: October 17, 2019
• IDSA Comments

In general, the contemporary and historical narrative of Jammu and Kashmir (J&K) is mostly woven through the prism of Kashmir issue, disregarding comprehensive information about strategically important regions like Ladakh and Gilgit-Baltistan (GB). In the study of India–Pakistan relations, most scholars and analysts tend to overlook GB, which explains the sparse literature on and information about the region.

• Published: October-December 2019
• Journal of Defence Studies

Research Associate under the Pakistan News Digest Project, IDSA, Dr. Zainab Akhter’s article on Pakistan’s Policy on India, titled ‘Imran Khan Going Through Hard Times’ has been published by All India Radio (AIR) World Service, an external services division of AIR, on October 06, 2019.

The Imran Khan government is walking on a tight rope both at the national and international fronts. If Pakistan decides to activate terrorist activities once again; Islamabad might land up in the FATF blacklist. On the other hand, if the current Pakistan government does not resolve the internal issues like price rise plaguing the country’s common masses, it might face the wrath of the common people and a united opposition soon, writes Dr. Akhter.

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• Published: 6 October, 2019

Research Associate under the Pakistan News Digest Project, IDSA, Dr. Zainab Akhter’s article on Ladakh, titled ‘Union Territory status for Ladakh: Understanding the politics’ has been published in ‘Asia Dialogue’, an online magazine of the University of Nottingham Asia Research Institute, on September 19, 2019.

The new Union Territory of Ladakh will need a unique approach so that it can manage its regional development while at the same time taking into account the sensitivities of its environment, customs and culture, writes Dr. Akhter.

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• Published: 19 September, 2019

Research Associate under the Pakistan News Digest Project, IDSA, Dr. Zainab Akhter’s article on India’s stand on Kashmir at the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC), titled ‘India’s Strong Rebuttal at the 42nd UNHRC Meeting’ has been published by All India Radio (AIR) World Service, an external services division of AIR, on September 12, 2019.

While Pakistan is making noises at all the forums, India has been quietly working out a strategy to gain international support for its decision on Kashmir. It needs to up the ante and use this opportunity to make an attempt to push Pakistan in the blacklist before the next Financial Action Task Force (FATF) meeting in October, writes Dr. Akhter.

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• Published: 12 September, 2019