Dr Muhammad Nadeem Mirza | Quaid-i-Azam University, Islamabad, Pakistan (original) (raw)
Papers by Dr Muhammad Nadeem Mirza
Trames. Journal of the Humanities and Social Sciences
In recent decades, China and Russia decades have adopted accommodation, normalisation and converg... more In recent decades, China and Russia decades have adopted accommodation, normalisation and convergence strategies that transformed their cooperation into a comprehensive strategic partnership. Despite having this strategic alignment, several issues still constrain their long-term relations, such as divergent views and assessment of the world order, imbalance in bilateral trade and investment, competition in their respective spheres of influence, Russians' fear of a Chinese immigrant onslaught, ideological cleavages, and asymmetrical power distribution between the two. This study explains the factors behind their convergence and divergences of interests and its implications for their future relations. While utilising content analysis as the research methodology this study hypothesizes that though the two are engaged in strategic and other partnerships, yet the structural differences will inhibit their long-term cordiality.
Strategic Studies, 2024
The political rise of Hindutva, under the tutelage of Narendra Modi, has heralded an era where th... more The political rise of Hindutva, under the tutelage of Narendra Modi, has heralded an era where the life, liberty and property of religious minorities especially Muslims are under grave threat. Modi's India continues to lose its secular credentials. Minorities are presented as 'them' who can be subjected to physical attacks, state persecution and neglect with impunity. What are the root causes of this anger against the minorities and why did Hindutva construct the binaries of us and them? While employing qualitative process tracing methodology and using the lens of Chosenness-Myth-Trauma (CMT) Syndrome as a theory this study finds that the identity construction process, along the lines of Hindutva, had been set into motion even before 1947 and continued after the partition of the Subcontinent into India and Pakistan. Supporters of Hindutva presented the historical experiences and representations ─ they being ruled by the Muslims as an example of the trauma, thus 'othering' the Muslims, which automatically led to the creation of a sense of us versus them. They, having a substantial majority in India, constructed this myth of us being surrounded by them ─ the enemies, in this case, Muslims and other minorities. They also created the myth of a glorious age where they could transform India into a uniform Hindu society and state. The study examines that with the electoral success of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), the process of identity construction started to gather steam in the late 1980s. However, the towering figure of Narendra Modi and his meteoric rise to power provided state patronage to the process. Since Modi has been a member of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), he successfully implemented its
![Research paper thumbnail of Military Spending and Economic Growth in Pakistan [Dépenses militaires et croissance économique au Pakistan]](https://attachments.academia-assets.com/108241590/thumbnails/1.jpg)
](RePEc: Research Papers in Economics, 2015
This paper deals with the causal relation between military spending and economic growth of a stat... more This paper deals with the causal relation between military spending and economic growth of a state. There are three schools of thought on this issue: military spending promotes economic growth; it retards economic growth; and there exists no causal relations between the two. Pakistan's military spending-being indispensable because of the existing threat perception-has been considered as a burden on the national economy. This paper argues that military spending as part of the budgetary expenditure does not all go in the drain. Its role in the economic development of Pakistan-if less in economic growth-cannot be neglected. However, their indirect impact on the economic growth of Pakistan has been substantial. Technological advancement, provision of security, military's social uplift projects which positively affect the 'health' of the economy, military's ancillary institutions like Fauji Foundation, Bahria Foundation, Shaheen Foundation, Army Welfare Trust (AWT) are performing their role directly in the economic growth of the state. Importantly, Arms trade internationally has been contributing trillions of dollars in various states economies. This paper suggests that defence industrial capacity and efficiency can be improved in order to increase the output, which in turn, would help the state's economy by earning millions of dollars through arms sale at the international arena and by ensuring the continued supply of necessary equipment to its armed forces, especially in the times of crises-which in turn, may not only ensure the security of the Pakistan, but also reducing the political leverage being held by great powers on Pakistan. To achieve the target, as a first step, efficient planning be done so as to make the defence industry self-sufficient, and in the long-run to strengthen it to support the overall military spending. This way, it would not Military Spending and Economic Growth in Pakistan Margalla Papers 2015 152 only contribute to the economic development, but also in the economic growth of Pakistan.
RePEc: Research Papers in Economics, 2021
Saudi Arabia and Iran are engaged in a strenuous competition in the Middle East to protect and pr... more Saudi Arabia and Iran are engaged in a strenuous competition in the Middle East to protect and promote their respective spheres of influence, to each other’s detriment. This qualitative study traces the structural sources of this competition while taking cue from the history. It argues that demise of Saddam Hussein, Iraq’s plunging into civil war, and Arab Spring leading to violent movements in Syria, Libya, Bahrain, and Yemen accentuated Saudi–Iran competition in the region. Study finds that the sources of their rivalry lie at structural level and can be understood by focusing upon their aspiration for the Muslim world leadership, religio-sectarianism, antithetical governance structure, and Iranian nuclear program.
International Area Studies Review, 2023
The movement for a Saraiki province in the South Punjab region of Pakistan has gained momentum in... more The movement for a Saraiki province in the South Punjab region of Pakistan has gained momentum in recent years. The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf government promised during the election campaign to establish a South Punjab province along administrative lines. However, the Saraiki ethno-nationalists have demanded the establishment of the province along ethnic lines. The government fears this would challenge national integration by dividing the nation along ethnic lines. This study seeks to analyze the general sentiments of the people of South Punjab, where Saraikis form a majority, in order to explore whether the public sentiment resonates with the ethno-nationalist parties and factors behind the demand for a separate province. This study is conducted using quantitative methodology. Cross-sectional survey is used as a research tool for data collection, and SPSS is used for data analysis. Results show that mass sentiment does not support ethno-national federalism. Ethnic identity is not a significant factor in the demands for political autonomy.
Pakistan Journal of History and Culture, 2022
The demand for new provinces in Pakistan gained traction after the passage of the 18th Amendment ... more The demand for new provinces in Pakistan gained traction after the passage of the 18th Amendment to the Pakistani constitution in 2010. All major political parties since then have included in their elections manifestos the need to create new provinces in Pakistan. While the debate on new provinces is manifest on the part of political parties and ethnopolitical actors, there is no large scale research that studies the phenomenon at the mass level. The present article fills the gap by undertaking a survey of respondents from the Punjab, Sindh and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa provinces. The survey data highlights that ethnic majorities in these three provinces are opposed to the creation of a new province, whereas, ethnic minorities here are more desirous of new provinces.
Water Policy
This study, while detailing the processes of securitisation and de-securitisation of a non-tradit... more This study, while detailing the processes of securitisation and de-securitisation of a non-traditional security issue, deliberates on the water scarcity in Pakistan. It addresses the question that whether the problem of not giving importance to water scarcity lies with the ‘intent’ or ‘capacity’ of the actors – the elite. Or the securitisation is done by the actors ‘only’ to achieve their political objectives? This qualitative embedded case study deals with the rhetoric about the construction of the Diamer Basha Dam in order to address the water scarcity around the 2018 elections. The study finds that the securitisation of non-tradition security issues translates the elite's (securitising actors) political rhetoric (speech acts) into policy. The same elite de-securitises the issues after realising their political goals by removing the ‘speech acts’ from the equation.
Strategic Studies
This qualitative exploratory and embedded case study deliberates the nature of 3-Cs – cybercrime,... more This qualitative exploratory and embedded case study deliberates the nature of 3-Cs – cybercrime, cyber-terrorism, cyber warfare – against Pakistan. What are the three Cs and how are they impacting the state and society in Pakistan. How Pakistan has been dealing with these threats related to its cyberspace. While taking cue from cyber realism – which provides the basic lens to conduct this research – this study notes that states and state-sponsored individuals, groups, and organisations remain the main actors in the cyberspace who are active against each other. The perception that the cyberspace has diminished the role of state is an exaggeration. States still are the most important actors in the cyber world order animated by the typical great power politics. Pakistan remained a prime target of the cybercrimes, cyber-terrorism, and cyber warfare launched by the regional and extra-regional states. Though, it has implemented Prevention of Electronic Crime Act (PECA) and passed Nationa...
Social Science Research Network, Mar 5, 2021
Since 2008 general elections environment for democracy in the country is becoming conducive with ... more Since 2008 general elections environment for democracy in the country is becoming conducive with each passing day, thus resulting in democratic consolidation. Sub-systemic institutionalisation in the form of structural and constitutional development (eighteenth amendment), and sociological institutionalisation in the form of normative and perceptional development about democracy being a normal and natural process are important steps in democratic consolidation. This study intends to explore the causality relation between the Eighteenth Constitutional Amendment and the processes of democratic consolidation in Pakistan. It seeks to answer the question that how is 18th Amendment nurturing democratic norms and institutions, and why is it taken as an optimistic factor for democratic consolidation in Pakistan.
Global Political Review
How do leaders' idiosyncrasies are developed, and how do these, in turn, impact their politic... more How do leaders' idiosyncrasies are developed, and how do these, in turn, impact their political behaviour? This study traces the idiosyncratic behaviour of Presidents Andrew Jackson and Donald Trump. It details four historical traditions - Hamiltonian, Wilsonian, Jeffersonian, and Jacksonian. The study expands upon Jacksonian tradition and sees that how Trump pursued this tradition and how is his political behaviour remained similar to that of Andrew Jackson. Three specific areas in which these variables are determined are personal lives, narcissism and authoritarian behaviour, and populism and corruption. The paper also charts out the ways and means through which Donald Trump's administration is termed as Jacksonian in nature.
Social Science Research Network, 2021
Asia-Pacific - Annual Research Journal of Far East & South East Asia
The Indian Ocean holds immense vitality for its strategic trade routes and choke points. China an... more The Indian Ocean holds immense vitality for its strategic trade routes and choke points. China and India are Asia’s two rising powers, who aim to dominate the Indian Ocean to satisfy their regional and global ambitions. This competitiveness for regional influence has resulted in geo-strategic competition in the Indian Ocean. China, through the strategy of ‘String of Pearls’, has increased its naval footprint by building ports in Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, and Myanmar. India has similarly responded with an alternative counterbalancing strategy ‘Necklace of Diamonds’ by deepening its relations and partnership with Iran, Oman, Singapore, Bangladesh, Myanmar, and other regional countries. This qualitative exploratory comparative case study finds that: China through its String of Pearls strategy intends to achieve great power status, boost its economy, and address its security concerns, especially those related with the Malacca Dilemma. India, through its Necklace of Diamonds strat...
![Research paper thumbnail of Military Spending and Economic Growth in Pakistan [Dépenses militaires et croissance économique au Pakistan]](https://attachments.academia-assets.com/108217522/thumbnails/1.jpg)
](RePEc: Research Papers in Economics, 2015
This paper deals with the causal relation between military spending and economic growth of a stat... more This paper deals with the causal relation between military spending and economic growth of a state. There are three schools of thought on this issue: military spending promotes economic growth; it retards economic growth; and there exists no causal relations between the two. Pakistan's military spending-being indispensable because of the existing threat perception-has been considered as a burden on the national economy. This paper argues that military spending as part of the budgetary expenditure does not all go in the drain. Its role in the economic development of Pakistan-if less in economic growth-cannot be neglected. However, their indirect impact on the economic growth of Pakistan has been substantial. Technological advancement, provision of security, military's social uplift projects which positively affect the 'health' of the economy, military's ancillary institutions like Fauji Foundation, Bahria Foundation, Shaheen Foundation, Army Welfare Trust (AWT) are performing their role directly in the economic growth of the state. Importantly, Arms trade internationally has been contributing trillions of dollars in various states economies. This paper suggests that defence industrial capacity and efficiency can be improved in order to increase the output, which in turn, would help the state's economy by earning millions of dollars through arms sale at the international arena and by ensuring the continued supply of necessary equipment to its armed forces, especially in the times of crises-which in turn, may not only ensure the security of the Pakistan, but also reducing the political leverage being held by great powers on Pakistan. To achieve the target, as a first step, efficient planning be done so as to make the defence industry self-sufficient, and in the long-run to strengthen it to support the overall military spending. This way, it would not Military Spending and Economic Growth in Pakistan Margalla Papers 2015 152 only contribute to the economic development, but also in the economic growth of Pakistan.
Cette étude vise à identifier les facteurs ou déterminants de la politique étrangère américaine e... more Cette étude vise à identifier les facteurs ou déterminants de la politique étrangère américaine envers le Pakistan. Les relations pakistano-américaines affectent la vie de millions de personnes dans le monde, ce qui établit l'importance de cette étude. Le Pakistan occupe une position vitale dans le dispositif américain de politique étrangère en raison de la guerre en cours contre le terrorisme mais aussi des desseins américains dans la région de l'Asie du Sud. Le paradigme théorique réaliste néoclassique et la théorie de la prise de décision ont été choisis pour la réalisation de l'étude. Deux catégories de déterminants de la politique étrangère américaine envers le Pakistan ont été identifiées. Tout d'abord, les déterminants au niveau de l’individu et de l'Etat, comprenant l’intérêt national américain dans la région, l’amoralité, la politique intérieure et les acteurs, le leadership, et la promotion de la démocratie au Pakistan. En second lieu, les déterminants ...
SAGE Open, 2021
Saudi Arabia and Iran are engaged in a strenuous competition in the Middle East to protect and pr... more Saudi Arabia and Iran are engaged in a strenuous competition in the Middle East to protect and promote their respective spheres of influence, to each other’s detriment. This qualitative study traces the structural sources of this competition while taking cue from the history. It argues that demise of Saddam Hussein, Iraq’s plunging into civil war, and Arab Spring leading to violent movements in Syria, Libya, Bahrain, and Yemen accentuated Saudi–Iran competition in the region. Study finds that the sources of their rivalry lie at structural level and can be understood by focusing upon their aspiration for the Muslim world leadership, religio-sectarianism, antithetical governance structure, and Iranian nuclear program.
Trames. Journal of the Humanities and Social Sciences
With the signing of several lucrative deals on oil, gas, currency, and other bilateral and multil... more With the signing of several lucrative deals on oil, gas, currency, and other bilateral and multilateral arrangements, Sino-Russian relations over the last three decades have reached unprecedented levels. However, as China begins to translate its economic influence in Central Asia into political one, Russia started feeling uneasy about losing its traditional sphere of influence in its 'Near-Abroad.' After the unveiling of 'One Belt One Road' (OBOR) initiative in 2013, President Putin, a year later, announced the 'Eurasian Economic Union' (EAEU). This was a calculated geopolitical decision on the part of Russia to rescue Central Asia from falling entirely in the Chinese sphere of influence. Against this backdrop, the regional order invites a deep sense of mistrust because there is a lack of realization on the part of both states as to where one's limits end and the other's begin. In the light of these developments, this study endeavors to address the question that why is Russia allowing China to expand its influence in Central Asia despite the growing economic asymmetry between them and what are the areas of convergence and divergence between them? The study hypothesizes that China and Russia have adopted the policy of competitive collaboration-cooperation where there exists convergence and competition when it comes to divergence of interests-in Central Asia.
University of Wah Journal of Social Sciences
As the twenty-first century progresses, struggle for the control of Central Asia is growing, as r... more As the twenty-first century progresses, struggle for the control of Central Asia is growing, as rising China increases its economic and political clout while Russia is trying to regain its lost glory. The American presence in the region was considered as a threat not only by China, but also Russia who feared that the US is determined to carve out its sphere of influence at their expense. The recent withdrawal of the US forces from Afghanistan and Taliban re- taking Kabul further complicates the geopolitical calculations. China and Russia have been cooperating to ensure that the adjoining region, typically falling under Russian sphere of influence, may not become an American influenced area. Where China has emerged as one of the biggest trading partners of the Central Asian Republics, and Russia has signed several bilateral and multilateral security agreements to ensure its continued influence therein. Eurasia generally and Central Asia specifically, once again, is back to the limeli...
Journal of Contemporary Studies, Feb 19, 2018
Social Science Research Network, Dec 10, 2018
Social Science Research Network, Feb 15, 2021
From being one of the biggest proponents of nonalignment to becoming a state aspiring to be a reg... more From being one of the biggest proponents of nonalignment to becoming a state aspiring to be a regional hegemon, India has gone through a huge doctrinal transformation in its strategic thinking. This paper addresses evolution of this transformation while detailing major military doctrines such as Nehru doctrine, Sunderji doctrine, Cold-Start doctrine, Indian Maritime doctrine, Indian Land Warfare doctrine, and Indian Joint Armed Forces doctrine. This continuous doctrinal transformation aims at seeking a more synchronized modernization of the military, creating synergy to fill operational gaps and enhance agility for swift manoeuvrability under a nuclear overhang. The study concludes that under the present BJP government, Nehruvian influence over Indian strategic thought has reduced significantly and therefore ultimately led to the design and adaptation of more hawkish strategies-such as Land-Warfare Doctrine 2018, hybrid warfare, surgical strike stratagem-which are contrary to the behaviour of a responsible nuclearweapon state.
Trames. Journal of the Humanities and Social Sciences
In recent decades, China and Russia decades have adopted accommodation, normalisation and converg... more In recent decades, China and Russia decades have adopted accommodation, normalisation and convergence strategies that transformed their cooperation into a comprehensive strategic partnership. Despite having this strategic alignment, several issues still constrain their long-term relations, such as divergent views and assessment of the world order, imbalance in bilateral trade and investment, competition in their respective spheres of influence, Russians' fear of a Chinese immigrant onslaught, ideological cleavages, and asymmetrical power distribution between the two. This study explains the factors behind their convergence and divergences of interests and its implications for their future relations. While utilising content analysis as the research methodology this study hypothesizes that though the two are engaged in strategic and other partnerships, yet the structural differences will inhibit their long-term cordiality.
Strategic Studies, 2024
The political rise of Hindutva, under the tutelage of Narendra Modi, has heralded an era where th... more The political rise of Hindutva, under the tutelage of Narendra Modi, has heralded an era where the life, liberty and property of religious minorities especially Muslims are under grave threat. Modi's India continues to lose its secular credentials. Minorities are presented as 'them' who can be subjected to physical attacks, state persecution and neglect with impunity. What are the root causes of this anger against the minorities and why did Hindutva construct the binaries of us and them? While employing qualitative process tracing methodology and using the lens of Chosenness-Myth-Trauma (CMT) Syndrome as a theory this study finds that the identity construction process, along the lines of Hindutva, had been set into motion even before 1947 and continued after the partition of the Subcontinent into India and Pakistan. Supporters of Hindutva presented the historical experiences and representations ─ they being ruled by the Muslims as an example of the trauma, thus 'othering' the Muslims, which automatically led to the creation of a sense of us versus them. They, having a substantial majority in India, constructed this myth of us being surrounded by them ─ the enemies, in this case, Muslims and other minorities. They also created the myth of a glorious age where they could transform India into a uniform Hindu society and state. The study examines that with the electoral success of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), the process of identity construction started to gather steam in the late 1980s. However, the towering figure of Narendra Modi and his meteoric rise to power provided state patronage to the process. Since Modi has been a member of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), he successfully implemented its
RePEc: Research Papers in Economics, 2015
This paper deals with the causal relation between military spending and economic growth of a stat... more This paper deals with the causal relation between military spending and economic growth of a state. There are three schools of thought on this issue: military spending promotes economic growth; it retards economic growth; and there exists no causal relations between the two. Pakistan's military spending-being indispensable because of the existing threat perception-has been considered as a burden on the national economy. This paper argues that military spending as part of the budgetary expenditure does not all go in the drain. Its role in the economic development of Pakistan-if less in economic growth-cannot be neglected. However, their indirect impact on the economic growth of Pakistan has been substantial. Technological advancement, provision of security, military's social uplift projects which positively affect the 'health' of the economy, military's ancillary institutions like Fauji Foundation, Bahria Foundation, Shaheen Foundation, Army Welfare Trust (AWT) are performing their role directly in the economic growth of the state. Importantly, Arms trade internationally has been contributing trillions of dollars in various states economies. This paper suggests that defence industrial capacity and efficiency can be improved in order to increase the output, which in turn, would help the state's economy by earning millions of dollars through arms sale at the international arena and by ensuring the continued supply of necessary equipment to its armed forces, especially in the times of crises-which in turn, may not only ensure the security of the Pakistan, but also reducing the political leverage being held by great powers on Pakistan. To achieve the target, as a first step, efficient planning be done so as to make the defence industry self-sufficient, and in the long-run to strengthen it to support the overall military spending. This way, it would not Military Spending and Economic Growth in Pakistan Margalla Papers 2015 152 only contribute to the economic development, but also in the economic growth of Pakistan.
RePEc: Research Papers in Economics, 2021
Saudi Arabia and Iran are engaged in a strenuous competition in the Middle East to protect and pr... more Saudi Arabia and Iran are engaged in a strenuous competition in the Middle East to protect and promote their respective spheres of influence, to each other’s detriment. This qualitative study traces the structural sources of this competition while taking cue from the history. It argues that demise of Saddam Hussein, Iraq’s plunging into civil war, and Arab Spring leading to violent movements in Syria, Libya, Bahrain, and Yemen accentuated Saudi–Iran competition in the region. Study finds that the sources of their rivalry lie at structural level and can be understood by focusing upon their aspiration for the Muslim world leadership, religio-sectarianism, antithetical governance structure, and Iranian nuclear program.
International Area Studies Review, 2023
The movement for a Saraiki province in the South Punjab region of Pakistan has gained momentum in... more The movement for a Saraiki province in the South Punjab region of Pakistan has gained momentum in recent years. The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf government promised during the election campaign to establish a South Punjab province along administrative lines. However, the Saraiki ethno-nationalists have demanded the establishment of the province along ethnic lines. The government fears this would challenge national integration by dividing the nation along ethnic lines. This study seeks to analyze the general sentiments of the people of South Punjab, where Saraikis form a majority, in order to explore whether the public sentiment resonates with the ethno-nationalist parties and factors behind the demand for a separate province. This study is conducted using quantitative methodology. Cross-sectional survey is used as a research tool for data collection, and SPSS is used for data analysis. Results show that mass sentiment does not support ethno-national federalism. Ethnic identity is not a significant factor in the demands for political autonomy.
Pakistan Journal of History and Culture, 2022
The demand for new provinces in Pakistan gained traction after the passage of the 18th Amendment ... more The demand for new provinces in Pakistan gained traction after the passage of the 18th Amendment to the Pakistani constitution in 2010. All major political parties since then have included in their elections manifestos the need to create new provinces in Pakistan. While the debate on new provinces is manifest on the part of political parties and ethnopolitical actors, there is no large scale research that studies the phenomenon at the mass level. The present article fills the gap by undertaking a survey of respondents from the Punjab, Sindh and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa provinces. The survey data highlights that ethnic majorities in these three provinces are opposed to the creation of a new province, whereas, ethnic minorities here are more desirous of new provinces.
Water Policy
This study, while detailing the processes of securitisation and de-securitisation of a non-tradit... more This study, while detailing the processes of securitisation and de-securitisation of a non-traditional security issue, deliberates on the water scarcity in Pakistan. It addresses the question that whether the problem of not giving importance to water scarcity lies with the ‘intent’ or ‘capacity’ of the actors – the elite. Or the securitisation is done by the actors ‘only’ to achieve their political objectives? This qualitative embedded case study deals with the rhetoric about the construction of the Diamer Basha Dam in order to address the water scarcity around the 2018 elections. The study finds that the securitisation of non-tradition security issues translates the elite's (securitising actors) political rhetoric (speech acts) into policy. The same elite de-securitises the issues after realising their political goals by removing the ‘speech acts’ from the equation.
Strategic Studies
This qualitative exploratory and embedded case study deliberates the nature of 3-Cs – cybercrime,... more This qualitative exploratory and embedded case study deliberates the nature of 3-Cs – cybercrime, cyber-terrorism, cyber warfare – against Pakistan. What are the three Cs and how are they impacting the state and society in Pakistan. How Pakistan has been dealing with these threats related to its cyberspace. While taking cue from cyber realism – which provides the basic lens to conduct this research – this study notes that states and state-sponsored individuals, groups, and organisations remain the main actors in the cyberspace who are active against each other. The perception that the cyberspace has diminished the role of state is an exaggeration. States still are the most important actors in the cyber world order animated by the typical great power politics. Pakistan remained a prime target of the cybercrimes, cyber-terrorism, and cyber warfare launched by the regional and extra-regional states. Though, it has implemented Prevention of Electronic Crime Act (PECA) and passed Nationa...
Social Science Research Network, Mar 5, 2021
Since 2008 general elections environment for democracy in the country is becoming conducive with ... more Since 2008 general elections environment for democracy in the country is becoming conducive with each passing day, thus resulting in democratic consolidation. Sub-systemic institutionalisation in the form of structural and constitutional development (eighteenth amendment), and sociological institutionalisation in the form of normative and perceptional development about democracy being a normal and natural process are important steps in democratic consolidation. This study intends to explore the causality relation between the Eighteenth Constitutional Amendment and the processes of democratic consolidation in Pakistan. It seeks to answer the question that how is 18th Amendment nurturing democratic norms and institutions, and why is it taken as an optimistic factor for democratic consolidation in Pakistan.
Global Political Review
How do leaders' idiosyncrasies are developed, and how do these, in turn, impact their politic... more How do leaders' idiosyncrasies are developed, and how do these, in turn, impact their political behaviour? This study traces the idiosyncratic behaviour of Presidents Andrew Jackson and Donald Trump. It details four historical traditions - Hamiltonian, Wilsonian, Jeffersonian, and Jacksonian. The study expands upon Jacksonian tradition and sees that how Trump pursued this tradition and how is his political behaviour remained similar to that of Andrew Jackson. Three specific areas in which these variables are determined are personal lives, narcissism and authoritarian behaviour, and populism and corruption. The paper also charts out the ways and means through which Donald Trump's administration is termed as Jacksonian in nature.
Social Science Research Network, 2021
Asia-Pacific - Annual Research Journal of Far East & South East Asia
The Indian Ocean holds immense vitality for its strategic trade routes and choke points. China an... more The Indian Ocean holds immense vitality for its strategic trade routes and choke points. China and India are Asia’s two rising powers, who aim to dominate the Indian Ocean to satisfy their regional and global ambitions. This competitiveness for regional influence has resulted in geo-strategic competition in the Indian Ocean. China, through the strategy of ‘String of Pearls’, has increased its naval footprint by building ports in Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, and Myanmar. India has similarly responded with an alternative counterbalancing strategy ‘Necklace of Diamonds’ by deepening its relations and partnership with Iran, Oman, Singapore, Bangladesh, Myanmar, and other regional countries. This qualitative exploratory comparative case study finds that: China through its String of Pearls strategy intends to achieve great power status, boost its economy, and address its security concerns, especially those related with the Malacca Dilemma. India, through its Necklace of Diamonds strat...
RePEc: Research Papers in Economics, 2015
This paper deals with the causal relation between military spending and economic growth of a stat... more This paper deals with the causal relation between military spending and economic growth of a state. There are three schools of thought on this issue: military spending promotes economic growth; it retards economic growth; and there exists no causal relations between the two. Pakistan's military spending-being indispensable because of the existing threat perception-has been considered as a burden on the national economy. This paper argues that military spending as part of the budgetary expenditure does not all go in the drain. Its role in the economic development of Pakistan-if less in economic growth-cannot be neglected. However, their indirect impact on the economic growth of Pakistan has been substantial. Technological advancement, provision of security, military's social uplift projects which positively affect the 'health' of the economy, military's ancillary institutions like Fauji Foundation, Bahria Foundation, Shaheen Foundation, Army Welfare Trust (AWT) are performing their role directly in the economic growth of the state. Importantly, Arms trade internationally has been contributing trillions of dollars in various states economies. This paper suggests that defence industrial capacity and efficiency can be improved in order to increase the output, which in turn, would help the state's economy by earning millions of dollars through arms sale at the international arena and by ensuring the continued supply of necessary equipment to its armed forces, especially in the times of crises-which in turn, may not only ensure the security of the Pakistan, but also reducing the political leverage being held by great powers on Pakistan. To achieve the target, as a first step, efficient planning be done so as to make the defence industry self-sufficient, and in the long-run to strengthen it to support the overall military spending. This way, it would not Military Spending and Economic Growth in Pakistan Margalla Papers 2015 152 only contribute to the economic development, but also in the economic growth of Pakistan.
Cette étude vise à identifier les facteurs ou déterminants de la politique étrangère américaine e... more Cette étude vise à identifier les facteurs ou déterminants de la politique étrangère américaine envers le Pakistan. Les relations pakistano-américaines affectent la vie de millions de personnes dans le monde, ce qui établit l'importance de cette étude. Le Pakistan occupe une position vitale dans le dispositif américain de politique étrangère en raison de la guerre en cours contre le terrorisme mais aussi des desseins américains dans la région de l'Asie du Sud. Le paradigme théorique réaliste néoclassique et la théorie de la prise de décision ont été choisis pour la réalisation de l'étude. Deux catégories de déterminants de la politique étrangère américaine envers le Pakistan ont été identifiées. Tout d'abord, les déterminants au niveau de l’individu et de l'Etat, comprenant l’intérêt national américain dans la région, l’amoralité, la politique intérieure et les acteurs, le leadership, et la promotion de la démocratie au Pakistan. En second lieu, les déterminants ...
SAGE Open, 2021
Saudi Arabia and Iran are engaged in a strenuous competition in the Middle East to protect and pr... more Saudi Arabia and Iran are engaged in a strenuous competition in the Middle East to protect and promote their respective spheres of influence, to each other’s detriment. This qualitative study traces the structural sources of this competition while taking cue from the history. It argues that demise of Saddam Hussein, Iraq’s plunging into civil war, and Arab Spring leading to violent movements in Syria, Libya, Bahrain, and Yemen accentuated Saudi–Iran competition in the region. Study finds that the sources of their rivalry lie at structural level and can be understood by focusing upon their aspiration for the Muslim world leadership, religio-sectarianism, antithetical governance structure, and Iranian nuclear program.
Trames. Journal of the Humanities and Social Sciences
With the signing of several lucrative deals on oil, gas, currency, and other bilateral and multil... more With the signing of several lucrative deals on oil, gas, currency, and other bilateral and multilateral arrangements, Sino-Russian relations over the last three decades have reached unprecedented levels. However, as China begins to translate its economic influence in Central Asia into political one, Russia started feeling uneasy about losing its traditional sphere of influence in its 'Near-Abroad.' After the unveiling of 'One Belt One Road' (OBOR) initiative in 2013, President Putin, a year later, announced the 'Eurasian Economic Union' (EAEU). This was a calculated geopolitical decision on the part of Russia to rescue Central Asia from falling entirely in the Chinese sphere of influence. Against this backdrop, the regional order invites a deep sense of mistrust because there is a lack of realization on the part of both states as to where one's limits end and the other's begin. In the light of these developments, this study endeavors to address the question that why is Russia allowing China to expand its influence in Central Asia despite the growing economic asymmetry between them and what are the areas of convergence and divergence between them? The study hypothesizes that China and Russia have adopted the policy of competitive collaboration-cooperation where there exists convergence and competition when it comes to divergence of interests-in Central Asia.
University of Wah Journal of Social Sciences
As the twenty-first century progresses, struggle for the control of Central Asia is growing, as r... more As the twenty-first century progresses, struggle for the control of Central Asia is growing, as rising China increases its economic and political clout while Russia is trying to regain its lost glory. The American presence in the region was considered as a threat not only by China, but also Russia who feared that the US is determined to carve out its sphere of influence at their expense. The recent withdrawal of the US forces from Afghanistan and Taliban re- taking Kabul further complicates the geopolitical calculations. China and Russia have been cooperating to ensure that the adjoining region, typically falling under Russian sphere of influence, may not become an American influenced area. Where China has emerged as one of the biggest trading partners of the Central Asian Republics, and Russia has signed several bilateral and multilateral security agreements to ensure its continued influence therein. Eurasia generally and Central Asia specifically, once again, is back to the limeli...
Journal of Contemporary Studies, Feb 19, 2018
Social Science Research Network, Dec 10, 2018
Social Science Research Network, Feb 15, 2021
From being one of the biggest proponents of nonalignment to becoming a state aspiring to be a reg... more From being one of the biggest proponents of nonalignment to becoming a state aspiring to be a regional hegemon, India has gone through a huge doctrinal transformation in its strategic thinking. This paper addresses evolution of this transformation while detailing major military doctrines such as Nehru doctrine, Sunderji doctrine, Cold-Start doctrine, Indian Maritime doctrine, Indian Land Warfare doctrine, and Indian Joint Armed Forces doctrine. This continuous doctrinal transformation aims at seeking a more synchronized modernization of the military, creating synergy to fill operational gaps and enhance agility for swift manoeuvrability under a nuclear overhang. The study concludes that under the present BJP government, Nehruvian influence over Indian strategic thought has reduced significantly and therefore ultimately led to the design and adaptation of more hawkish strategies-such as Land-Warfare Doctrine 2018, hybrid warfare, surgical strike stratagem-which are contrary to the behaviour of a responsible nuclearweapon state.